More than 200,000 people have to date visited Dippy at Norwich Cathedral and, ahead of the iconic dinosaur’s final week, emergency services workers were last night (Sunday 24 October) treated to a special preview of the Dippy at Night farewell spectacle.
Dippy on Tour: A Natural History Adventure closes this Saturday after a 16-week run at Norwich Cathedral, and for five nights this week the Natural History Museum’s famous Diplodocus cast is being lit up like never before in the Cathedral’s Nave, giving visitors the chance to experience a completely different side to the nation’s favourite dinosaur. The Cathedral’s West Front and Norwich Castle is also being illuminated in honour of Dippy who, since 2018, has been touring the country to inspire people of all ages about the natural world.
Emergency services workers and their families were the very first people to see Dippy at Night at a Blue Light preview event on Sunday which was organised as a thank you for the tireless compassion, dedication and commitment shown by all those working in the Blue light services throughout the pandemic.
The Lord Lieutenant of Norfolk, The Lady Dannatt, joined with the Cathedral’s clergy, city and county dignitaries and emergency services chiefs to welcome and to say a heartfelt thank you to the 600 people attending Blue Light Dippy at Night.
The Dean of Norwich, the Very Revd Jane Hedges, said: “We are delighted that more than 200,000 people have so far enjoyed visiting Dippy at Norwich Cathedral. It is truly amazing that our prehistoric guest has been so incredibly popular and inspired so many people of all ages. After such a brilliant few months, we wanted to make Dippy’s last week extra special and we hope visitors old and new will enjoy our farewell event Dippy at Night. Dippy looks simply spectacular illuminated in such an imaginative way in the Nave and it was wonderful to be able to share the Dippy at Night preview with so many emergency service workers and their families. This preview was just a small token of our thanks to all of the Blue Light workers who throughout the pandemic have shown – and continue to show – such amazing compassion and dedication to helping others.”
From tonight (Monday 25 October), Dippy at Night will be open to the general public. The free light spectacular is taking place from 7pm to 9.30pm on 25-26 and 28-30 October and no advance booking is required.
As well as seeing Dippy, people will be able to explore the rest of Dippy’s medieval home in all its evening splendour and also enjoy spotting some extra dinosaurs under the moonlight as the GoGoDiscover dinosaurs that decorated Norwich's streets this summer have gathered in the Cloister to say goodbye to Dippy. The T. rex gathering is called Farewell for Now as it will be the last chance to see the sculptures until they return next summer for an even bigger trail organised by children’s charity Break and Wild in Art.
Alongside the evening festivities, the GoGoDiscover Farewell For Now event and the daytime Dippy exhibition will also be open this week from 10am to 4pm Monday to Friday and from 9.30am to 5.30pm for the final day of Dippy on Tour on Saturday 30 October. As well as seeing Dippy and the T. rexes, visitors can also have fun exploring a time tunnel, walking through a wave of fish and spotting some of Dippy’s fellow dinosaurs hidden around the Nave!
On Sunday 31 October, the Cathedral will be saying goodbye to its prehistoric guest with a farewell service that will take place around Dippy at 3.30pm. Norwich Cathedral Choir, Norwich Cathedral Children’s Choir and Total Ensemble Theatre Company will all be participating in the service and all are welcome to attend.
The Dean said: “Our farewell service will be a unique celebration of the incredible adventure we have enjoyed with Dippy over these last 16 weeks. He has inspired such wonderful moments of joy, sparked so many thought-provoking conversations and made us all think more about our role in helping to protect the planet for the future. None of this would have been possible without the support of so many individuals and organisations across the city and county and we would like to say a big thank-you to everyone involved. It was a real team effort and all are welcome to join us on Sunday for our closing act of worship on our journey with Dippy.”
For more about Dippy at Night click here
For more about the Dippy Farewell Service click here
