David Fisher, from Midsomer Norton, who was commissioned
by the Fraternity to undertake the project, said: “The
service probably carried every head of state in Europe
because of its prestige.”
Paul is captured in the top left-hand
corner of the painting, along with his father, as well
as the Bishop of Bath and Wells at the time – Bishop
Harold Bradfield – on the footplate and the then
Mayor of Wells, Alderman E de M Kippax.
The bottom corner of the painting
tells a sadder story. Withdrawn in 1964, the City of
Wells lay rusting in a yard in Barry, South Wales until
it was rescued in 1971 and transported to the Keighley
and Worth Valley Railway in West Yorkshire where it
was restored and returned to service.
It’s currently undergoing its
10-yearly overhaul and is expected to return to service
in about 18 months’ time.
The original painting [was] presented
to the city at a ceremony in October 2008
