Church service gets a crossed line with show

VICAR Nick Molony and more than 400 guides and brownies from across the Thames Valley could not believe their ears when their service was interrupted by a compere introducing a flamboyant wedding show.

Due to an unlucky coincidence, the compere of the Bucks Free Press Wedding Show at the Compleat Angler had his patter relayed across the Thames to All Saints' Church.

The Wedding Show was on Sunday afternoon; while the youngsters and their parents were gathered in the church.

The mix-up was caused by both events using radio microphones tuned into the same frequency.

Mr Molony said: "The church has a microphone and when the system was switched on the announcements by the compere were coming straight through on our system.

"None of the other stuff, none of the music, just the announcements.

"We had a church full of guides and brownies from all over the Thames Valley attending a Thinking Service.

"The congregation were less embarrassed, more frustrated. The only thing to do was to turn off our system."

The wedding show featured models showing off the latest in lingerie but Mr Molony said fortunately the compere was not too descriptive.

Mr Molony said Sunday's incident was the second time when a radio microphone has caused an embarrassing mix-up.

Last time, a service at Anglican All Saints' was mistakenly broadcast into St Peter's Catholic Church.

Mr Molony said: "We changed our frequency once before because it was going into St Peter's Church."

Compere Nathan Ing, 27, said he was sorry the frequencies crossed, and said: "I have never taken a congregation before."

The Wedding Show attracted about 800 visitors and was hailed as a great success with people coming far and wide to view a range of bridal services.

Andrew Davis, Exhibitions Manager of the Bucks Free Press, said: "Never in a million years would we imagine this kind of situation with the microphones. It was due to unforeseen circumstances. No one could be blamed."

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