A creative genius and a beautiful soul

DAUGHTER PAYS TOUCHING TRIBUTE AT FUNERAL OF ARTIST HAROLD RILEY

- NEAL KEELING

A CHILD of Salford has been laid to rest, one who spent his life fulfilling a mission to create a visual archive of his changing city.

The funeral of artist Harold Francis Riley took place at St Luke’s RC Church.

On its walls, are displayed his drawings and paintings of the stations of the cross, which depict Jesus Christ’s last day on earth and journey to Calvary.

On January 13, 1935, he had been baptised in an older version of the same church nearby where a community centre now stands in Irlams o’ th’ Height.

The stained glass windows of the church were based on his designs including Our Lady of Salford inspired by his painting of the same name.

Canon Michael Cooke told a packed church of Harold’s life-long love of Salford; his kindness and generosity’ and depth of faith’

The order of service booklet was a work of art in itself.

On the front cover was not the man, but his painting Our Lady of Salford, showing Mary, hands clapsed, against a backdrop of the neon-lit backstreets of the city and an orange sky. Harold refused to call the city’s terraces slums, but instead theatres of colour’

Cannon Cooke said that despsite his career leading to Harold mingling with the famous including world leaders, sporting legends he never lost touch with his roots:

It was while a student in Florence, Italy, that he had seen the stations of the cross and decided one day he would create that in his own church.