He failed RE at school, has a passion for bees and a penchant for real ale, but that hasn’t stopped Taffy Davies from becoming one of Macclesfield’s most popular vicars, with many of his antics appearing in the Express.

Now the grandfather-of-two, who worked the patch for more than 20 years, is moving on to pastures new.

He will give his final sermon this Sunday before leaving to join a spiritual retreat near Frodsham.

He said: “Although I am looking forward to my new job I have been very happy here. My wife Rachel and I have made some very good friends so it will be hard to say goodbye.

“What I have really enjoyed is sheer good natured friendship both in the parish here and in Macclesfield.”

Taffy, 62, moved to Macclesfield with wife Rachel in 1989 working part-time as a vicar and as an animator, making films for BBC and Channel 4.

He has been the parish vicar at Sutton St James for the past 14 years, where he introduced his infamous Men’s Breakfasts and threw himself into the village’s amateur dramatics.

Taffy, whose real name is Edward William Llewellyn Davies, first became interested in the church during a gap year in Africa, and was ordained as a Church of England priest in 1979.

He said: “I failed RE at school and it took me about five years to get through all the courses I needed to.

“There are days even now I think I’d be much better being a gardener or a bee keeper. I come from a long line of poachers and my parents weren’t religious at all.

“They didn’t push me, but at the same time they didn’t stop me.”

He added: “Just because I am a priest it doesn’t make me any better than anybody else.

“The Jesus I believe in got alongside the people and told them funny stories and that’s what I try to do. I work one day a week, I live in a lovely big house with a lot of people around me to help me, I don’t have a timesheet and I never have to clock on. I’m out with the best of them on a Friday night.”

Taffy, who has four children and two grandchildren, will move to spiritual retreat Foxhill Conference Centre near Frodsham where he will help with administration.

He said: “I’m looking forward to meeting lots of new people who will hopefully be greatly refreshed by what I have to offer.

“I’m also looking forward to a bit more freedom because parish life does tie you down a bit with regular services and pastoral commitments.

“The real worry about the new place is it’s two miles from the nearest pub – I’ll have to start brewing my own!”

Sutton ward councillor Hilda Gaddum said: “Taffy has been a well respected and popular vicar in Sutton and has done much for the whole community. I wish him well in his future life at Foxhill.”

Taffy’s last service will be on Sunday, June 30, with Rev Verena Breed. A replacement vicar is yet to be appointed.