Kapiti Grey Power is an established group of senior citizens who are a watchdog on Government policies and local issues with Council. Membership can start at age 55 so when I got an invite to be Guest Speaker at the first general meeting for 2008 I released I would be about the youngest person there!!! ( I turn 55 in July). The talk related to growing up in Barrow and where the journey went from there.
I began with a brief history of Furness, how it was established, the construction of Furness Abbey, the coming of the railway and heavy industries with mining the various minerals in the Furness district. It was with great pride one could mention the huge achievements and strides made during the latter part of the 19th century and through the 20th century. For many in the large audience could relate to Northern England, either having emigrated themselves or their parents had etc, when countries like New Zealand wanted skilled people in the relevant trades of the time.
The talk moved onto the work I produce now in paintings and its strong link to the industrial area that is in my blood. Of course there is much beauty to remember and not forgetting all the lovely places visited as children our family and friends took us to.. My wife and I attended an old shipmates bar be que in Wellington the other evening and met up with a lovely couple from Poulton Le Fyde who had witnessed the recent stranding of the Riverdance on Morecambe Bay before leaving for a holiday out here. There was indeed allot of catch up on what the various towns like Blackpool , Preston , Fleetwood and Bolton are like now, to mention just a few .
I gave a good plug about this site so John you should have two new members from Poulton Le Fyde on their return? This weeks paintings have a subtle link . Both represent the same time period-mid 1950's but are in fact some 12,500 miles apart. The painting of the double decker bus shows Barrow in Furness Corporation bus number 147 outside the Kings gate at Vickers Armstrong's at the end of the day shift with thousands of men and women clocking off . Bicycles, pedestrians motorcyclists and many going home on the buses. Like the Oriana painting shown in Issue one, my father features here riding his bike just behind the bus loading by the gate. Painted in 2000 the work sold that year (12x16" oil on canvas panel) but I will be offering laser prints to anyone who would like one and this is the pilot image of more to come on LRU of the old buses we remember.
Number 147 was rescued by the Barrow Transport group for preservation. In this scene it appears in its original format, later rebodied by Roe and an electric door added.
The trams in the foreground are trundling down Crawford Road towards the outer suburbs of Wellington, again mid 1950's whilst the two in the background are returning with workers. Taken from a lovely black and white photo by writer/photographer Mr Graham Stewart of Wellington, his permission sought as this work and others to follow will be published later this year likely as a calendar. In the original photo only one motor car is visible which I have removed , the scenes would be about 6.30 on a summers morning. This work 15x30" oil on canvas panel is available for sale at the time of writing.
To conclude this weeks blog I have enjoyed listening to ....... Judith Durham , The Seekers Silver Jubilee Album. That wonderful Australian group . All lovely songs and to pick one song out is difficult so I have two!. "Walk with me" and "Keep a dream in your pocket" Until next time , take care. regards Wallace.
Wonderful memories of the Blues and creams Wallace ,You can hear the 4.30 hooter in your minds eye . For those who never witnessed it imaging thousands of ant trying to get some where on bikes .GET OUT THE WAY IM GOING HOME
Lancashire Re-United offers for sale and exclusive to this website prints of original artwork of Municipal Bus fleets , Railway Locos,Barrow Built ships & Company wagons by WALLACE TRICKETT who has VERY KINDLY given me the selling rights to these prints.Simply click on LANCASHIRE PRINTS to purchase these stunning memories of Lancashire'sroad transport heritage at the AMAZING price of JUST £9.99--each plus P&P -
PLEASE NOTE -due to production costs -These prints will not be sold without MOUNTS OR FRAMES
The LRU prints are COPYRIGHT of LANCASHIRE RE-UNITED & Wallace Trickett any infingement WILL result in LEGAL ACTION being taken
I gave a good plug about this site so John you should have two new members from Poulton Le Fyde on their return? This weeks paintings have a subtle link . Both represent the same time period-mid 1950's but are in fact some 12,500 miles apart. The painting of the double decker bus shows Barrow in Furness Corporation bus number 147 outside the Kings gate at Vickers Armstrong's at the end of the day shift with thousands of men and women clocking off . Bicycles, pedestrians motorcyclists and many going home on the buses. Like the Oriana painting shown in Issue one, my father features here riding his bike just behind the bus loading by the gate. Painted in 2000 the work sold that year (12x16" oil on canvas panel) but I will be offering laser prints to anyone who would like one and this is the pilot image of more to come on LRU of the old buses we remember. 
The trams in the foreground are trundling down Crawford Road towards the outer suburbs of Wellington, again mid 1950's whilst the two in the background are returning with workers. Taken from a lovely black and white photo by writer/photographer Mr Graham Stewart of Wellington, his permission sought as this work and others to follow will be published later this year likely as a calendar. In the original photo only one motor car is visible which I have removed , the scenes would be about 6.30 on a summers morning. This work 15x30" oil on canvas panel is available for sale at the time of writing. 