"A wise priest once told me, 'Give vent to your creative bent this Lent' - so this year, I'm going to start learning the ukulele! It will be the first musical instrument I've tried to learn since I gave up piano lessons at 15...it could be a long forty days and forty nights!" Claire Benton-Evans
"I'm giving up the early morning cup of coffee, with a view to praying a bit more. And possibly abandoning alcohol..." Nicholas King
"I like the idea of taking something up instead. I'm going to start a 'thankful' box. Basically each day I will try to write down a short thing I'm thankful for on a slip of paper and put it in a box or jar.... then at the end of the year I will read them through. I've heard of people who have done this and they say how positive and encouraging it is so I'm hoping I can keep it up!!" Suzi Stock
"I'm going to make an effort to actually finish all the books I have on the go...that's a biography, three poetry books and two novels at the moment!" Sarah Sibley (Copy Editor and Social Media Publicist)
"I'm going to curb my sweet tooth- no more Humbugs, Skittles or Cola bottles!" Steven Gibbon (Website Manager)
"Having stocked up on pancakes for yet another year I and my flock at St.Cliff's are journeying through this season of Lent by abstaining from that firm favourite: chocolate. That my elevenses are invariably accompanied by a digestive biscuit covered with this now-forbidden treat makes this an even greater sacrifice for this humble clergyman. Between you and me, I had considered proposing that our discordant and cacophonous organist, Mrs Higginbottom, perhaps lay off 'tinkling the ivories' for this forty day fast but discretion got the better of me. Onward and upward." Derek the Cleric
"I'm going to try to give up crisps. It sounds like a small thing (and I know it is in the grand scheme of things) but I eat a lot of crisps! It will certainly make me think abut God most lunchtimes when I have my lunch." Philip Eley
"I'm giving up drinking tea!" Abbie Goldberg (Marketing Manager)
"I'm going to try and give up fizzy drinks." Kevin Duncan (Managing Director)
"I'm 'taking up' rather than 'giving up', I want to re-awaken my musicality, which was always a real love of mine and also an important part of my prayer life, but it got a bit lost in recent years. I want to be able to replace 'I used to play ...' with 'I play'." Annie Heppenstall
"This Lent I will be attempting to reduce my use of my car by at least 50%, shopping more frequently from shops nearby to reduce wastage, and reading the Psalms cover to cover!" Rosie Rushton
"I'm giving up having three sugars in my tea and sticking to two from now on!" Amanda Harker (Sales Coordinator)
"I'm giving up junk food!" James Hare (Sales Coordinator)
"I'll be attending Pax Christi's Ash Wednesday Vigil at the Ministry of Defence today to repent Britain's Nuclear Weapons expenditure and nuclear threat. Throughout Lent I'll support campaigns to stop more expenditure on Trident. Lent is a time for repentance and making peace." Ellen Teague
New titles coming soon from Nicholas King, Annie Heppenstall and Claire Benton-Evans...watch this space! A range of 'Derek the Cleric' greetings cards are available from our website. Books by all mentioned authors and more can be found on www.kevinmayhew.com.