Home   Kent   News   Article

For heaven's sake, I'm NOT the Archbishop!

Nick Spurrier, looks like the Archbishop
Nick Spurrier, looks like the Archbishop

He's beardy and has white hair just like him.

In fact, he even dresses like him.

But now Nick Spurrier's decided he's had enough.

The 75-year-old doesn't want to be confused with the Archbishop of Canterbury any longer.

Poor Nick's already been mistaken for the leader of the Church of England by a commentator in a film made by the National Coastwatch Institution and even a security guard at Canterbury Cathedral.

And the same thing happened in a national newspaper this week which referred to a picture of his hair as a "white, fluffy windsock in the distance".

Now the semi-retired second hand book seller from Plain Road, Folkestone, is striking back.

He had a letter of correction printed saying he's definitely NOT Dr Rowan Williams.

He said: "I had to send pictures of myself to The Guardian before they would believe me and that I could be mistaken for the Archbishop.

"I haven't got to the bottom of why the NCI volunteer refers to the Archbishop in the film, whether he was joking or genuinely thought it was Dr Williams.

"You can see me wheeling a wheelbarrow round the site with the commentator saying, 'here comes the Archbishop of Canterbury' and picking something up, to the commentary of 'it looks like he has found something'.

"Throughout the film you can hear the NCI observers chatting in the background and I don't know if they were joking or not.

"Either way, The Guardian reviewer took it as genuine and it has gone down in posterity!"

Nick is married to Angela Conyers, whose only comment on the similarity was: "I think you'd better have a hair cut."

A few years ago Nick was also mistaken for the Archbishop when walking into The Precincts at Canterbury Cathedral.

"I was wearing a new deep-purple Pierre Cardin shirt which had a white collar," he said.

"As I went for my wallet to produce the free pass issued to all local residents, the security guard said 'no, no, my lord'.

"I realised he had mistaken me for the Archbishop and passed quickly on, extremely embarrassed. I have never worn the shirt again."

Close This site uses cookies. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies.Learn More