KNOWING ME KNOWING YOU “Knowing Me, Knowing You…” is a way of sharing with each other and finding out more about our church family. Mike Cosser is our interviewer/researcher and editor, and this time he has searched out and probed into Barry Preston’s life..... It was a privilege and a joy to spend just a little time with Barry, as he is such a great person. He was born in Keresley Hospital, and lived initially in Willenhall Wood, before moving to the Whitley area when he was eleven years old. He attended Whitley Abbey Secondary school, leaving at sixteen with lots of exam passes. He became a craft apprentice at Talbot, at their Stoke Plant, though actually his job was based at Whitley in Design and Development. He ended up being full time at the Butts College, studying Pattern making. He was here on and off for the four years of his apprenticeship. He is a Freeman of the City. During his first year as an apprentice, Talbot sold Whitley to Peugeot, and Whitley was subsequently closed down. Barry's apprenticeship was transferred to Austin Rover at Canley. He qualified at the age of twenty as an experimental body maker, and stayed at Canley for a while pattern making and model making. He moved into computer aided design, some twelve years ago, and went back to do a degree in Engineering Management at Coventry University. This was condensed into two years as Barry had some exemptions as he had an ONC and half a HNC from his previous educational input. Barry carried on in computer aided design, finding his way to a firm which sold CAD software, and became an Application Engineer selling CAD software. That was in 1999. That firm was then bought out by IBM, and at that point Barry's job changed to being a Product Life Cycle Management Consultant. His biggest project was engineering a component for the wing of the Airbus A380, and that necessitated him staying and commuting to and from Bristol for three years. He found staying away from his wife and young family difficult, but the work was interesting and the Clifton area of Bristol where he stayed often in the Clifton Gorge Hotel was beautiful. He realised that his job with IBM would inevitably involve more and more jobs based away from home like the Bristol one, so he applied and got a job as a Product Lifecycle Consultant supporting six resellers in the UK, Ireland and South Africa. This is Barry's current role, and it is to support people performing technical sales and marketing. Product Lifecycle Management involves taking something "from art to part". Barry met Rebecca in Newquay, Cornwall, and she subsequently came to live in Coventry where she trained to become a nurse. They married in 1989, and have two daughters, Abby born in 1995, so now thirteen years old, and Ella born in 2001, and now eight years old. Barry has had a very active sporting life, and he played football, cricket and rugby at school. He always played cricket, for Standard Triumph midweek and Saturdays, and more recently for Finham Taverners midweek team, for whom he is still the treasurer. His main sport was rugby, and he joined Coventry Saracens RFC at seventeen, He played fly half or centre. He played for Warwickshire at rugby, as a winger. He also played for Barker Butts RFC and during his time they won the Midlands League, played in the National Cup, and got promoted to the National League Division Five. Barry has played golf for fifteen years, and used to be a member at Hearsall Golf Club. He still plays occasionally, and hopes to play with Ian Medlock in the future. Barry's spiritual journey began when Rebecca worked with Nic Fortnam, and they became friends. By coincidence Barry knew Jonathon, Tim's brother, and thereby had a link with him, and they became good mates. Barry had met Roger and Sylvia a couple of times at different events. Between Abby and Ella, they suffered two miscarriages, and on the first occasion, were asked if they wanted to see a Minister. Barry said yes please, and the Minister turned out to be Roger. He was very nice, and asked if Barry wanted to pray, and at that point Barry felt something he had not felt before. He subsequently spoke to Nic and Tim about going to church, and asked if he could tag along with them. Barry remembers that one day while he was moving a carpet in Rogers's loft he put his foot through the ceiling, but despite that Barry continued to attend Quinton Park and to listen to Roger's sermons. He termed himself a "turner upper", but at that point he began to go out with the music group and other men to "refreshments" on a Friday night. When Barry learnt that Roger was leaving QP he was upset, because he had been brought to thinking about God through Roger and the commitment of Tim and Nic. However, Lawrence inspired him, and he joined an Alpha Course led by Lawrence and Jenny Flint. They had their Holy Spirit Weekend at Elim Church. Barry and I spent some time discussing the Holy Spirit, and Barry is not frightened any more because he feels the Holy Spirit is with him. Barry became more active in his Christianity because he is supported by Rebecca every step of the way. He found that Lawrence didn't suggest things but had a way of suggesting that you got involved. He began to help Ralf with various jobs around the Church. Then Nic and Tim were leading the youth group, and Tim mentioned it to Barry, and he offered to help out. He joined Sheila, David, Angie, Ian and Tim, a good crew. He got involved with Sunday School when the groups were restructured and a fourteen plus group was formed. He joined Rose, Ian, Sheila and David at first. Barry found that he learnt so much from the youngters. They ask you all sorts of questions, and Barry said that he feels inadequate, but with God's help he can find the right answer and muddle through. He feels we are so blessed with the young people we have at QP. Barry was baptised five years ago. He went to the Baptismal classes, but it didn't feel right for him, so he left his baptism for a year, and was baptised at Easter 2004, by Lawrence together with Jane, Eileen and Rose. The other thing that helped his spiritual growth has been joining a house group. Barry is in the Monday night group at Esther and Ralf's. He feels that he is learning a lot from the Bible, and from other group members who have a strong faith. Several people approached him entirely independently about becoming a deacon, and he reached the stage where he ran out of excuses. It felt right, and he hopes he can perform a reasonable job. He is inspired by attending QP, and finds himself moved in services or with the young people. Contact with Nic, Tim and Ian has also helped his spiritual journey. Lawrence inspired him, and he misses him as do we all. It was just fab to spend just a short time with Barry, and hear him chuckle, and share the journey. He has come a long way, and told me that he used to be the average 'Cov Kid', and some of his 'then' mates might be surprised to hear of his Christian and spiritual journey and growth in faith. Nevertheless, he is whom he is, a wonderful human being, sharing his talents with us, just as God asks us all to do. As I was going to collect a meal from the Imran Balti one night shortly after meeting with him, Barry, Ella and Abby were at church tending to the lawns and garden at the front. It was a touching scene, Barry digging, and Ella bouncing a ball. Typical Barry, quietly getting on with the work, and enjoying life, as he seems to have mastered the art of doing. Thanks for being you, Bazza, and God bless you.