A Man With No Ties

About the Book

FRANCIS WOOD thinks that you spend your life assessing your talents and vocation but you never know when you have found either. You just act as if you had. At least twice he had to change direction.

Born in 1928, he shared the privilege with the Tyne Bridge and Shirley Temple who first saw the light of day that year. After school he spent eight years in chemistry with ICI making artificial colours for kippers, margarine and canned peas. Then, tired of living in a world where nothing was as it appeared he trained for the ministry of the Church. Ordained in Newcastle, he served curacies at High Heaton, High Elswick and New Hartley before being installed as first vicar of the new parish of St Mark, Shiremoor. At last he felt he had found his vocation. Others had other ideas.

After 13 years he was offered the post of Producer (Religion) at the newly formed BBC Radio Newcastle. "It was another crisis of vocation. I valued parish life but could I discharge a wider ministry?"

A MAN WITH NO TIES tells the story up to this point. Set in a bar in Amsterdam, it is a story of love. The author finds life to be a competition between many loves. Love of discipline, good food, sailing, theatre, Church and one great love who sought him out and found him when he least expected it. Now retired, he sets out to analyse how the many loves of life can affect our search for vocation.

About the Author

FRANCIS WOOD is a Yorkshireman and he knows it. He wouldn't have it any other way though at times it has got in the way of discovering his vocation in life. When he left school he began a career in chemistry with Imperial Chemical Industries. Was it vocational? After eight years running a laboratory staffed by 15 girls he decided it was not. Changing direction he entered a theological college to train for the Church. This took him beyond Yorkshire to the South Coast resort of Chichester. After an eventful three years they sent him North again, this time to Newcastle. After serving as curate in three parishes, he became a vicar in his own right. There he became caught in the highs and lows of Church politics and only took charge by calling on his skills as a cabaret performer. Could this at last be his vocation? Well, not quite. After a dozen years as vicar, he took charge of religious broadcasting for the newly formed BBC Radio Newcastle. This led to freelance work in wider broadcasting, Woman's Hour, Pause for Thought (Radio 2) and varied talks on life in the North. Could this at last be his vocation? Yes, but you must add that for the past 24 years he has been Churches' Columnist for the Newcastle Evening Chronicle. His story gives a surprising insight into the life of someone seeking to discover his talent and vocation in an ever-changing world.