Sheerness lifeboat crew says thanks to Minster mural painters

The crew of Sheerness lifeboat made a detour to Minster beach to thank a mother-and-daughter team of artists for including the RNLI in a new seaside mural.

Julie Bradshaw, a 68-year-old grandmother of 13, and her daughter Anna Piles, 42, a mum of three, were commissioned by Minster on Sea parish council to create a new artwork on The Leas.

Artists Julie Bradshaw, left, and her daughter Anna Piles on Minster beach with the Sheerness lifeboat. Picture: John Nurden

Anna said: “We thought it would be a good thing to include the lifeboat because the guys give up their time to keep everybody safe. They are a big part of the seas surrounding the island, so it was really important to get them in.

Her mum waded in: “By sheer fluke, the coxswain drove past while we were painting the lifeboat and we had a chat and learned a lot more about the lifeboat and how it works.

“He even gave us its official number which we were able to include on the mural.”

Sheerness lifeboat 13-38 on the beach at Minster. Picture: John Nurden

Lifeboat painting on the seawall

She added: “It was wonderful that they came to say thank you. They brought the boat in as close as possible and we were able to chat to them from the beach.”

The Judith Copping Joyce, operation number 13-38, is a Shannon-class all-weather lifeboat which went into service at Sheerness in April 2021. It uses water jets instead of propellers to allow it to operate in shallow water. It cost £2.2 million.

Anna Piles and her mum Julie Bradshaw began work on the mural at The Leas, Minster, during the August heatwave. PIcture: John Nurden

The two women spent a week painting the mural in August during the summer heatwave.

Anna said: “We’d like to give a massive thank-you to all the residents who turned up with ice creams, drinks and sweets while we were working during that incredibly hot week. They were also incredibly supportive with their comments and appreciative of our work.

The "paint wagon" helped provide some shade for mural painters Julie Bradshaw and her daughter Anna Piles. Picture: John Nurden

“It was a wonderful experience but also incredibly challenging because of the heat. The paint dried as soon as it touched the wall because it was so hot and the wall itself was full of undulations. But it was really fun to do.”

The mural replaces a faded depiction of Turner’s The Fighting Temeraire. The new artwork includes a mermaid, an octopus, a seal, a Thames sailing barge and the wreck of the “bomb ship” SS Richard Montgomery complete with all three masts.

The masts of the wreck of the Sheppey 'bomb ship' SS Richard Montgomery can still be seen on the mural at The Leas, Minster.

Anna explained: “We were asked to include the Richard Montgomery and its masts but, of course, they have now been taken down.

“But the mural shows how quickly things can change. It is important to keep the masts on the mural for future generations. There will be children who won’t remember them, so they will see them on the seawall and ask questions about them. It will help teach them the history of the island.”

Turner's The Fighting Temeraire was a blaze of colour on The Leas at Minster when it was first painted

How Turner's The Fighting Temeraire faded on The Leas at Minster. Picture: John Nurden

Councillor John Nurden, who is vice-chair of the council’s community committee, said: “The Fighting Temeraire was a blaze of colour at the beginning of The Leas when it was first painted by Sheppey artist Richard Jeferies five years ago. But over time it faded and had become difficult to pick out.”

So, the council commissioned the mother and daughter team to create a completely new mural.

Cllr Nurden said: “Although the heritage of the Island is very important to us, we wanted to remind visitors that this is still very much a seaside destination. Our award-winning beach and promenade are popular with everyone.

Original sketch for the new mural on The Leas at Minster

Finished mural on the seawall at The Leas, Minster. Picture: John Nurden

“We gave Julie and Anna a rudimentary sketch and asked them to make it appear as if people were looking through a hole in the seawall. We wanted them to include a mermaid, but not like the moody one in Sheerness, and an octopus. They have done a superb job.”

Julie said: “We went met the committee and they spoke about the things they wanted so we went away and made some drawings and the mural developed from there.

Mermaid on the new mural on The Leas at Minster

Octopus featured on the new mural on The Leas at Minster

“We were asked to include certain things such as a mermaid and an octopus which the committee considered would be lovely for the children - but the adults like them, too!!

“There were historic items like Sir Robert de Shurland and the legend of Grey Dolphin but we got around that by putting him in a treasure chest.”

Sir Robert de Shurland, depicted as a knight riding his trusty horse Grey Dolphin on the Minster mural. According to legend, he beheaded the animal with a sword after a witch told him it would be the death of him.

She added: “Apart from us sweating all the time, this mural was a delight to do. Lovely people kept coming up and chatting and drivers would beep their horns and give us the thumbs up.”

The mural also features Sheppey wildlife like cormorants, seaweed, shells and fossils and the historic Second World War Maunsell sea forts.

There are distinctive red-sailed Thames barges and Sammy the seal which is a regular visitor to The Leas.

Sammmy the seal is featured on the mural at The Leas, Minster

The paint was donated by Dulux who also provided materials for another mural the pair painted for the parish council on the approach to the Abbey Gatehouse museum at Minster.