On a cold, frosty morning the 97th Archbishop of York left Bishopthorpe Landing by pleasure boat for his enthronement in the Minster. As I raced down Ferry Lane hoping to capture the scene on camera, all I saw was the boat disappearing up river with the Archbishop's drummers beating out a lively rhythm. Not to be outdone, I first caught up with the boat as it approached the Millennium Bridge.
On arrival in York at Marygate Landing, and to the delight of sightseers and press alike, Archbishop John Sentamu climbed up to the top deck and displayed his drumming prowess with some gusto. Amazingly, among the crowd on shore, not a few middle-aged ladies and members of the clergy could be seen tapping their feet and swaying to the beat. This Archbishop has style!
Rubbing his hands together and grinning broadly, the unconventional Archbishop called out to those on shore, "Are you cold? Well it's the last day of November, what do you expect?"
As he walked to the Minster with the Lord Mayor surrounded by the press, Archbishop Sentamu frequently stopped to shake hands, chat and laugh with shoppers and sightseers who greeted him warmly.
With a man such as this at the Palace, Bishopthorpe may well be in for interesting times!
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