BP News

Rita Chapple 1940 - 2008

Rita Chapple, who died on February 20 was not only a patron and long time supporter of the Bancroft Players, she was also one of the linchpins of our campaign to build The Queen Mother Theatre. As Appeal Secretary she played a vital role in building up and sustaining interest in the project; often working incredibly long hours behind the scenes to prepare the scores of individual letters that formed an essential part of our fund-raising crusade.

Throughout their time in Hitchin, Rita and her family were closely involved with St Mary's Church. In 1978, when our present appeal director Christopher Mann was managing a St Mary's Restoration Appeal, Rita volunteered to act as his secretary. This led to a professional partnership that lasted more than 25 years, during which time the couple were instrumental in raising literally millions of pounds for various national and local good causes.

The work brought her into touch with many of the country's leading political and society figures, not to mention just about every member of the royal family from The Queen downwards. Indeed, with our own appeal, it was Christopher and Rita who first suggested that we approach The Queen Mother and then went on to organise that memorable visit to Hitchin 25 years ago this summer.

I suspect that we provided Rita with an interesting contrast to the rather grand circles into which her work usually took her. She once recalled with a certain wry affection that a Bancroft Players' Annual General Meeting was quite unlike any other she had attended; and that the item headed 'Members comments and suggestions' frequently proved more entertaining that anything we did on the stage!

Tragically, only weeks after announcing her retirement at the end of last year, Rita was diagnosed with a particularly virulent form of cancer that spread rapidly, leading to her death a few weeks later at the age of 68. The large numbers present at the funeral in her beloved St Mary's provided a clear indication of the widespread respect and fondness with which she will be remembered.