St John Baptist Danbury

Parish Priest Canon Dr Graham Blyth

Graham was born and raised in Edinburgh where he was educated at the Edinburgh Academy.  After leaving school he moved south of the border to study English at Oxford University (Jesus College) graduating in 1975.  From Oxford he went as a post-graduate student to Durham University, where he received his Ph.D degree in 1979 for a thesis on the work of the seventeenth century English poet, John Dryden.  It was in Durham that he met his wife Liz. After training as a teacher, Graham spent three years teaching English at Sandbach School in Cheshire, where, among other things, he enjoyed acting in staff plays and directing student ones.  However he increasingly felt a call to ordained ministry in the Church of England.  He was accepted as an ordinand in Chester Diocese and trained at Queen's College, Birmingham.  He was ordained Deacon in June 1984 and Priest in June 1985.  Curacies at St Mary's, Nantwich, and St Michael's, Coppenhall, Crewe, were followed, in 1988, by a move to Southend-on-Sea to be Vicar of St Marks Church in the Southend Team Ministry.  He served in Southend for seven years. In 1995 Graham was appointed Priest in Charge at St John Baptist, Danbury, and he and Liz (and Theo, the Rectory cat!) are enjoying living and working in this attractive and friendly parish.

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