*** DEBUG START ***
*** DEBUG END ***

Bishop meets hippo

12 June 2015

HARRY the Hippo lives in St Augustine's, Ipswich, where he has the job of welcoming children, particularly those new to church. Last month, he was commandeered to a similar task in the Church of England's marquee at the Suffolk Show.

He was joined by the new Bishop of St Edmundsbury & Ipswich, the Rt Revd Martin Seeley, the recent Principal of Westcott House, who will be enthroned in a few days' time. It was the Bishop's opportunity to meet many of his new flock among the 2000 or so who visited the show. He spent two days there, and said that it was "brilliant for him to learn so much about Suffolk" in his second week in the diocese.

Also in the marquee was Chip Kendall (right), a singer and song-writer, besides other singers who have toured the world, engaging with children. And, during the two days, the Archdeacon of Suffolk, the Ven. Ian Morgan, hosted a series of chat shows with a police commissioner, a business editor, and the BBC Radio Suffolk presenter Jon Wright.

Browse Church and Charity jobs on the Church Times jobsite

Forthcoming Events

Church Times Festival of Preaching 2026

13 - 15 September 2026

An event to inspire, nurture, and celebrate all who are called to proclaim the gospel today.

tickets available now

English Mystics Series course

26 January - 25 May 2026

A short course at Sarum College.

tickets available now 

Visit our Events page for upcoming and past events

Welcome to the Church Times

To explore the Church Times website fully, please sign in or subscribe.

New to us? Non-subscribers can read up to four free articles a month. Simply sign up for a free account to receive the Church Times newsletter, plus exclusive offers and events, straight to your inbox. As a thank you for joining us, we are also currently offering a £5 discount for the Church House Bookshop online (valid for one order of £30 or more). See your welcome email for details.