Daphne Richards recently sat down with Ellen Cheshire from the Cathedral Trust team, which raises funds to support the life and work of Chichester Cathedral.
They talked about her extraordinary connection to the Cathedral, from her first visit as a ten-year-old in wartime Southbourne to her decades of volunteering, support for Cathedral music, and thoughtful legacy gift. Daphne reflected on how faith, community, and the joy of music have shaped her life and inspired her generosity.
When Daphne first stepped into Chichester Cathedral in 1942 she was ten years old and the Second World War had cast a long shadow over her childhood in Southbourne, to the west of Chichester. The village sat directly on the bombing route to Portsmouth and the sound of ack-ack guns was an everyday backdrop. An incendiary bomb had once landed beside her bed, mercifully a dud, and landmines in the fields meant that even rural play was hazardous.
The Cathedral seemed so peaceful
Daphne
Against that constant tension, the school trip from Chichester High School for Girls was an oasis of stillness. Stepping into the Cathedral and hearing its choir for the very first time was, she says, “life-changing”. For a few precious moments she was able to forget the chaos of wartime life. “It was a scary time and the Cathedral seemed so much more peaceful.”
“Music has always been part of my life,” Daphne explains. “My maternal grandfather was a church organist at St Paul’s Church, Bedford during the First World War.” That early connection, combined with her first encounter with the Cathedral choir, sparked a love of church music that has shaped her faith for more than eighty years. After the war she returned for a guided tour and learned more about the Cathedral’s architecture, details she still marvels at today. “Although there have been some new additions since,” she adds with a smile.
You must have music as part of worship. I cannot imagine the Cathedral without it.
Daphne
Inspired by the music she had heard in Chichester, Daphne joined the choir at her local church in Southbourne. She cherished the annual service when choirs from across the Diocese gathered in the Cathedral. “The nave was packed and the atmosphere was wonderful.” Romance played its part too. Her boyfriend, who also sang in the Southbourne choir, became a server at the Cathedral which meant that she visited even more frequently. Although she had no ambition to sing professionally, “I loved listening to it, and singing,” she says.
At eighteen she began work as a civilian secretary with the CID in Portsmouth, dealing with everyone from constables to superintendents and preparing paperwork for the assizes. Long hours often kept her away from Chichester, although she came whenever she could.
Her twenty-first birthday coincided with rehearsals for The Acts of Saint Richard Pageant, a major religious event performed by a cast of 250 community volunteers to celebrate the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Wanting to be part of the Coronation year celebrations, she asked her boyfriend how to get involved. He spoke to the Dean, and soon Daphne found herself cast as a serf. “I wanted to be part of something momentous and it really was. I still treasure the photos from that summer, the summer I turned twenty-one.”
Through the late 1950s and early 1960s her demanding work meant that regular visits to Chichester were difficult, but she always returned for special occasions. In 1968, after politely declining several proposals from gentlemen, she married Rick, a police officer she had worked alongside for eighteen years. “I was choosy,” she laughs. “Back then, married women couldn’t stay in certain jobs, so I wanted to make sure I waited for the right man. And I did. We had twenty-eight years together. I was very happy.”
Following marriage, Daphne dedicated herself to voluntary work. She joined the Red Cross, eventually becoming a senior member, running the Havant Detachment and volunteering as a nurse at St Mary’s Hospital, Portsmouth, only giving up to care for her husband at home.
Living in Havant made regular services too far, but whenever she was in Chichester she would “pop in” and travel over for special services. Everything changed after she was widowed in 1995. Daphne returned to the Cathedral community with renewed purpose. She joined the Chichester Cathedral Friends, serving on committees and helping with the practical tasks behind the scenes that keep the Cathedral running smoothly. “There was a lot of envelope stuffing,” she says, “and the choristers’ cassocks always seemed to need mending. It seemed like a weekly task up in the Song School.”
In 2011 she became a steward at Evensong and gradually took on other services, including special occasions. She still volunteers regularly, though these days mainly at Sunday morning services. “I like to arrive early on Sundays. I have the Cathedral almost to myself and can enjoy the beauty and tranquillity it offers.”
If you love the music here and are able to, please consider making a donation now or in your will. Every bit counts.
Daphne
For Daphne, music remains central to her faith. “Music has shaped my faith. You must have music as part of worship. I cannot imagine the Cathedral without it.” She was particularly concerned to hear how rising costs, including the expense of supporting choristers at Prebendal School, were putting pressure on Cathedral finances. This inspired her to donate to the Chichester 950 Match Funding for Music Appeal and to leave a legacy gift. “Talent doesn’t always come with money. I want to help gifted young people continue to sing and enjoy the wonderful musical experience at Chichester, and to ensure that the choir, the organists, and the music carry on. If you love the music here and are able to, please consider making a donation now or in your will. Every bit counts.”
Her commitment to the Cathedral community was evident when she unexpectedly found herself being interviewed by BBC News in 2025 while stewarding at the funeral of Dame Patricia Routledge. “I had met her a few times and we shared a love of both the Cathedral and its music.”
Stewarding continues to bring her deep joy. “I get to know the regulars and when I spot someone new, I love making them feel welcome, introducing them to people. To see them returning and becoming part of the community is a great pleasure.”
Through her volunteering and support for the Cathedral, Daphne says she is grateful to be able to have a positive impact. “Whether through welcoming someone or through my donations, I’m pleased if I can help in any way.”
Looking back over more than eighty years of visits, Daphne’s affection for the Cathedral has only deepened. “It’s smaller than others but so perfect,” she says. “I’ve made so many friends. The Cathedral has brought me great comfort.”
Daphne’s story is one of devotion, resilience and generosity. Her passion for Chichester’s music, her decades of service, and her thoughtful legacy gift ensure that future generations will experience the same comfort, beauty and sense of belonging that she first discovered as a ten-year-old girl in wartime Britain.
If, like Daphne, you cherish the music here at Chichester Cathedral, please consider making a donation to our Match Funding for Music appeal. All donations received by March 2026 will be doubled.
To make a single gift donation via cheque, bank transfer please complete this form: Giving Form CCPETM 11_25.docx
To make a regular donation for music please complete the standing order mandate: Standing order mandate CCPETM 11_25.docx
Completed forms should be returned to the Chichester Cathedral Restoration and Development Trust, The Royal Chantry, Cathedral Cloisters, Canon Lane, Chichester, West Sussex PO19 1PX.
If you have any queries, or would like to make a credit card donation please call us on 01243 812991 (Monday - Friday, 9am - 2pm).
If you would like to know more about leaving a legacy for the Cathedral, or would like to let us know if the Cathedral is in your will please contact Alison George, Director of Fundraising, alison.george@chichestercathedral.org.uk, or call 01243 812480.
Chichester Cathedral Restoration & Development Trust CIO
Registered Charity No. 1156729