London's very own 'hot priest' Pat Allerton delivers church services to residents during lockdown

With churches and places of worships closed, this London priest has found a creative way of bringing joy to residents while they are in lockdown
Imogen Braddick6 April 2020

London's very own 'hot priest' has been taking to the streets to deliver church services to try and lift spirits at this difficult time.

Pat Allerton, the vicar of St Peter's, Notting Hill, has decided if people can't go to church during the coronavirus lockdown, the church must go to the people.

Every day, he drives to a different street and holds a 10-minute service from a loudspeaker in the boot of his car, inviting residents to sing along to the classic hymn Amazing Grace, and join the Lord's Prayer from their doorsteps and windows.

Beyond the residential streets, he hopes to travel to London's hospitals to play the famous song and say a prayer for NHS staff and patients.

Pat Allerton has been delivering services in the street during lockdown
Evening Standard

Explaining the idea on his Instagram, he said: "The vision is to go round the different streets in the parish, starting with the Portobello Road right here, and to set up a speaker system and invite everyone from the comfort of their own homes and safety, or perhaps their doorway, to join in in singing an old classic favourite hymn and then I'm going to lead us all in the Lord's Prayer.

"So it's going to be very loud and very amplified - hopefully it won't annoy the neighbours too much."

Speaking exclusively to the Evening Standard, he said: "The idea just came into my mind about heading into the parish with a speaker system, self-isolating in my car, being very careful to obey all the guidelines on social distancing and all of that.

"Recognising I've got a bit of a captive audience and I don't want to abuse that or take advantage, I normally start by saying 'I'm not going to preach at you'.

"Generally it's just to lead people in a hymn, an old classic hymn that they might even recognise, perhaps from when they were young or from when they were at school, or perhaps they do go to church, but at the very least, it's a beautiful piece of music which can help lift spirits.

"We are facing extraordinary challenges and I think as time goes on those challenges will get harder and people will feel lonelier, they will feel more disconnected and they will feel perhaps more anxious, more fearful.

"So I felt prompted to go into the parish, to go into the streets and play this hymn, an old classic hymn at the church called 'Amazing Grace' , to play it loudly so everyone could hear it, and invite people to join in if they would like to, or just sit back and relax and listen to that music."

Rev Pat Allerton has been the vicar at St Peters in Notting Hill since 2017
Evening Standard

After the hymn, the 41-year-old vicar leads a prayer to "bring into our hearts and thoughts people known to us who are struggling with this awful disease or in hospital fighting for their lives".

He ends the service by leading the Lord's Prayer for anyone who wants to join.

"I wanted to do it to bring a bit of joy, to bring a bit of hope, to lift spirits," he said.

"It's a communal activity, but obviously I encourage people not to gather, keep two metres apart.

"Perhaps come to your windows, to your doorways, but join - just recognise we are all in this together."

He said the services have had an overwhelmingly positive response from grateful residents, with rounds of applause and cheers.

"At the end of the song, there's a ripple of applause every time," he said.

"People are just longing, I think, for something that keeps them connected in some way and longing for a bit of hope and somewhere to look for a bit of strength at these times."

He added: "What I've been amazed by is how much people are thankful for this and how it's moving people.

"I'm just getting dozens and dozens of messages on Facebook or Instagram, or even email, just saying thank you, 'this has brought me hope'.

"The response is overwhelmingly positive because I think people just recognise they need something more - they need some hope at this time and this is just a little thing that I felt led to do.

"I'm just delighted it's blessing and bringing a bit of joy, bringing a bit of hope and connection to people at this time."

On Thursday evening, Rev Allerton held one of his services outside Charing Cross Hospital in Hammersmith, playing Amazing Grace for hospital patients and staff to hear.

He said: "I did the usual stuff I've been doing and played the song and I'm amazed to see today someone on the street just back from where I was doing it came out of their house and they filmed it.

"They caught the music, but they couldn't see me and they couldn't see the set up, but they were just focused on Charing Cross Hospital and the music playing over the streets, and it was stunning."

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The video posted to Facebook has had more than one million views, Rev Allerton said, and has been shared thousands of time.

"I think that just speaks of how much people are longing for something, even if it's just a distraction, but I think it's more than that, there's a power in this - the power of hope," he said.

"I'm deeply humbled by the response."

Now, Rev Allerton wants to travel to London hospitals to spread his message of hope and unity and he said some medical professionals have already contacted him about bringing his services to their hospitals.

He said: "I see this as essential - having hope is essential. So I see the travel to get there as essential.

"I would love to go around the hospitals of London, playing 'Amazing Grace', leading people in silence with prayer and then leading them in the Lord's Prayer."

He added: "I'd love to get to the Nightingale Hospital. I'd love to go into it and lead a team of people like 'Corona Chaplains' to go into the Nightingale Hospital and pray for the sick.

"The NHS are doing an incredible job and I want the church to step up and take risks.

"Fine, I might get struck down, it's a risk, but Jesus laid down his life for the world, so how can I do anything less?"

Rev Allerton said he has been likened to TV series Fleabag's 'hot priest' Andrew Scott and his Instagram following has soared in the last few days.

"It's come up occasionally," he said.

"But I would never make such a claim for myself, but obviously when you are relatively young - I'm older than I look - some sort of comparison, one hopes, is inevitable."

He has encouraged residents to send him a message on Instagram or email the church if they want him to hold a service on their street.

"I go where I'm invited, because I want to show that hospitality," he said. "I'm willing to travel.

"And I'm hoping other vicars and other people take up this challenge - it's a pretty simple model.

"People can do it all over the place, but you must do it safely and discourage any gathering, invite people to stay where they are and join in safely."

Made in Chelsea star Oliver Proudlock, a close friend of Mr Allerton, thanked him for brightening up people's streets with a hymn and a prayer.

He said on Instagram: "Guys, if you want him to come visit you, just give him a shout-out on his page. Big love. Stay safe."