At the end of November, it was reported that Melvin Tinker was ‘banned’ from speaking at the student Christian Union Carol Service to be held at Derby Cathedral in December.
The office of the Dean noted that the Revd Tinker, Vicar of St John’s Newland in Hull, had not been ‘banned’, but had just not been ‘invited’ to speak by the Dean. In reality this amounts to a ban, as not being invited results in him not being allowed to speak at the cathedral.
The Dean had however ‘invited’ the showing of an X-rated film at the cathedral. The choice of the 1970s film Don’t Look Now, which includes sexually explicit scenes, caused Rod Liddle of the Spectator to question the decision-making of Dean Stephen Hance.
