KEITH PASK remains spritely and there’s a twinkle in his eye. Almost every room in the 91 year old’s comfortable Kettering home in Northamptonshire is graced by a piece of his lifetime’s artwork, but it’s impossible for the eye not to be drawn to one in particular. The huge mural, too big for any wall space, currently resides on the living-room carpet.
‘That one’s for sale,’ declares Mr Pask. ‘I’ve sold a smaller version of it, but I’ve no idea what the big one’s worth.’ He winks, adding: ‘Whatever I get will go to the grandchildren.’
It was a school assembly 80-odd years ago that acted as the catalyst for this affable man’s love affair with the paintbrush. ‘I was 11 years old and called up by the headmaster,’ he recalls, proudly showing me a framed certificate handed to him that very day, back in 1941. It’s a ‘Working For Victory’ war savings national poster campaign and the pupil’s drawing earned him a prize. It was the first tentative step on a journey that he says has greatly enriched his life. ‘I can see the headmaster now, coming into the hall carrying that certificate. I’d never felt prouder.’
Denne historien er fra January 20, 2021-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra January 20, 2021-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
