Philip Shepherd
1928-2024

In Praise of Essex      Philip's letter writing    The Joy of Pastels (book)

Thank you for all who came to Philip's funeral on Tuesday 12th November. If you couldn't make it, the service can be downloaded here.

Thank you for those who made donations to Philip's chosen charity, the Whitechapel Mission. Over £500 was raised.

The Joy of Pastels

A number of people have expressed interest in Phil's book of his pastels. 

Further copies are now available. If you would like a copy, please Email me (Des) at:

des@desshepherd.com 

A pdf copy is also available here:

The Joy of Pastels by Philip Shepherd

In Praise of Essex

This piece was written about the county Philip was born in and where he spent most of his life. 

Its geography has had an influence. It has the longest coastline of any English county due to the number of tidal rivers which flow into the east of the county. The low lying marshes provide a habitat for wild life and our (former) MP, Eric Pickles, a Yorkshireman who has expressed a liking for the county, loves bird watching on the marshes. 

Inland the rivers flow in different directions - the Cam , the Roding and the Blackwater run into the wash, the Thames into the North Sea. Harwich on the north east tip of Essex has been the port for many in continental Europe to head for; such as Handel, the Hanoverian Kings, and in 1939 the Kindertransport. And Harwich was where I embarked to serve in Germany in 1947.

The counties nearest the continent gave many of us an affinity with our European neighbours. Our English language is a Teutonic language, but of course it is laced with French and Latin influences.

Essex is a county which has low horizons and huge skies. It has medieval wool and cutlery churches, the the 7th century early Christian chapel of St Peter on the Wall just beyond Bradwell on the lovely Dengie peninsular. Furthermore it has many fine timber framed buildings such as the Cressing Temple barns.

Essex is a county which as had a share of dissenters. In recent times in parts of the Thames Estuary there has arisen a disillusionment with main stream politics. This area has also developed a distinctive accent referred to as Thames Estuary English.

And we should not forget that in 1974, a chunk of the west of the county was hived off to the Greater London Authority, viz the London Borough of Havering, Barking and Dagenham and three others. This is now referred to as Essex in London. There is therefore a strong link with our vibrant and diverse capital city.

Essex is a county with grit, common sense, is outward looking and continues to have the means to contribute and adapt. It has a lot going for it - a 21st Century county.

Philip Shepherd - October 2014

Philip's Letter Writing

Philip was a prolific letter writer.

If one thinks of Prince Charles – now King Charles - and his spidery handwriting of letters to government ministers back in the 1990’s, Phil at least typed out his letters!

Phil was an enthusiastic European. Of course we have now left Europe and this saddened him.

Looking at his correspondence, in January 2002, he wrote to the Brentwood Gazette saying that the UK should adopt the Euro as soon as possible. He acknowledged that there were pros and cons – and even though he wasn’t a Thatcherite - said that:

“she took us into the European Single Market and monetary union is an inevitable consequence.”

In this letter he also suggested that we don’t repeat the mistake when the majority of western Europe changed from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar in 1582. 

“Because we had a hang up about Rome – the Brussels of its day – Britain defied logic and didn’t adopt the new calendar until 1752 – 170 years later."

He wrote that “it would be sad indeed if on the Euro we were to tread the same path”.

In 2003 he wrote to the then Prime Minister – Tony Blair. 

Phil was a lifelong member of the Labour Party but was concerned with the Iraq war. He asked whether Mr Blair could tell him why he should remain in the Labour Party and not give his support to the Lib Dems. 

In 2004 he again wrote to Mr Blair about the Hutton Report:

“As a member of the Labour Party, I have had enough!”

He goes on: “The Hutton Report is so slanted in favour of the Government and critical of the BBC that it is not just credible” 

And his rant just went on and on. I am not aware of a reply from Mr Blair but he had further correspondence with the then Party Chair, Ian McCartney.

In 2006, Phil complained to the Director General of the BBC about the shortening of the weather forecasts on the Today programme. 

I quote the end of this letter: 

“I put it to you - that you – the BBC – need to rethink your attitude towards weather forecasts and do the job properly.” 

Also in 2006, he wrote to the German Ambassador about a book by a former London correspondent for Der Spiegel – a weekly German newspaper – which criticized the perceived attitude of the English towards Germans. 

I’ve spoken about his thoughts on the Euro. But metrification. 

Again to the Brentwood Gazette, he argued in favour of metric measurements over imperial. He wrote that:

“imperial measures have served us well and moving on is like parting from an old friend BUT many of them are archaic and don’t fit easily in an increasingly global situation.”

Having said that, there is one imperial measure he would be loath to lose: 

The pint down at his local!