Historic Kettering paintings presented to Alfred East Art Gallery for posterity

Walter Bonner Gash’s 'The New Woman' and Fred Jay Girling’s watercolour of HMS Pytchley were acquired by Kettering Civic Society.

They will now form part of the impressive collection housed in the currently-closed Cornerstone complex.

Secretary of Kettering Civic Society Monica Ozdemir said: “They will be in the Alfred East Art Gallery for posterity. We are excited that we will be able to see the pictures hung in the gallery soon.”

Gallery manager Billie Stevenson was on hand to accept the Walter Bonner Gash painting from owner Annie MacCormick. Her mother was best friends with the artist’s daughter.

Annie said: “I love the painting, it’s really special, I don’t really know how it came into the family in the first place but I’ve done two house clearances and I didn’t want it to go into a skip. I wanted it to be safe.”

The pastel depicts a ‘crusty old bachelor’ looking out of the window in what would have been the old Post Office Arcade in Gold Street – now occupied by the Newlands Centre.

Through the window can be seen the distinctive roofline of the Toller Church.

Mr Gash lived and worked in Kettering as a teacher and artist. Last year he was honoured with a blue plaque at the house where he lived with his family.

A founder of Kettering and District Arts Society (KDAS), he painted many local scenes and designed the KDAS logo which is still being used.

His painting The Connoisseur was the first to be presented to the town during the campaign for an art gallery to be built in 1913.

Annie said: “I greatly respect the Civic Society and wanted them to have it.”

Ian Luck, on behalf of Kettering & District Art Society, said: “He was a very good son of Kettering and this is a nice picture to have.”

Also presented to the gallery was a painting of submarine hunter HMS Pytchley by Fred Jay Girling a naval architect.

He was born in Leicestershire and lived in Wellingborough and Kettering.