Adrian Plass and the Church weekend (by Adrian Plass)

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The book ‘Adrian Plass and the Church weekend’ is the sixth and final volume in the ‘Sacred Diary’ series by the real Adrian Plass. I last read this a little over ten years ago and had entirely forgotten what happened. So, as I have recently re-read the rest of the series, finishing ‘The sacred diary of Adrian Plass on tour’ in September, I was looking forward to reading this one again.

The events in this book take place at least seventeen years after the last one. In ‘..on tour’ Adrian and Anne’s son Gerald, newly ordained as an Anglican minister, was apparently dating someone unspecified. In this book, where Adrian’s age is given as 62 ¾ , Gerald is not just married to the delightful Josey, but they have a sixteen-year-old son Cameron. Cameron is remarkably similar to Gerald as a teenager in the first book (when Adrian was a mere 37 ¾). 

The story involves Adrian re-starting his journal after he is asked if he will help to organise a church weekend. Their former elder Edwin is no longer with them. Instead, his church has a leader called Dennis who appears to be vague and very laid-back. So much so that there are frequent references to him apparently lying on a beach on a Caribbean island. However Dennis clearly takes in all that is said, and joins in or comments when necessary. Adrian mentions that he’s a good speaker and a pleasant man. 

Adrian not only agrees to take on the organising, but says that Anne will also do her part. And as Anne is the efficient person in their marriage, the bulk of it falls on her. It turns out that she’s very pleased, because this weekend is a joint one with Gerald’s church, so they will get to see their son, daughter-in-law and grandson.

Entries follow as Adrian tries to field both sensible and bizarre questions, but eventually he and Anne set out for the house where the weekend is to be held. It’s run by a Christian organisation with a lot of volunteers headed by a dour and rather cynical man. And it seems that something has become muddled, since the admin team are expecting an entirely different group of people…

As with the previous ‘Sacred Diary’ books, there are some serious issues covered, and also some humour. It’s not laugh-aloud funny as the first book was, but I did enjoy the various phone calls from Leonard Thynn and his wife Angels. They try to follow their SatNav around the country, only making it briefly to the houseparty on the last day.

Underlying the whole weekend is a secret that Josey has shared with Adrian which she hasn’t even told Gerald just yet. It’s evidently some illness, but no details are given. Adrian is honoured that he is chosen as the first recipient of her news; but he finds it very difficult to behave normally, unable to talk even to Anne about it. There’s a resolution of sorts at the end. I loved Adrian’s relationship with his daughter-in-law. 

There are a lot of new characters mentioned, some of them more than others. I lost track of who was part of Adrian’s church and who was from Gerald’s congregation, and it didn’t much matter. There’s a bit of delving into the past for some, and there’s a couple who are on the verge of splitting up - again - before another passionate reunion. 

There are some features of the weekend that might trigger memories for anyone who has ever been on a church weekend (or indeed any other kind of residential social gathering). It all felt quite familiar to me, including the evening ‘talent show’ which Adrian has asked someone else to organise…

I’m very glad I re-read this, and I liked it very much while I was reading. I would recommend it to anyone who has read the earlier books in the series, but it would probably be confusing to anyone who hadn’t. It would also help if a reader has at least some personal knowledge of church life, and can smile with the characters. 

I wish it had been slightly more conclusive, but other than that I liked it very much.

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