from the December 2007 Leatherhead Parish magazine

Montreux-Territet

I was very interested to read in David [Eaton]s letter in the November magazine the piece about the Ven Arthur and Sue Sidall's new parish, St John the Evangelist Montreux Territet by Lake Geneva in Switzerland, as I have many connections with that church. My parents met in Switzerland, both were climbing; my mother lived in Territet and my father was on leave from the Sudan Civil Service. They made their home in Territet and that was where my brother, sister and myself were born. My mother sang in the choir, and we were all christened in St John's. We had a plaque made in the church in memory of our parents.

Last year I was on holiday in Switzerland and made a visit to St John's, where I asked to see the church register and found the entry for my christening on October 29 1916. Before the First World War there was a large British community living in and around Territet, mostly retired people from the Indian Civil Service and Sudan. We came home in 1921, but every year we went back to Switzerland for our holidays as my mother had many friends still living there.

Joan Furze