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Alton is a picture postcard village in the Staffordshire Moorlands, famous for the theme park just up the road, and just on the fringes of the Staffordshire Peak District.

The villagers are served by three churches; St Peter鈥檚, St John鈥檚 and the Methodist chapel. The Anglican parish is 'Alton with Bradley', comprising St Peter鈥檚 and the smaller St Leonard鈥檚, which is in the hamlet of Bradley just over a mile away.

'A Country Parish' will be written up here on the web month by month through 2008 with photos, interactive comments and audio interviews.
And... please leave your thoughts and comments on the messageboard. See the link for that on the right-hand side of this page.

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October '08 - Part 8 of 'A Country Parish'

October - and the season changes, with the trees all kinds of brilliant shades of brown and gold. The village also changes, there are fewer visitors to the theme park and lots going on in the church calendar.

Harvest is traditionally a time of giving thanks and there's much to celebrate - but everyone is also caught up in the credit crunch...

Money is high on everyone's agenda at the moment - whether it's savings, pensions or paying bills. The church is just like you and me听- it has to make sure its books balance and that the money keeps coming in.

So what's it like being a church treasurer in these times - is it a fun job? Mary Fox has been speaking to Keith Ford. He's the father of five year old twin boys and he's volunteered to be treasurer at St Peter's in Alton...

Should the church be worried in the present economic climate? Mary Fox has also been to meet the chairman of the Lichfield diocese board of finance, Peter Sharpe...