A statement of where we are now is very difficult, when we have crossed many sections of life that were very important and have somehow, had to leave behind. Well I never did and treasure them from to this day.
In post-war Manchester, where I was born , our families were huge and all connected with each other, I love and cherish those people, including my childhood playmate who lived opposite, David Fitton , from Bark Street, Hulme ,Manchester, with whom I am still in touch.
As a child I had big painting sets with dozens of pans of watercolour and guache, our streets were gloomy and long, but I loved the stone flags on which it was possible to chalk quite big detailed pictures. At night in my house I got my paints out. It was the materials rather than the subject that was so important to me. The mystique of paint: I loved it then, and still do.
Not only paint, but pitch. In hot weather pitch used to bubble up with its strong smell, and later on, when new houses were being built, in the beautiful Manchester suburb of Peel Hall near the airport, there was lots of putty left around in large quantities and we could use it to make shapes. There were also holes full of lime that was used to make cement, and you could stand on it and it only just gave way to the shape of your foot, it had a luscious white texture.
I had cousins on many local streets, older ones and some my age, aunties and uncles just a stones throw away. When we moved to Peel Hall, there were new houses that were really lovely with their own gardens and woodland and lakes, trees and flowers everywhere.
So it all continues, school had painting sessions and encouraging teachers and I was complemented on my work, a huge boost for a young child. I think my paintings are about preserving those prescious times, and the feelings that went along with them – 60 plus years ago.
One of my paintings Granny Grindrod’s Dresser related to her sitting room directly. As a mother of eight grown up children, with many grandchildren, she had countless gifts on show, vases of flowers, photographs and musical boxes, little wind up wells and model animals.
The painting of 40-odd years ago, showed a magical lighted world through a dresser with a large mirror, and featured golden light, drapes of lovely fabric, dandelions in a vase, and a figure, maybe me or maybe my granny, who very much brought me up, to my gratitude.
Another big influence was my Auntie Annie who appreciated childrens’ imaginaton and was always ready with a gentle laugh. She had been a contortionist dancer with various productions and was broad minded and very loving. She also noticed things about people and appreciated the details of everyday life. She had a ready smile for children’s thoughts. Having known many people; theatrical and dancers, she had a rare informed intelligence and generosity.
The area I lived as a young girl was like a village around All Saints Church, and the Art School.
There was a lovely children’s playground in the middle of the square, which Cavendish Elementary School was later built over. We told the time from the refuge tower on Oxford
Road, and we crossed the square and road to go to St Augustine’s Primary School.
At Whitsun, we had a special weekend. All children had new clothes and we visited all our relatives in our glory! Then we went playing in All Saints park and escaped trouble.
One Whitsun weekend, we sneaked into the railings around the old abandoned Scottish church, which was now in use as a paint warehouse. Outside there were disused paint tins of luscious gloss paint in every colour you could think of. We got sticks and stirred it to see the surprising smell, texture and colour, which we drew onto pieces of wood and discarded paper.
It was a glorious engaging dream, the smell texture and colour of plentiful and luxurious
paint, within throwing distance of Manchester Art College. The town registry office was also there, and my young mum went cleaning there in the mornings. They had the most beautiful velum notebook with gold edges and many blank pages. The registrar and cleaners gave her the lightly used beautiful books for us to draw and paint in. To this day I am inspired intensely by blank beautiful surfaces; canvas, paper or boards.
So a lot to be thankful for…
The square, Scottish Church and gates of the park were painted famously by Pierre August Vallette; a colleague of Lowry, who was a teacher at the Manchester College of Art.
There it is, in mist park gates All Saints, grand register office roof and dour black Scottish Church (smoky air caused the blackness).
