PARISHIONERS in Teesdale are preparing to say farewell to their woman vicar and to welcome a priest from Nigeria.

The Rev Ruth Stables is to retire after serving Startforth, Rokeby, Brignall and Bowes for the past 3½ years.

Her replacement is the Rev Stephen Adesanya, 51, previously Archdeacon of Iwade in Nigeria, who moves to Teesdale with his wife, Buki, next month.

Miss Stables said: “I have loved every moment of my time here.

The people are lovely and I have really enjoyed it.

“Thankfully, I am not moving too far away, so I’ll still see all of the people I have made friends with.

This is a beautiful part of the world and I settled in here very quickly and it has been a pleasure to serve here.

“Easter Sunday was very emotional, but I am looking forward to spending time walking and seeing my friends and family.”

Mr Adesanya was ordained in 1991 in Nigeria and recently worked in a parish in Elephant and Castle, London. He will be licensed in Romaldkirk Church on May 20, at 7.30pm.

The Rev Stanley Haworth, area dean for Richmond, said: “It is a big move for Stephen, but he spent many years serving in Ijebu in south-west Nigeria, which is very rural. So in that respect, London would have been more strange for him and this will be more familiar – his heart is very rural and I’m sure he’ll be very happy.”