Mortuary Alley
Do you know that feeling of going somewhere every day and being so familiar with it that you don’t see something special or obvious – and then feeling delighted when you notice it? That’s what I want to do with my art.
I’m not sure anyone’s ever sketched this alleyway in Newton Abbot before. It’s a commonly used cut-through filled with industrial waste bins from all the surrounding shops. Local people refer to it as Mortuary Lane, but I’ve yet to find out why.
Part of my Postcards from Newton Abbot series of postcard-sized ink and watercolour sketches.
Ink: Platinum brun sepia pigmented ink
Pen: Sailor Fude de Mannen fountain pen
Watercolour: Derwent Graphitint watercolours
Here are just a few of the comments on Facebook about my sketch:
“In my day that was the back door of the Chinese get served after hours had a few fights down there to.
Who remembers Red Bird Chinese, that was the rear of it.”
“Love this! Me and my partner knew instantly where it was as well! I’d love to see some more of your sketches.”
“I used to have fag breaks in that alley.”
“As boys on the way home from school we used to knock on the back door to the Chinese and he would run out with cleaver in hand.”
“Ho! Use to to hang out there with a dear friend, early 1970s. Used to occasionally have prawn crackers. He was half my size but could pin me down in a friendly fight.”
This is my original sketch of it from my first ever sketchbook (I’ve not done any drawing for nearly 40 years). As I stood there a huge rat appeared at the end of the alley and then disappeared behind the bins.
More Postcards from Newton Abbot
Teeth-straighteners I'm never that keen on using Latin or Greek when good-old Anglo Saxon words will do fine. Orthodontics means 'ortho'… read more
Splash in the underpass There's an art project which fascinates me next to a Sainsburys, the A380 flyover and a small stream called Aller… read more
Olde Forde House again I've already sketched Olde Forde House. It's a lovely place to spend an hour wandering the gardens, despite the noise… read more
Yellow Umbrella Yellow Umbrella Gifts is a gift shop in Newton Abbot that I've enjoyed sketching on a postcard. It's full of… read more
The Abbot I’ve been sketching in Newton Abbot again – this time on East Street and a historic pub called The Abbot. read more
Bill Opticians This is the gloriously Art Deco building which houses Bill Opticians in Wolborough Street, Newton Abbot. Fabulous, isn’t it? read more
The Richard Hopkins I've been sketching in Newton Abbot again, this time the local Wetherspoons pub, The Richard Hopkins. Here's what the framed… read more
The Pharmacy I've been sketching in Newton Abbot again. There are still many historic places despite the widespread destruction of our heritage.… read more
Phoenix Sounds I've been sketching in Newton Abbot again. This time it's my local record shop, Phoenix Sounds. I love the vinyl… read more