A minute’s silence was been held in memory of the 167 men who lost their lives in the Piper Alpha disaster on 6th July 1988.

Loved ones and colleagues of those who died listened as each worker’s name was read aloud at the Piper Alpha memorial statue in Hazlehead Park.

A piper played a lament and prayers were said before wreaths were laid by Aberdeen Lord Provost Barney Crockett and Oil and Gas UK chief executive Deirdre Michie.

Wreaths were also placed at the statue by Baroness Goldie, representing the UK Government, and Scotland’s Energy Minister Paul Wheelhouse.

Members of the public then queued to lay flowers they had brought, many of them wiping away tears.

Rev Gordon Craig, chaplain to the UK offshore oil and gas industry, told those gathered: “Thirty years ago tonight, 167 men died in the worst disaster to befall the oil and gas industry.

“It was a night that changed many, many things. For the families at the heart of the tragedy, life would never be the same, as they were forced to cope without loved ones and the hole that was left in their lives.

“So many families living in the city knew others – friends, neighbours, colleagues – who were directly caught up in the events of July 6 1988.

“To this day, many can tell you…

As the Syrian conflict continues to force people to flee their homes Rt Rev Graham James praised Norfolk for its leadership in welcoming refugees to the local area.

Norfolk County Council has accepted 50 Syrian refugees as part of the government’s Syrian Vulnerable Person’s Resettlement Scheme.

“While it is no longer front-page news, as the devastating war in Syria continues into its eighth year, the need to provide sanctuary to refugees grows,” he said.

“Norfolk has a great tradition of welcoming refugees, and it’s been incredible to see the outpouring of kindness and support from Norfolk’s faith groups, charities and local businesses for refugees since the crisis began. Our culture and economy benefit from embracing them into our community.

“We are proud to welcome refugees to Norfolk and I urge communities around the UK to do the same.”

One Syrian refugee, Mohamed Eldaly, spoke about his experience leaving Aleppo two years ago to resettle in Norwich. Having arrived unable to speak English, two years later Eldaly is now studying for his master’s degree in Molecular Medicine at the University of East Anglia.

During the meeting at Norwich Cathedral on Friday Mid Norfolk MP George Freeman spoke about his recent visit to Lebanon where he met with Syrian refugees and saw the impact of UK aid.

The MP…

Currently, statutory guidance on closing rural schools dictates that “the likely effect of the closure of the school on the local community” must be taken into account when making a decision.

The C of E provides more than 70 per cent of the country’s very small schools in rural areas (less than 110 pupils), and said it must look at the challenge of providing quality education within small communities.

Nigel Genders, the CofE’s chief education officer said in a recent blog post that the Church is rising to the challenge in a number of ways.

“Most importantly, we are committed to putting children’s education first, and ensuring every child in our care can achieve their potential,” he said.

“To do this effectively, we need to reimagine what outstanding education looks like in small schools and rural, often isolated, villages, and to be aware that the data we use to measure the quality of a larger setting may not be appropriate for the smaller cohorts of children in a rural school.”

He said the Church is also helping small schools share resources “such as Head teachers or business managers”.

Genders told Tes (Times Educational Supplement) that he believes the Department for Education was “very open” to the change.

“Too often in the debate we put [educational quality] as a subsidiary question and say, ‘We don’t want to see the school lost because…

Marta Smith said she has always been an adventurous person and was thinking of a fundraising challenge after raising more than £2,000 by abseiling the 32 metres down the Cathedral tower back in September 2015.

“I have never been afraid of heights. I am an optimist and a trusting person; I know they will not drop me,” she said.

“And I have always been a bit of a daredevil. I was a very daring toddler; as far as I remember, my mother was always sewing what clothing I had ripped that day climbing trees or something.”

Smith, who turns 74 soon, told Premier she goes to the gym regularly, and does tai chi and yoga all the time.

She’s been a member of the Cathedral since the early 1990s and told Premier it means a lot to her.

“The cathedral is an open building. You should see the amount of people that walk through those doors to find an oasis of peace,” she said.

“The cathedral is just a wonderful space. You just sit there and think ‘I’m at peace’ and if you I can do anything for a place like that I will.”

Smith reached her £5,000 fundraising goal which will help create a new Song School at the Cathedral and renovate facilities.