Hull Daily Mail Wednesday January 25 1995, page 6.
Hull West News

[Caption in picture:] WRITE STUFF: Barry Cundill with church minister the Rev Ernest Penn.


An ex-bobby's song of praise

The words of a former policeman will soon be echoing around churches all over the country.

Barry Cundill took just ten minutes to write his hymn "A Unitarian Faith".

But already it has been suggested it could be included in hymn books alongside great favourites from famous writers like John Bunyan.

Mr Cundill's hymn first proved popular at his own Unitarian Church in Park Street, Hull.

And its popularity spread as hymn sheets were taken along to other churches.

Mr Cundill (46), of Elloughton, retired from the Humberside Police last April.

He says he was inspired to write the hymn while sitting in his office base where he now works as an accident investigator.

"I've only every [sic] written books on rambling and genealogy before," said Mr Cundill.

"But this came to me in about ten minutes because I wanted to express my faith in a concise way. It certainly is nice to think that people will be singing my hymn.

The Yorkshire Unitarian Union's press officer, Kate Taylor, said a member of the Hull church suggested the hymn was ideal for their quarterly meeting.

"Copies have been distributed and taken back to the various churches," she said.

"We will certainly consider including it when our next hymn book is compiled."

Mr Cundill has just completed his second hymn, but has no plans to make a career of it.

 

Hull Daily Mail (picture originally in grey monotone); Barry Cundill; Adrian Worsfold

 Over to the Hymn itself 

Pluralist - Liberal and Thoughtful