A Bishop’s Christmas ranges from presiding at cathedral midnight mass and staying with the royals, to scrubbing pans – but at its heart is the birth of a baby
TOWARDS the end of a year in which he has visited the birthplace of Christ the Bishop of Norwich, the Rt Rev Graham James, talks about the highlights of Christmas in Norfolk and his Christmas joys, wishes, chores and traditions.
Where will you spend Christmas?
At home in Norwich, with quite a bit of time spent in the cathedral.
How does your Christmas Day start?
Always in the cathedral since I shall be presiding at midnight mass.
Who will you be eating Christmas dinner with?
My immediate family though the time of Christmas dinner, and indeed the date, is a moveable feast. My wife, Julie, is a palliative care nurse at Priscilla Bacon Lodge. She will be working either on Christmas Day or Boxing Day. If it’s Christmas Day, Christmas dinner will be transferred to Boxing Day and whoever is at home with me will have a Christmas Day steak – I’m good with the grill!
Who cooks? Who washes up?
Julie cooks. I stack the dishwasher and we share washing up the biggest pans. Our adult children will help when they’re around.
What are some of your family Christmas traditions?
The presents are all put under the Christmas tree and we wait until we are all together before opening them so it can be very late on Christmas Day depending on when Julie and I finally see each other. Once I’m finished at the Cathedral Julie is sometimes then at work so Father Christmas is back in Lapland before we see what he’s brought.
What is your favourite part of Christmas Day?
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