THE Lichfield Diocese has a new Diocesan Secretary and Chief Executive – Julie Jones – who took over the management and administration of the diocese from David Taylor at the beginning of September. Here David looks back over almost 20 years in post.

‘The last 20 years have seen enormous changes at the diocesan office. When I arrived there were very few computers, and certainly no such things as mobile phones or the Internet. I still remember the discussions we had about whether archdeacons should be provided with fax machines. My predecessor had kept two shorthand typists fully occupied, every office had at least one typewriter and the volume of paperwork coming into the office meant that just ‘opening the post’ was a major logistical exercise. It is very different nowadays.

St Mary’s House itself has also changed, especially internally. Within a week of my arrival back in 1989 the ceiling came down in my office and the fire officer came and threatened to close the building completely if we did not do something about the fire exits. Fortunately the office is now in far better shape and is a very pleasant place to work.

My ‘learning curve’ was extremely steep - my predecessor had departed six month earlier – and the BBC secretary retired shortly after I joined so there was much to do. I will always be grateful to the late Pat Hughes for helping me through those first difficult meetings of Bishop’s Council and of Synod, to Roy Edwards and what was then known as the Accounts Department for managing the diocesan finances during the interregnum, and especial to Gill Stilgoe, my PA at that time, whose experience and professionalism was very reassuring.

I am approaching retirement with very mixed feeling. Part of me cannot wait to jump off the treadmill of meetings and to be free of the relentless tide of emails, but I shall miss the camaraderie of St Mary’s House, working closely with the Bishop’s Staff and the encouragement I unfailingly received from the three DBF chairman under whom I have served – John Goodier, Glynne Morris and Peter Sharpe.

For the first few months of my retirement I have promised my long-suffering wife that I will take on no commitments. We are going to have a holiday – the first we have ever been able to take in September – and are also looking forward to spending some time later in the year with family in Ireland. We have no immediate plans to leave Lichfield, though it would not surprise me if we eventually decided to return to Ireland.