I had a email from a vicar off line asking me to phone him, which i did. The vicar read my email & this is the highlights of our conversation. First of all he said there is no excuse for rudeness, the church people who were rude to me should apologise. Tracing your family history has boomed in the last 10 years, mainly due to computers, many people expect him to stop whatever he is doing & look up the people they are researching despite telling them that many registers are now at the Hereford Record Office or the Diocese office. personal callers he has tried to help, many have left a small donation usually £1 others leave nothing. some people are rude to him & his churchwardens, they leave doors open, walk all over the graveyard looking at the stones then walk into the church with dirty shoes. He said many vicars welcome people to there churches & will continue to do so, but please remember that the church is a Holy place & should be treated as so even if you are not religious yourself. Ive accepted an invitation to meet him, (which is handy as some of my ancestors came from his parish) sorry if ive bored you with my experience of miserable church people. Regards Keith.