With Hearts and Hymns and Voices

With Hearts and Hymns and Voices

Pam Rhodes

Pam Rhodes

A sparkling novel about the BBC 'Songs of Praise' team recording a Palm Sunday broadcast from a small idyllic Suffolk village. As the outside broadcast vehicles roll in, ambitions and emotions run high. Producer Jan Harding finds the vicar, Clive Linton, hopelessly absent-minded. His practical wife Helen gets on well with the television team - perhaps a little too well, where the charming, enigmatic Michael is concerned. Charles, the Parish Council chairman, is deeply opposed and resents the enthusiasm of other villagers - including his wife Betty. Bunty Maddocks, queen of every local committee, plots to get round the ban on church flowers during Lent; retired accountant Jack Diggens finds purpose, faith and friendship as he plans tickets and seating; and teenage soloist Anna surprises herself with her success. This delightful story will make you laugh and cry.
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Fisher of Men

Fisher of Men

Pam Rhodes

Pam Rhodes

Neil Fisher's first trip to Dunbridge was not a success. Having inadvertently locked himself in St Stephen's Church for hours (and succumbing to the communion wine and wafers for dinner) it seemed miraculous they gave him the curate's job! On arrival in the small town of Dunbridge it quickly becomes clear that life is not going to be tranquil for the eligible new bachelor, as four formidable women are determined to make their presence felt. There is his mother, Iris, still questioning his choice of career; his rector, the no-nonsense Margaret, who is not one for taking prisoners; Claire, his new neighbour, whom he's already managed to offend. And then there is Wendy, the beautiful leading light of the church music group, who has her own plans for Neil... It can only end in trouble.
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Summer's Out at Hope Hall

Summer's Out at Hope Hall

Pam Rhodes

Pam Rhodes

HOPE HALL thrums with activity under the summer sun. Sea Cadets march in the yard and happy chatter issues from English as a Foreign Language classes while the weekly Food Bank reaches out to those in need.Kath is determined to honour the origins of Hope Hall, which was founded in memory of those lost during the two world wars. It's all hands on deck as the centenary celebrations continue, but Kath's efforts set her on a collision course with Celia Ainsworth, a descendant of the family that donated the land.Added to this, a mysterious homeless man proves tricky for Sheelagh to identify, and a handsome stranger looks set to lead Kath a merry dance...SUMMER'S OUT AT HOPE HALL is a fun and deeply moving story that celebrates the power of hope.
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Saints and Sailors

Saints and Sailors

Pam Rhodes

Pam Rhodes

Three groups of people come together for a more-or-less godly cruise around the British Isles: to Lindisfarne, the Loch Ness Monster Museum, Iona and Mull, Dublin and the Scilly Isles. There are familiar faces from St Stephens, Dunbridge; some new folk from Neil's new parish in Derbyshire; and the slightly long-suffering crew, not least her skipper. A cruise is a great place to make new friends, with leisure for decent conversations. It can also be an awkward, confined space with those you would really rather avoid. Some of the party are facing tough decisions - not least of which, whether to say 'yes' - and some tensions just cannot be left on land. This book is a delight: full of compassion, humour, and Pam's acute observations.
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If You Follow Me

If You Follow Me

Pam Rhodes

Pam Rhodes

In the parish of Dunbridge, hard choices face not only Neil, but also Claire and Wendy. Ben, Claire's former lover and Sam's father, arrives back from Australia keen to pick up where they left off. Neil finds Wendy very supportive - but is she biding her time? Meanwhile, Neil has little chance to ponder his future as the whole weight of running the church and parish descends upon his inexperienced shoulders. His mother, Iris, has just moved to be near him which means she's all too ready give her opinion on every aspect of his life. Meanwhile, Neil's time as a curate in Dunbridge is coming swiftly to an end. Where should he go next, and who will go with him?
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Casting the Net

Casting the Net

Pam Rhodes

Pam Rhodes

Neil returns from ordination inspired by his sense of ministry, but determined to distance himself from the two ladies in his life. This is not altogether well received, and a wide segment of the congregation of St Stephen's Dunbridge - including the music group - points Neil to the error of his ways. Meanwhile Neil's close friend Colin and his wife Jeannie are delighted by the birth of a daughter, but is all well with the baby? Neil's mother Iris continues to meddle, to his irritation. Churchwarden Peter has said a relieved farewell to his flighty wife Glenda - or has he? Dunbridge is not as peaceful as it seems :
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Christmas at Hope Hall

Christmas at Hope Hall

Pam Rhodes

Pam Rhodes

The march towards the end of the year sees Hope Hall once again buzzing with activity.The lead up to the Harvest Festival sees a stray dog causing a nuisance, and tensions rise between two old schoolmates. The drama only increases as Christmas approaches, and the panto rehearsals featuring the jocular "Can't Sing Singers" get into full swing. But the hustle and bustle of the drama in the community stems from the deeper personal stories. Loneliness, loss, and hurt impact the lives of many of the local residents. But where there is community, there is friendship, companionship, love, and most of all, hope.Christmas at Hope Hall is the final book in a delightful trilogy centred on a Victorian church hall, the like of which can be found at the heart of so many towns across England. This wonderful finale to the series (which includes the sound of wedding bells!) is full of friends and neighbours with stories that will have you giggling one minute, and dabbing...
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