GRISELDA CANN MUSSETT
17.09.1948 - 16.08.2024
On the 11th of September the Alexander Centre was packed with people attending the reception following the funeral of Griselda. It was difficult negotiating a path through the interlinked rooms all crowded with well-wishers and it was a testament to the affection and esteem with which she was held by many in Faversham and elsewhere.
Amongst her many achievements, she was one of the founding members of Friends of Faversham Creek the first organisation to fight to try to halt the decline of the creek and the creek-side following the closure of the water-based businesses and the swing bridge. During this time the Friends led the fight against a proposed vast and very speculative housing and industrial development to the East of the Town. After three unsuccessful appeals by the developers to overturn planning refusals they finally went bankrupt.
In the 1990s Griselda also helped establish the very remarkable Faversham Physic Garden which this year celebrates its 30th year bringing pleasure, comfort and therapy to thousands of local people.
Of the many tributes to her life that have been written since her death, I have chosen two which give a sense of her contribution to the town and the loss felt by people who knew her well.
NATHALIE BANAIGS WROTE:
Griselda Mussett was one of the first names that popped up when I moved to Faversham in 2003, looking for creative people and community champions. I was told “you need to meet Griselda”. When I did, I knew I knew why she was mentioned.
Life is funny like that, isn’t it? You stumble across people, acquaintances and friends, and sometimes, they leave a special mark that stays forever. Griselda was one of those to me. I can’t think of her without a smile.
She was a bundle of energy and ideas, always off on a new project with enthusiasm. She was, quite simply, unstoppable. To give you an idea of her spirit: someone recently posted on social media that she was on a course learning Italian and still writing her book on women of Faversham just four days before she left us. That’s Griselda, still learning, still reaching for more.
Her passion for art and creativity was something we shared. Griselda believed art was important as a way of seeing, feeling and communicating. Her own work was a testament to this. She poured herself into it, whether she was capturing Faversham in her sketches or creating self-portraits during her illness. Through her art, she showed us both beauty and vulnerability. That dedication touched me.
Even when she faced illness, she seemed positive, facing each day with that strong spirit. Her final years battling cancer showed the depth of her resilience, and I think we will all carry a piece of that with us.
She inspired everyone that knew her, shining like a star, always herself and utterly irreplaceable.
ELDON HINCHCLIFFE SAID:
“Griselda truly was a colossus among people who campaigned for Faversham, and she will be sorely missed. She gave so much time and sheer enthusiasm for the good causes she espoused, and it really made a beneficial difference to the outcome.”
PROFESSOR CHRIS WRIGHT
Professor Chris Wright BSc PhD ACGI MICE CEng FIHT CMath FIMA is Emeritus Professor of Transport Management, Middlesex University, London.
Originally trained as a civil engineer, for the last 45 years he has specialised in transport research, becoming a chartered mathematician in 1995. He has been chairman of the Executive Committee of the (UK) Universities Transport Study Group, and a member of several professional committees including the editorial board of the Municipal Engineer. He has advised the London Assembly on aspects of the Mayor’s transport policy, has appeared on a number of radio and TV programmes, and produced over 150 research papers in the transport field.
Chris was a founding Director of the Whitstable Improvement Trust, a past Chair and Patron of the Faversham Creek Trust, and in 2024, he retired as a trustee of the Faversham Society. He contributed to the development of the forthcoming Faversham Neighbourhood Plan and continued to take an interest in local transport and development issues.
Chris was Chair of the Trust during 2013-2015 and led the Board through the highly successful ’Swing the Bridge’ fundraising campaign. He later accepted the invitation to become our third Patron, joining Sir David Melville and Lady Sondes. He will be much missed, along with Griselda, Bob and Gulliver. It has been a particularly sad year for the Trust.
By Philippa Dickenson, Chair, Faversham Creek Trust
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