AN ANDOVER husband and wife team have been blessed with sharing not only their lives but their jobs as well.

This summer, Rev Victoria Ashdown joined husband Rev Andrew Ashdown in his calling as she was ordained.

She now works as an assistant minister at All Hallows Church, in Whitchurch, while her husband is the team rector for the parish of Knights Enham, Smannell and Enham Alamein.

Victoria said: “It must be one of the best jobs in the world, although it is a 24 hour job.”

And the couple, who met when they were both visiting Ghana with the diocese of Portsmouth, hope to work in the same parish someday.

Andrew, who has been team rector for the past six years, said: “We have always worked together in the parish everywhere we have been, which is fantastic and it is lovely now to be able to do it as a team.

We hope in the future we will be able to work together.”

The couple were married in 2005 and have four children between them.

Victoria, who previously worked in finance, trained at Cuddesdon Theological College before she was ordained on 1 July this year.

Andrew said: “It was lovely for me as I was ordained 20 years ago and when Victoria went to college it was lovely to be able to talk through all the things she was doing in Oxford to encourage her through that and to be reminded.”

He added: “There is a double edge as I miss having her in the parish with me but at the same time it’s lovely that we are sharing different ministries and each being different.”