A GOVILON vicar’s wife has stepped into the shoes of Bridget Jones to publish a collection of diary extracts in a bid to raise funds for the parish.

Julia Pye, 46, of Merthyr Road, has been giving parishioners an insight into life as a vicar’s wife and mother of daughters Debbie, 16 and Rebecca, eight.

The mother-of-two, who began penning her everyday experiences eight years ago whilst living in Oakdale with her husband, the Reverend Alex Pye, 47, has turned her monthly column in the parish magazine into Julia’s Jottings.

Rather than Bridget Jones' obsession with her weight, the number of cigarettes she smoked and her disastrous love life, Julia's Jottings deals with the joys and agonies of being a parent and how being a key figure in the parish can end up in some tricky situations.

“It started as a filler for the magazine but became a feature,” explained Mrs Pye, whoe husband is based at Christchurch, Govilon, and also covers Llanellen and Llanfoist.

“All the incidents have happened although no one is named,” she added.

“It’s a light-hearted view of life in the vicarage. So many of the things that come through the door of the vicarage are sad and downbeat so I wanted to show the happier side."

She admits she doesn’t fit the traditional image of a vicar’s wife wearing twinsets and pearls and hopes to portray the normal life of a family living in a vicarage.

Her entries focus on life as a mother, her work with the local guides, and attending parish events.

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, wrote the foreword. He said: “The challenges are the same as other people’s, the stresses the same."

“But Julia does manage to show us also that there is a difference-not just for vicar’s families but for anyone and everyone- when there is someone else in the home.”

Julia’s Jottings is available from the Post Office at Llanfoist, Govilon Village Stores and the churches in Llanfoist, Llanellen and Govilon for £3.50.

Some extracts from Julia's Jottings

  • March 2003... Took youngest to Llanfoist coffee morning. Broke the 1st rule of vicar's wives: won raffle prize...whoops.
  • September 2003... Visited hairdressers for a job lot on the Pye females. Stylist declared my new look flattering -definitely boosted my ego. Eldest daughter pointed out my grey before hairdresser had taken the money. Need to rethink. Could I require a full service rather than just an MOT?

  • August 2005... Found pair of flip-flops emblazoned with Welsh Dragon on the sole. Felt like Cinderella, tried them on and they fitted. Decided to add them to my summer closet. Arrived to collect girls from school to be greeted by loud exclamation, "Mum you're wearing Debbie's old flip-flops!" Great! Find myself wearing my 9 year olds cast-offs. Decided to definitely refill my closet with new outfits next year.