Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

The following is an incomplete list of Bishops officiating at the annual Confirmation Service, All dates are inclusive. Addenda to fill the missing gap years will be welcome.
1948-50 Chichester
1951 Lewes
1954-57 Chichester
1958 Lewes
1959-63 Chichester
1964 Lewes
1965-67 Chichester
1971-72 Chichester
1974-76 Chichester
1978 Lewes
1979 Horsham
1980 Chichester
1981 Bradford (R.S, Hook Old Blue)
1987 Chichester
1988 Lewes
1989 Horsham
1990 Chichester
1991 Lewes
1992 Horsham
1993 Chichester
1994 Lewes
1995 Chichester
2000 Chichester
2001 Horsham
2003 hORSHAM

Bishop of Horsham confirmed my two in 2004 and 2009. He was a very inspiring man.

I might well be wrong - memory plays funny tricks as you get older! - but I've always thought that it was Lewes in 1966 (?Chichester ill). I seem to remember feeling miffed that we'd got the stand-in, so to speak. I've managed to dig out the order of service, but it only mentions 'The Bishop'. Obviously used every year without the need for editing! Anyone else confirmed in 1966 who has a better memory?

I was never confirmed, but I remember sermons by George Bell, who was bishop till 1957. I also remember his successor Roger Wilson's physical presence: he was tall and very suave. But I don't remember any of his sermons. His very brief Wikipedia entry suggests an establishment figure of the first order, a career ecclesiastic almost, which Bell decidedly was not.

Having written the above, I found Wilson's obit in the Telegraph, which suggests my feeling was right. It says:

'Wilson was, in his day, one of the Church of England's most elegant bishops and, although he made no distinctive contribution to theology or to the church's national life - for his gifts were primarily pastoral - his progress to high ecclesiastical office and to a place at Court had an air of inevitability about it.'

On the subject of The Bishop of Chichester, I re-call a band trip to Chichester Cathedral gardens where I'm sure we were introduced to Dama Anna Neagle and her actor husband.

John H might have a better recollection than me !

J.R. wrote:On the subject of The Bishop of Chichester, I re-call a band trip to Chichester Cathedral gardens where I'm sure we were introduced to Dama Anna Neagle and her actor husband.

John H might have a better recollection than me !

An actress and a bishop in one go!

I'm fairly sure the 1970 Confirmation service was conducted by the Bishop of Chichester. But I do confidently remember, amongst other useless trivia, that it was on Saturday 7th March.

I got confirmed at around 14 due to parental pressure (later becoming a confirmed atheist). My favourite bit at communion services in the chapel was where Rev Pullen (the Chain) drained the remnants of the communion wine in one gulp. I used to watch eagerly to see if he fell down the altar steps but he never did.