THE new vicar at St. Michael’s, Flixton, the Rev Huw Thomas, began his working life as an inner city youth worker in Wythenshawe.

The teenagers were often in trouble with the police, joined gangs and suffered substance abuse.

Mr Thomas said: “I wrestled with my calling for 10 years while I was there.”

At the age of 33 he knew it was for him and enrolled at Queens Theological College in Birmingham when he was already married to Natalie.

His curacy was served in Salford which, again, involved working with people with problems.

Nevertheless, he said: “They were the salt of the earth.

“The people here are lovely, too. They have done their best to make me feel at home.

“Here it is a balance between understanding what already works in the church and being aware that life never stagnates.

“I want to be loyal to the church’s traditions. I am not going to rip out all the pews,” he said.

His four-year-old son, Billy, has just started at St. Michael’s church school and Mr Thomas has enjoyed meeting other parents and staff there.

He has just conducted his first assembly.

He serves other youngsters through Wednesday Peewits for under fives and family service at 4 pm on the first Sunday.

Leafy Flixton is a far cry from Strangeways jail where Mr Thomas continues to be a chaplain.

“The prisoners are amazing. They respect you. Some of them have difficult lives and others can only be helped by God.”

This jolly man has outside interests, too. He enjoys travel playing golf and football and has eclectic taste in music.