The Archdeacon of Bradford leaves the city this weekend after tragedy left his brother-in-law's children without parents.

The Venerable Guy Wilkinson and his wife Tessa are moving to Oxford to become full-time guardians of the children whose father, Jamie, died from a brain tumour just four years after the death of their mother, Jo, Mr Wilkinson's sister. The family are moving into a new home together but the children, Thomas, 16, Lucy, 15, and Alexander, 11, will still continue at their existing schools.

Mr Wilkinson, who already has two grown-up sons, says: "We are making a new family and to do that you have to bring in from both sides in this situation.

"I am having to learn about football, fashion and pop stars. They are Chelsea fans but I shall be flying the flag for Bradford City in our new house.

"We are encouraging the children to bring in their background and stories and we are bringing ours to them.

"However it is still extra complicated. There is still a lot of learning to go on, but I feel we are well on our way."

On Sunday a special farewell service will be held at St Wilfred's Church, Lidget Green, and the 56-year-old clergyman admits: "It will be emotional, I will shed some tears."

His wife Tessa moved down to Oxfordshire straight away after the death of the children's father eight months ago - just six days after he was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

Mr Wilkinson, who came to Bradford in 1999 after being a vicar in Birmingham, has been commuting but makes the final break this weekend. The couple have spent the last few days packing at their home in Undercliffe for the big move.

Mr Wilkinson said: "We had just six days with the children's father to get his legal affairs in order and to see his consultant.

"He had been given up to three, four or five months, to live but became unconscious after just six days and died on the day he was due to start treatment.

"Jamie was extraordinary. He saw everyone he needed to and partied with his friends and said proper goodbyes to his children before he died.

"Jamie set up a charity to help families affected by cervical cancer after the death of his wife Jo from it and was a major player in bringing all the major cancer charities together.

"He was in PR and very well regarded in the city. So having a vicar for a dad is, well, different, for the children."

Mr Wilkinson, who plans to take up posts in the church in Birmingham and may return to being a parish priest, admitted the tragic sequence of events has tested his faith. "It is evil. It is not of God's making," he said. "When we were working out what to do I would think: Where is God in all of this. Is He in control? Surely he could not have wanted this.

"But it is all about how God redeems and brings something out of terrible situations.

"Life is all about challenges and it depends whether your attitude to the challenge is fear it or look it in the face."

The couple, who are grandparents and have two grown-up sons Hugh, 29, and John, 30 have been getting used to having children around again permanently.

All the family were together in Bradford at Christmas and the family photo of them in Peel Park is extra special.

Mr Wilkinson added: "For Tessa and myself it has been both invigorating and exhausting and we are having to learn lots of new things. Also, for the first time we have a daughter as well.

"The initial shock is behind us but a new life together is about to start. They are good children and we shall do well as a family together."

In his new job, Mr Wilkinson hopes to be working on projects to boost ministries in areas where other faiths are in the majority.

He also hopes to join a project to help inner-city churches engage with their communities. He praises such schemes at All Saints, Little Horton, St Augustine's, at Barkerend and St Michael's at Cottingley.

He also praises the Bishop of Bradford, the Right Reverend David James. "He has been a really good colleague - enthusiastic, creative, energetic. But above all he is a human being and a team player."

The couple leave the city with heavy hearts and Mr Wilkinson, admits: "We wouldn't be going in any other circumstances.

"Coming to Bradford was my first taste of northern life. I am from the south and came with all the presuppositions that southerners have about the north. Most of them were wrong."

And he believes the future for Bradford is a bright one - if left to its people.

"The city's real assets are its people, the diversity of its people, its buildings and the hills around. As a city it needs to be less downbeat about itself, and to talk itself up more. Forget about Leeds. People should be encouraged to eat together, drink together and be together and ease off on their fears."

The Bishop of Bradford, the Right Reverend David James, said: "We are sorry to lose Guy and Tessa but wish them well for the future.

"They are the best people imaginable to help the children face the future."