The Very Revd Charles Taylor was renowned for his amusing, rhyming and relevant graces at our Livery events. Just one of the many examples is his Grace for the 2022 Masters’ & Clerks’ Dinner:
We pray with thanksgiving for those gathered here, Such as Plumbers, Pewterers, Brewers of Beer, Cutlers, Drapers, Butchers and Bakers, Glaziers, Glovers, Furniture Makers, Bricklayers, Paviours – one presumes they lay floors – Up-market lingerie, Gold and Silver wire drawers; But if we want our dinner served up hot, We cannot possibly name the lot. So, Lord, as we meet here in Plaisterers’ Hall, We just ask you to bless the Liveries all, To preserve and prosper London’s city so fair, The Masters, Clerks, Sheriffs, Lord Mayor.
And now for every glass and plateful, Lord, make us truly grateful. Amen.
October 2024: The Chaplain’s Grace
Revd Simon Springett, Honorary Chaplain.
Thanks to the Plaisterers Charitable Trust for their generosity in setting up an annual £5000 donation, “The Chaplain’s Grace”, in Charles Taylor’s memory.
For this year I would like to nominate the Kit Tanner Painting Project; an initiative of the small charity Front Line Naval Chaplains (FLNC) – and I unashamedly declare an interest, since I am a founder trustee!
Making this grant will enable FLNC to commission a commemorative painting of Kit Tanner, a World War II Royal Navy chaplain who died saving 30 comrades after the sinking of HMS Fiji in 1941. The painting, by renowned maritime artist Geoff Hunt, will hang in Beckett House at the Joint Services Command and Staff College (JSCSC). It will honour Tanner's heroism and highlight not only the vital role of chaplaincy but the importance of self-sacrificial service, providing a human counterpoint to the military’s "hard power" narrative. The artwork aligns perfectly with the Livery’s motto, ‘Let brotherly love continue’, and will inspire and challenge both service personnel and civilians, with completion targeted for Remembrance 2025. It will, on an enduring basis, promote and celebrate courage, resilience and faith; and will foster a sense of community, compassion and mutual support.
The Chaplain’s Grace will be pivotal in ensuring the success of the project, as it will allow the charity to place the commission with Geoff Hunt. To schedule and then execute the painting will take around 12 months.
I should perhaps in closing add one thing. Geoff Hunt’s studio is in London, and so there will be every opportunity to see the work in progress, if not to arrange a sneak preview at the Hall before the official unveiling at Beckett House.
The Kit Tanner Painting Project
Front Line Naval Chaplains (FLNC) is a registered charity, set up in 2020, which aims to advance public education on the history of Royal Navy Chaplaincy by conducting research, preserving archives, and disseminating knowledge through various media. Additionally, it promotes the military efficiency of the UK ArmedForces by encouraging best practice in naval chaplaincy, running the Association of Naval Chaplains to foster camaraderie among current and former chaplains, and publishing practical theological articles, again to develop best practice in chaplaincy.
The Chaplain of the Fleet is the charity’s Patron. FLNC is seeking to commission a striking signature oil painting commemorating the Revd Kit Tanner, a Gloucester, Barbarians and England Rugby Union international who was ordained and served as a Royal Navy chaplain in World War II. Tanner was posthumously awarded the Albert Medal (now the George Cross) for his heroism after the sinking of HMS Fiji in May 1941. Picked up some hours later when HMS Kandahar arrived to rescue survivors, Tanner repeatedly re-entered the water to save others, dying of exhaustion after saving 30 of his colleagues. The painting is to hang in the main reception hall at the Armed Forces Chaplaincy Centre, located in the JSASC, where it will be seen by thousands of people each year.
There is a paucity of art representing chaplaincy in general, and naval chaplaincy in particular; a point illustrated when selecting art for Beckett House, when no suitable piece of naval art could be found. This painting not only fills this gap, but in the high-tech world of modern warfare will provide a powerful counterbalance to the ‘hard power’ narrative of naval life – and death – and thus support the Royal Navy’s emphasis that its people are its greatest strength. The painting will hang opposite the Cuneo of Thomas Hardy VC, a World War One Army chaplain decorated for his work rescuing wounded men under fire, but whereas the Cuneo shows the presentation of an award, by the King, the new painting will show the event itself, thus powerfully expressing that it is such self-sacrificial action which matters, whether or not it is recognised by others.
We believe this artwork will convey to all who see it, service personnel and civilian visitors alike, the depth of commitment they should expect from their chaplains – and to which they themselves may aspire. Clearly it will inspire and challenge chaplains from all three services in particular, but it will resonate with people of all ranks and all creeds and philosophies, encouraging them to realise their potential even in the face of the ultimate challenges posed by military service. After reviewing submissions from several leading maritime artists, we selected a proposal from Geoff Hunt, past president of the Royal Society of Maritime Artists. Geoff’s preliminary sketch inspired us as it goes beyond merely depicting an act of courage. His use of HMS Kandahar’s searchlights to reference the cross, central to Kit Tanner’s life and sacrifice, adds a layer of meaning that is both inspired and inspiring to people of all faiths and none.
Preliminary sketch for the Kit Tanner Painting Project