An unusual congregation is waiting for a special visitor to St Saviour’s Church in Westgate

The St Saviour's 'congregation' Photo Lorraine Hambidge

Photos Lorraine Hambidge

A host of characters from last weekend’s Westgate Scarecrow Festival are now in place at St Saviour’s Church to welcome Bishop of Dover Rt Revd  Dr Rose Hudson-Wilkin.

The visit is being made to mark the 136th birthday of the church in Westgate Bay Avenue.

St Saviour’s was built as part of the Victorian development of the Westgate-on-Sea estate and was consecrated in July 1884.

The church is part of the Seamarsh Group in the Deanery of Thanet within the Diocese of Canterbury.

The Seamarsh Group is the Church of England in Acol, Birchington, Minnis Bay, Chislet, Minster, Monkton, St Nicholas-at-Wade and Westgate-on-Sea.

The church is served by Reverend Karen Gooding who has been helped to create the ‘welcoming committee’ by festival organisers including Lorraine and Richard Hambidge.

Westgate’s first scarecrow festival featured some 45 scarecrows created for the town trail.