John Morland died peacefully at home at Cavendish Lodge, with his family around him, on January 20. John was one of the town’s endearing characters. Our thoughts are with Jan and the family.

  He was born in 1930 at Ynyswitrin, the family seat in Wick Hollow, Glastonbury, to Undine and Brian Morland (Brian was the younger brother of Stephen). After National Service, where he gained not only an Army commission but also his dear wife Jan (née Blagdon), he eventually joined the Morland tannery firm with responsibility for production of sheepskin coats and other items.

  John and Jan lived happily at their house above Wick Hollow with lovely views and garden, where John personally planted a small woodland. They both excelled at entertaining and sharing with others.

  John suffered poor health and left the family firm to pursue other interests. They set up Glastonbury Prints: John industriously produced fine pen-and-ink drawings of birds and flowers, which were printed and then coloured by trained outworkers. The business peaked at a thousand framed prints per week. Many delightful Glastonbury scenes exist; another range of paintings depicts golf courses. He won the Royal Horticultural Society gold medal for his studies in flora.

  In 1975 he and Jan opened Glastonbury Galleries at 10 High Street, selling pictures and giftware. They lived in the flat above the shop. Jan enjoyed her roof garden, and both were involved in the influential local “Chamber of Commerce”. Their fortunes fell in the recession of 1979–82, both with the demise of the old Morland tannery business and with slow sales of their own Glastonbury prints.

  (Ruth, their youngest daughter, still runs a “reincarnated” Glastonbury Galleries in part of the premises behind 10 High Street. Their other daughter, Julia, lives in Congresbury and their son Robert in Cambridgeshire.)

  John and Jan moved to a bungalow at the bottom of Bushy Coombe in Dod Lane, where Jan had a splendid gardenful of pot plants, and John developed his skills as a watercolour artist. His style was precise and detailed, and he worked hard to meet the demand from clients. His painting of my house, “The Hermitage”, is a focus of interest to visitors.

  Lately John ran art courses, as he had to “slow down”. He joined the University of the Third Age and led groups of watercolour painters. At the beginning of 2013, suffering from Parkinson’s disease, he and Jan moved from Dod Lane to Cavendish Lodge to be closer to the centre of town without steps or the responsibility of a large garden.

  Both Jan and John served on the Conservation Society committee in the past, Jan as secretary. John was in the tree-planting team for many years. Importantly, he was our official photographer and as a result we have a good record of the many plantings undertaken. He then made a folder of photos and mounted the best on display boards, which we continue to use at exhibitions.

  John enjoyed life to the full — with his family, fly-fishing, holidays in Scotland, steam railways and his varied work and the whole living environment, but mostly helping his fellow humans, especially when in need of company or attention. We will miss him so much.

  A memorial service for John and burial of his ashes took place at the Friends’ Meeting House in Street on February 19. Refreshments followed at the Red Brick Building — which was an appropriate venue: John and Jan had supported this redevelopment of the old Morland tannery into an arts centre, and back in November he celebrated his 83rd birthday there, where he had worked for so many years.