We are very grateful to Kit and the Chapman family for this opportunity for a fundraiser for Arts Taunton at a unique evening celebrating the family’s custodianship of the Castle for an amazing 75 years. It is rather a long time since we held a fund raising or public event and we very much hope that our supporters will join us on this occasion. Kit, of course was our founder and director and has remained a firm supporter since stepping down from the Board.
Arts Taunton is continuing to promote the arts in Taunton in the face of all the headwinds encountered by charities, focusing particularly on opportunities for young people to participate in the arts through our work in schools and through our young peoples’ festival, TYCA. which will be featuring prominently in the Taunton Together festival on 28th September.
Tony Laurance
Chair of Arts Taunton
The Chapman Family celebrate 75 years at Taunton’s Castle Hotel
A message from our Founder, Kit Chapman:
On Friday, 17th October, Kit & Louise Chapman and their Family will be hosting a party to celebrate 75 years as custodians of The Castle Hotel – Taunton’s part-12th century Grade 2 landmark.
Kit’s father, Peter, took on the hotel on the 15th of the same month in 1950. Our son Nicholas and his wife Annabel represent the third generation in charge.
This charitable evening event will be sponsored by our wine merchants and other suppliers. The menu and cooking will be led by Dominic, our other son and Michelin Chef-Patron at The Crown in Burchett’s Green, Berkshire, alongside Richard Guest, Chef-Patron at Augustus in Taunton, previously at The Castle, plus The Castle’s Head Chef, Jacques Ballinger.
Our Guest of Honour will be Stanley Johnson, an old friend of the family and The Castle, and there will be a cabaret performed by “The Rocking Bishop” – Jonathan Meyrick, formerly Bishop of Lynn & Dean of Exeter – a gig to make the evening, I can promise you, highly memorable! For Jonathan’s second piece, he will be joined on stage by our Daughter-in-Law, Annabel.
We shall be charging everyone £100 per person for the whole package which will be supporting Arts Taunton, the charity I founded in 2015.
In addition, Stanley will be conducting an auction of spectacular prizes donated by my friends in the trade. All the proceeds from the auction will go to Arts Taunton.
Dress: Black Tie. The drinks reception will be held at 6.30pm in our Music Room followed by the dinner at 7.15.
To secure your tickets, please contact David Plant on 01823 328303 or email [email protected]
Louise & I, and all the family look forward to welcoming you to The Castle for this special celebration on 17th October.
With my best wishes,
Kit Chapman
