Parish of Old St Pancras holds its 10th birthday celebrations

The parish of Old St Pancras celebrated its 10th birthday on Saturday with dancing, a colourful procession and a seven-mile walk around its boundaries.

Highlights of the day included dancing to a swing band and a stirring sermon from the parish’s previous rector Father Nicholas Wheeler, who returned from Brazil especially for the celebration held at St Pancras Old Church in Pancras Road, King’s Cross.

He preached as part of a church service given by the Bishop of Edmonton, Peter Wheatley.

Father Philip North, the current team rector, together with a dedicated handful of congregants, honoured the Church of England’s long tradition of “beating the boundaries” with a walk around the seven-mile parish perimeter, offering prayers and munching bacon sandwiches.

Despite the rain, the Rev North talked of “a lovely party atmosphere” with a “fantastic band” and people coming in off the streets to dance along.

He thanked Mr Wheeler, who moved to Rio de Janeiro in 2008, for delivering a “rousing homily” to around 120 churchgoers about the saints that give their names to the parish’s four churches.