Hope arrived in Ilkley in March last year and immediately took to the life of a parish priest, cooking for himself in his four-bedroom stone vicarage, visiting sick residents, hosting coffee mornings and conducting daily worship.
He wants to lead the Christmas services at St Margaret’s this year and to continue a lighter schedule until the new year.
Hope’s friends say his Yorkshire wit is one of his most attractive qualities. He is known for his exclamation “What a carry on!” in any church crisis and when he leaves Ilkley is likely to be in strong demand across the church for speeches and sermons. After his retirement from St Margaret’s, he is also expected to speak in the House of Lords on moral issues and the future of the church.