Suffolk Harvest Festival returns to St Edmundsbury Cathedral

Worshippers gathered alongside sheep, stalls and choir singers at St Edmundsbury Cathedral to celebrate the annual Suffolk Harvest Festival on Sunday.

This marked the first time the service had taken place inside the religious building in two years, being held last year at the Trinity Park Conference and Events Centre as a drive-in service, due to the pandemic.

"It's been difficult but I think farmers are a little more appreciated now than before the Covid outbreak" said Chris Partridge, Kersey Suffolk Sheep farmer to BBC Radio Suffolk's Mark Murphy during the service.

Stalls and family activities were available to the general public from noon running throughout the day.

Whilst donations filled the hall, the cathedral will continue to accept non-perishable items until Tuesday, when everything collected will be given to Gatehouse foodbank.

Kersey Suffolk Sheep stayed in the nave of the cathedral throughout the service and remaining surprisingly quiet throughout.

Whilst Chris commented on the success the sheep and cattle industry had faced over the past eighteen months, Peter Mortimer, a Suffolk pig farmer, highlighted that not all in agriculture have found the same luck.

"Slowly I have had to depopulate the herd, as we can't get the staff, at this rate the farm will be a ghost town by February" said Peter.

Young farmer's and members of the community presented the harvest loaf, donated from Lavenham to the Bishop of St Edmundsbury and Ipswich Martin Seeley.

The final prayer for the service was the Lord's Prayer, performed in spoken language as well as sign language.

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