A CHURCH reverend says that Carlisle’s time in the limelight is not yet over.

Keith Teasdale, the reverend at St Cuthbert’s Church welcomed his congregation to church for a special celebration.

The Blackfriars Street church played host to a film crew from staple BBC One show Songs of Praise on Thursday.

It is the first part of a Carlisle special of the show, which will see TV crews return in the coming months to film the second part.

St Cuthbert’s was the venue for the hymns to be shown in the episode, with each of the 10 hymns filmed up to four times.

Reverend Teasdale said: “It went really well, there were 350 people in the church. There was the congregation, the St Cuthbert’s Church choir, our organist Jerry King, the deputy mayor Marilyn Bowman, High Sheriff for Cumbria Marcia Reid Fotheringham, representatives from Norman Street School, St Cuthbert’s School and St Margaret Mary School.”

The reverend confirmed that the church were not given much time to prepare for the day.

“I got to know a week before Easter that we were being considered because they wanted to film in Carlisle.

“I got a phone call to say we were chosen, we then had a month to prepare for it. We managed to rally people together.”

Mr Teasdale is pleased his church was chosen.

“I was delighted. It was very good for the church and the city of Carlisle. They (the congregation) were very pleased, delighted it was chosen.

“They all said what a wonderful opportunity it was and how good it was.”

The reverend added: “The BBC and the team there were absolutely wonderful, very professional, very accommodating, a joy to work with.

“It was an experience watching a recording and how professional and how good they were.”

Mr Teasdale revealed what the show has in store next for the city.

He explained: “They will be returning to Carlisle, I am to be interviewed. It will take part at St Aidan’s as they want to concentrate on the floods and what Carlisle has experienced and gone through.”