It is essential to get it recognised that good and graceful living is sufficient in itself; further, that this is so even without the appreciation of others.
Lindsay Burnet, ‘Fantasy and Reality in Religion’ in Living as a Humanist (1950)
Lindsay Burnet was a founder of the Humanist Housing Association, and a key figure in the wider humanist movement for many decades. With his wife, Mora Burnet, he was a driving force in the groundbreaking initiative, founded in 1955 as the Ethical Union Housing Association, to provide affordable homes for the elderly and those in need, at a time when much of this provision was provided by—and favoured—the religious. One of these homes, Burnet House in Hampstead, London, was named for Lindsay and Mora.
The obituary reprinted below was first published in the New Humanist in Winter 1986, and testifies to the enormous impact of Burnet on both his immediate circle and the wider world.
Lindsay Burnet was well-known in the humanist movement and much admired for his work in founding and helping to run the Humanist Housing Association. He was a firm supporter of the Labour Party all his life, being the first Labour candidate to be elected to the Hampstead Borough Council in 1937, and becoming a Labour agent in the 1945 General Election. During the Second World War he worked in the Fire Brigades Union and later he was a school governor. His wife, Mora, shared in most of his work and interests, and was herself Head of a leading special school and a magistrate.
Lindsay Burnet was for much of his life closely involved with the Ethical Union and, as it became, the British Humanist Association. He worked with Harold Blackham as Assistant Secretary to both organisations, and together they played a key role in promoting humanism for more than twenty years. He edited News and Notes and helped to establish new humanist groups.
His initiative led to the formation in 1969 of the Twilight Areas Housing Associations Committee… But for this initiative and the marshalling of the voluntary housing movement resources in London, the events which led to the Housing Act of 1974 and the subsequent expansion of the provision of dwellings by housing associations might never have taken place.
The Humanist Housing Association has grown from its first house with 14 places for the elderly to houses with almost 1,000 places, including schemes for needs other than those of the elderly. Lindsay Burnet’s knowledge of housing was such that he worked for housing associations run by several London Borough Councils. His initiative led to the formation in 1969 of the Twilight Areas Housing Associations Committee. Peter Ward, the present manager of the Humanist Housing Association, has said: “But for this initiative and the marshalling of the voluntary housing movement resources in London, the events which led to the Housing Act of 1974 and the subsequent expansion of the provision of dwellings by housing associations might never have taken place.”
Blackham spoke of his perceptive and laconic sense of humour, and his ability to make life graceful—with a love of friendship, ballet, travel and flowers.
Harold Blackham officiated at his funeral at Golders Green Crematorium on 9 January and spoke of their forty years’ friendship. He said he valued his loyalty as a friend and was always impressed with his unselfishness —as was seen in his skill at bringing forward anyone left out in a social situation. He also spoke of his perceptive and laconic sense of humour, and his ability to make life graceful—with a love of friendship, ballet, travel and flowers.
Blackham quoted from an essay by Lindsay Burnet, “Fantasy and Reality in Religion” (Living as a Humanist, Chaterson, 1950):
There is a resemblance between life and the art of the dancer in its fleeting evanescence. The dance of the ballerina, no matter how exquisite, is no more than a memory of a few at the most, and probably of none. Perhaps only a fraction of her audience has the requisite discernment to evaluate the performance at all. If the dancer does not get sufficient recompense in dancing for herself, there is no other inducement that will make her take the great pains necessary to excel at her art. Life is like this, only with even less appreciation of the individual participant, for there is no audience in which appreciative individuals may be harboured, nothing more than a few friends to note the difference between the uttermost triumph or the greatest futility of performance…. It is essential to get it recognised that good and graceful living is sufficient in itself; further, that this is so even without the appreciation of others.
The large gathering of humanists at Golders Green Crematorium indicates that Lindsay Burnet’s “good and graceful living” was much appreciated by others.
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