Letter: The Rt Rev Lord Harries of Pentregarth obituary

. UK edition

Richard Harries speaking at the Church of England Synod.
Richard Harries speaking at the Church of England Synod. Photograph: Martin Argles/The Guardian

Kate Ashbrook writes: He calmly and politely squashed the objections that were put to him

The village of Turville in the Buckinghamshire Chilterns has reason to be grateful to Lord Harries of Pentregarth as Bishop of Oxford.

In the late 1980s we were trying to persuade the church to sell us the former village school to make a summer holiday base for inner-city children. The fundraising target was £40,000, but opinions in the locality were divided.

Launching the appeal on 23 May 1992, the bishop faced a picket line of antis on School Lane. At the subsequent meeting in the building he calmly and politely squashed the objections that were put to him, the appeal succeeded and the school was reopened – offering a summer respite for children from less fortunate backgrounds.

Richard’s leadership made the vital difference.