A TADCASTER vicar took a step outside her normal surroundings when she left her parish church to preach in St Paul's Cathedral.

The Rev Sue Sheriff stepped into the pulpit beneath the famous St Paul's dome in London to deliver a sermon to a congregation of thousands on Sunday morning.

Mrs Sheriff was invited to preach by the cathedral canons after they heard her speak at the Church of England's General Synod in London last year.

"I said yes straight away, because I knew it would be an honour, but after I had thought about it I told them I could only be the same in London as I am in Tadcaster.

"It was a very strange experience because being in St Paul's I was aware of the history, but the preaching was really just the same as I do every Sunday.

"But being in St Paul's was very special. The pulpit is around 12 foot high so it takes a while to walk up there, which all adds to the atmosphere and ceremony, and it is beneath the beautiful dome.

"The Tadcaster group were all seated at the front, so I had friendly faces to look out at and I just did exactly the same as I do at home."

Churchgoers from Mrs Sheriff's regular four churches in Tadcaster, and friends and family, were so excited about her chance to speak in St Paul's that 60 joined a specially organised coach trip to the capital to support her, leaving Tadcaster at 5.45am to be in London for the 11.30am service.

The invitation to preach was all the more special for Mrs Sheriff, she said, because although the cathedral often invites visited preachers they usually come from the London area.

"To be coming all the way from Yorkshire was very special," she added.

After the service the Tadcaster party was given a special private tour of the cathedral, and invited to the canon treasurer's home for lunch.