HUNDREDS of villagers in Colwall turned out to congratulate their rector on 20 years' work in the community.

Reverend Carl Attwood was guest of honour at a banquet in Colwall Village Hall on Sunday (October 27), which followed a service at the parish church.

Mr Attwood, an accomplished keyboard player, was treated to music from the church orchestra and choir and even took to the organ himself for a recital.

Mr Attwood was born in Birmingham and studied music at Bristol and theology at Cuddesdon College, Oxford, before completing a curacy in Hereford.

He was ordained in 1977 and came to Colwall at the end of October 1982, with his wife Sally and their two sons.

As well as his clerical duties, Mr Attwood has thrown himself into a wide variety of community work around Colwall and was instrumental in the setting up of the village hall, the Millennium Room and Colwall Rotary Club.

He described his 20 years as "a huge privilege" and praised the village and its residents.

"It was an extremely lively community and it still is," he said. "People feel they belong."

At the age of 49, Mr Attwood still finds time in his very busy schedule to enjoy music, which in the past has seen him appear on Radio Three and Wogan on BBC TV.

He also has a passion for cars, with a 1947 Bentley in pieces in his shed and a classic MG on the drive.

Mr Attwood said the variety of activities in his life helps a great deal with his vocation.

"It gives you a breadth and makes you aware of the wider world," he said. "You meet people in lots of different contexts. This is a good place to be, there are lots of opportunities and there's a lot of work to do."