The Bishop of Norwich joined Paddington Bear in Norwich Cathedral Close for World Book Day.
Bishop Graham even took a leaf out of Paddington’s book and brought along a marmalade sandwich.
“It’s a joy to be sitting with Paddington this morning,” he said, before revealing his own favourite book as a child – Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome.
He loved hearing his father read the stories of children having boating adventures in the beautiful landscapes of the Lake District and Norfolk Broads.
The Swallows and Amazons series includes Coot Club and The Big Six, both set on the Broads around Horning. The children launched their Coot Club one Easter holiday to protect nesting birds.
Bishop Graham said: “It is rather lovely that I am now in Norfolk and looking after, in part, the Norfolk Broads, in the diocese I serve. It combines my interest also with the environment.”
Paddington Bear, who appeared on his bench in Norwich Cathedral Close last month, has proved hugely popular with families. The bench was brought to the city by StudioCanal, which made the Paddington films. Norwich won a competition to host the bench with pleas for Paddington to take a break in the city coming from Norwich Bid and lots of local children.
Bishop Graham finished his time with Paddington by taking out a marmalade sandwich. “As any wise bear would say, it is always good when you are having your story book, to have a marmalade sandwich as well!” he said.
With World Book Day in mind, the Bishop of Lynn, the Rt Revd Jane Steen, also shared her favourite childhood reading. She loved the Narnia series, Alice in Wonderland, Tom’s Midnight Garden, The Lark and The Laurel and sequels by Barbara Willard, and ‘almost anything by E Nesbit.’
“I was quite a reading child!” she said. “I loved books that took me to a different world, whether in time or in place, giving me experiences I couldn’t have in my own life and helping me to see things in a new light.”