Wymondham Question Time

George R Reeve Limited, 2 Market Street, Wymondham 

Terry Hickman Smith, terry@chestnutcottage.org 

Philip Richardson, prichardson@downhammanor.co.uk 

QUESTION TIME:  PANELLIST BIOGRAPHIES

Bishop Alan was consecrated Bishop of Thetford by the Archbishop of Canterbury on 29 September 2009 at St Paul's Cathedral in London. Born in 1958 in London, Bishop Alan grew up in North Kent, attending a local grammar school. Before ordination he worked for Shell and then completed a PhD in Biblical Studies at Sheffield University before moving to Strasbourg to work with the European Ecumenical Commission for Church and Society. He trained for the ordained ministry at Lincoln Theological College. Following his ordination in 1991, he served his curacy in Southgate, North London before moving to the Diocese of St Albans to be Vicar of St. Paul’s Walden and Continuing Ministerial Education Officer, responsible for the in-service training of the clergy. In 1999 he moved within that Diocese to Welwyn where he ministered for ten years as Rector and then Team Rector. Bishop Alan is currently Acting Bishop of Norwich. He is married to Pippa, who recently retired from her work as a counsellor and psychotherapist. They have two adult daughters, a dog and a cat. When time allows, Bishop Alan enjoys reading, sport (from the armchair these days) and gardening.

Dr Hartley Booth is a barrister with a Doctorate of Law from Cambridge who practiced in the Courts until he was chosen to be the Prime Minister’s Lawyer in 10 Downing Street. He worked there for Margaret Thatcher and was privileged to have fascinating inside experiences of that period of history. He led a National Initiative promoting Urban Regeneration and then was chosen to follow Mrs Thatcher into Parliament in her Constituency of Finchley.In the House of Commons he was one of the first new MPs to be given a ministerial role and he held Offices in the Foreign Office and the Department of Education. When Finchley Constituency was abolished in 1997 Hartley was given a role in the Department of Trade & the Foreign Office promoting British Trade as an International Trade Envoy. Again, he had amazing experiences and the Queen gave him an OBE for his work. He still leads a national Charity, advises a Law firm and is busy writing a book. Locally near Wymondham he and his wife a local GP restored one of Norfolk’s historic houses and last year with the help of his village of Barnham Broom he got the five bells in his Church to ring again to remember the brave of the First World War after their silence for nearly 40 years.

Philippa Dannatt was born into an old Norfolk Quaker family.  She remains a partner in her family farm.  Whilst serving as a military wife she trained as a professional counsellor and continues to use her expertise on a voluntary basis working for the Sue Lambert Trust in Norwich to help survivors of childhood abuse.

Lady Dannatt has served as High Sheriff taking mental health as her theme.  She is a Lay Canon of Norwich Cathedral, Vice President of SSAFA, and a Deputy Chair of the organisation’s Adoption Panel.  She is also President of The Army Widow’s Association, President (Elect) of The Norfolk Club and active Patron of numerous county-based organisations, particularly those supporting mental health.  Lady Dannatt lives in Keswick near Norwich with her husband Richard.  They have four adult children and eight young grandsons.

Neil Hickman was born in Birmingham in 1951. After reading Chemistry and Law at Oxford he became a solicitor, practising for 24 years in Bedford. He was appointed a District Judge in 2000 and sat at Milton Keynes, dealing with civil, family and bankruptcy matters. He retired from the Bench in 2016 but continues to contribute to the Family Court Practice (the standard reference work on Family Court procedure) and has written other books including a humorous memoir May It Please You, Madam – A Little Book of Legal Whimsy. He lives in Hardingham, where he is a churchwarden, and is married with two children (one of them a solicitor) and four grandchildren. As well as playing chess and singing in the church choir, he is attempting to learn to ring church bells.