Website for the vicar's husband!

As a result of the ordination of women to the priesthood some ten years ago, there are currently 2,223 female clergy with as many women as men training for the priesthood annually.

The old days of "clergy wives" may soon be numbered and Brian Irvine, whose wife Cate is an assistant curate at Romsey Abbey, hopes his site will bring support and help to his peers.

Men who mind the vicarage while the "woman of the cloth" is out on pastoral visits, or taking services, are being encouraged to log on to www.cucumbersandwiches.org.

There they will find tips on how to handle toddlers in church and encouragement such as to "buy a shed to sit in while the chaos passes you by".

Other clergy husbands are encouraged to log on and share their own tips, writing articles for shared learning on topics such as living on a clergy salary, their wives' stress, church clergy and children, and funding retirement.

Brian Irvine 28, is married to

33-year-old Cate, and the couple have two children, Rufus, 3, and Douglas, soon to be one.

Brian cares for them at their church-owned house in Tadburn Gardens - until, that is, they move next year when Cate gets her own parish and Brian officially becomes a vicar's husband. The ex-school teacher said: "The idea came about talking to other clergy husbands in the pub.

"We all had our own stories and thought it would be good to bring those together and ask a wider group for advice and help.

"Luckily, my wife did her theological training at a residential college and that enabled me to meet up with other would-be clergy husbands. We'd sit together and think through some of the issues after ordination, but I think some wider help is needed.

"What I'm hoping to achieve is comment and ideas around the globe, and already we've had interest from clergy husbands in America and New Zealand."

So far Brian has funded the site himself, although he hopes to find a sponsor soon.