Who’s Who
- Rev’d Canon Richard Lamey
Rector
Richard was born and brought up on the border of Manchester and Cheshire. He read History at University and trained for Ordination in Cambridge before spending three years as Assistant Curate in Stockport and then seven years as Vicar of St Mary’s, Newton with Flowery Field (near to Hyde on the eastern edge of Manchester). During this time he was also Rural Dean of Mottram for four years.
He came to be Rector of the three Churches of the Parish of St Paul, Wokingham in November 2012.
He is married to Becca (a Secondary Maths Teacher) and they have three children at three different Secondary Schools and a Border Collie called Bramble. Dog walks and bike rides figure large in his spare time, as well as reading and going to the cinema and catching up with friends. He used to play rugby union and squash but now sticks to running.
He is often heard saying that being a parish priest is the best job in the world because it is about God and about people, and helping people to see where God is already at work in their lives and community. This has never been truer than during the current pandemic, in which the values of community support where everyone works together have been so strong and so transformational.
Richard is also the Area Dean of Sonning, a member of Bishop’s Council and Diocesan Synod, and Young Vocations Champion for the Archdeaconry of Berkshire, as well as being Vice Chair of Governors at St Paul’s Junior School, a role he relishes.
- Rev’d Cara Smart
Assistant Curate
Cara spent her childhood in Cheshire before moving to Reading, then Tadley, and now Wokingham. Prior to ordination, she worked as a toy tester and for Macmillan Publishers. Cara trained for ordination at Ripon College Cuddesdon alongside being a Children’s Worker for her previous benefice of 6 churches. She was licensed to the parish in July 2020 and ordained deacon in September 2020.
Cara is married to Richard who is Programme Manager for UL, and they have two children and an excitable wheaten terrier. She enjoys exploring new places to walk the dog, especially beaches and woods, and also loves music and enjoys playing the flute in her spare time, as well as baking, spending time with friends and catching up over meals and drinks together. Reading, poetry, environmental and social justice all play a part of Cara’s faith and life, and she loves the chance to get creative.
- Bertie the legendary Churchmouse
Bertie is proud to be an international mouse of mystery. No-one quite knows when he came to live in St Paul’s Church, but he started writing a parish email in about 2016 and he has really come into his own during the current lockdown. His workload has increased but he is pleased to be helpful. He likes eating cheese, and eating more cheese. He misses being able to go on Continental tours in his MG Roadster in British racing green from fromagerie to fromagerie. He loves seeing his friends when he is allowed. He is perhaps the most fashionable and trendy person in the Borough- the county, even. Bon viveur, raconteur, hero, journalist, fearless pursuer of the truth, PR guru, crumb tidier-upper- and communications conduit for the parish. He is at the very heart of our Church, his emails are legend, and his cheese and wine parties are unforgettable. His fondue parties are a close second. You might even get an invitation if you’re lucky, once the restrictions ease…
- Rev’d Jane Kraft
Jane is a Londoner born and bred. She trained as a nurse at St. Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, in the 1960s and did her midwifery training in Bristol. She returned to Barts as a Junior Sister before becoming a Night Sister and later a Ward Sister. During this time, she met her husband who was, at the time, a Senior Registrar in the Psychiatric Department. They were married in Barts-the-Less in 1972 and, subsequently, had two sons. Their older son became a Psychotherapist, while their younger son is the Executive Director of a private school in South London. Sadly, Jane was widowed in 2008. Jane is very close to her family and has three delightful grandchildren aged 9,6 and 3 who give her a great joy.
In her spare time, she enjoys cooking and entertaining, does crosswords and sudoku, knits garments for her family and is a keen traveller.
Jane lived in London for most of her life and served at Christ Church, Southgate, as a Licensed Lay Minister for 8 years before training for ordination at the North Thames Ministerial Training Course; and after her ordination, continued to serve in the Diocese of London. She was appointed Team Vicar in the Chipping Barnet Team (Diocese of St Albans) in 2007 and retired from full-time ministry in 2015 when she moved to Owlsmoor.
Jane has a certificate in Spiritual Direction from Sarum College. She holds Permission to Officiate in the Berkshire Archdeaconry and continues in active ministry. She is also Associate Area Dean of Sonning. - Rev’d Judi Hattaway
Judi spent her curacy in Guildford Diocese as Lead Chaplain at Frimley Park Hospital and curate to two churches in Frimley. Prior to that she worked as a chaplain at Broadmoor High Secure Hospital.
Over the last twenty years she has been, variously, Training Co-ordinator for the Diocese of Monmouth, and, for eight years, Parish Development Adviser in the Archdeaconry of Berkshire.
Judi’s background is in adult and children’s education, adult training, group facilitation, counselling, and consultancy. She has worked in Christian contexts for over twenty years.
She has a BA with Honours in English and Philosophy from the University of Kent, a Master’s Degree from the University of Liverpool in Adult Education with Theological Reflection, a Post-Graduate Certificate of Education, a Post-Graduate Counselling qualification, a Post-Graduate Diploma in Ministry and Mission from the Southern Theological Education and Training Course in Salisbury (STETS).
She has four grown-up children and six grandchildren. Two of the grandsons have statements of special educational need – Judi has a special interest in people with learning disabilities. Judi also runs a private counselling practice.
In any spare time, Judi likes entertaining, knitting and sewing, reading, going to concerts, films, art galleries, and the theatre, and having a laugh.
