Clergy test their culinary skills!

Friday March 9th 2007

At home in the kitchen! The Rev Neal Phair and Archdeacon Stephen McBride. Two fearless clergymen doffed their dog collars (not literally) and donned their pinnies in a bid to impress MU members from all over Connor.

Archdeacon Stephen McBride, rector of Antrim, and the Rev Neal Phair, rector of Dunseverick and Ballintoy and a former curate in Ballymena, turned up the heat as they competed in a Can’t Cook, Won’t Cook evening in St Patrick’s Church Hall, Ballymena.

The fundraising event was attended by some 250 members of the Mothers’ Union from branches representing all parts of the diocese.

Marie Quigley, Archdeacon Stephen McBride, Roslyn Graham, the Rev Neal Phair and Ann Armstrong take things in their stride at the Can’t Cook, Won’t Cook evening. The colourful chefs were guided in their culinary quest by Fanny Craddock’s daughter (Ann Armstrong, MU Area Chairman for Lisburn) and her two assistants, Gladys (Marie Quigley, Young Members Rep for Mid-Connor) and Vera (Roslyn Graham, Young Members Rep for North Connor).

On the menu were pasta and meat balls, crepes and a cream and fresh fruit flan.

The two clerics showed differing kitchen skills and although they produced some reasonably presentable dishes to a varying degree of success, no one was seen to actually taste anything that they had cooked. On the vote of red and green peppers, miraculously, it was a tie.

The evening raised a marvellous £555 for the MU Relief Fund, and was an opportunity for the ladies to see two of Connor’s clergy in a different role and have a good laugh at their expense.

A section of the large audience which enjoyed the Can’t Cook, Won’t Cook evening in Ballymena. Can't Cook, Won't Cook was organised by the Young Members representative of Connor Diocese and was co-ordinated by Patricia McWhirter.