WHEN new bishop John Goddard wants a Right Reverend bit of space he heads for the garden shed!

The 12ft by 10ft wooden hut is proving to be a real Godsend away from the hustle and bustle of modern life after being handed over as a present when he began his new job.

Kitted out with everything but the kitchen sink, including electric lights, seating for six people, an altar and icons given to him by people in his previous parishes, the Bishop is using Lancashire's newest chapel as a place for quiet reflection.

USE THIS HERE IN SECOND EDITIONThe new Bishop of Burnley was given the gift, built by Longridge firm, J and R Fencing, by Blackburn Diocese when he moved from Preston, with his wife Vivenne and two sons Gareth and Michael.

It now takes pride of place in the front garden of his home in Padiham Road, Burnley.He said: "My move from being Team Rector to Bishop has brought many changes to my life, including changes in routine and in life patterns.

"To help me grow and develop in these changes, I have a wooden chapel in the garden, jokingly called the Bishop's shed.

"Until now I have always been a parish priest and lived next door to the church, which is the place I would go and pray.

"This is the first time I have not been able to go to the church and decided I needed somewhere else to go.

"The phones are always going in this house and people are always coming to the door. It is lovely but I do need those times for prayer and stillness also. "

The Bishop of Burnley was given the shed, built by Longridge firm, J and R Fencing, by Blackburn Diocese when he moved from Preston, with his wife Vivenne and two sons Gareth and Michael.

It now takes pride of place in the front garden of his home in Padiham Road, Burnley.

Odd as it may seem today, the Bishop said a quiet place to pray was nothing new for Christians, and said it was an age old tradition for worshippers to have their own prayer booths.

He added: "I hope this will encourage more people to create spaces like this in their own homes for private prayer."

Coming from the Ribbleton parish, where he had a mere 20,000 parishioners under his wing, there is no wonder he feels a little overwhelmed at times, having taken over the southern half of the Blackburn Diocese.

Governed by the Diocesan Bishop, the Rt Rev Alan Chesters, Bishop John, 53, now covers the whole of East Lancashire, including the Blackburn, Burnley, Accrington, Pendle, Rossendale and Ribble Valley areas.

Finally seeing the light in the new chapel, he said: "I may for a while continue to be uncertain where the plates are in the kitchen of our new home but I do know where my chapel is and the physical structure bids me come aside, regularly, routinely and carefully to give real time and space to God our Father."