ORIGINAL A4 Pilot's Watch House Lawe Top 18/4/25

Sheila is now hot on the trail of Shields Artist George McVay 1902-1967 the son of a clerk with the local council whose occupation George was to follow. A naturally gifted amateur he was self-taught and did not begin exhibiting until c.1923 when he showed at the Artists of the Northern Counties exhibitions at the Laing Art Gallery in Newcastle. Towards the end of World War II he received a commission from the Shields Gazette to supply scraperboard illustrations of local views .. These were to have a huge influence on Sheila when she saw them aged 8 when her Mam bought a set that Xmas.

Many of the subjects covered by George have been drawn by Sheila too - with no direct comparison in her head, she drew them because she lived nearby or just liked the place.. NOW she is looking at places she has NOT drawn and he DID .. like The Pilot's Watch House on The Lawe Top. Her dad Capt. Graber was Pilot master on the Tyne from 1947 to 1963 and thanks to that Sheila and her older brother Peter were able to explore ALL things to do with the Pilots.. including riding in the Pilot cutters AND looking inside the Watch House . which she remembers was full of Pilots sitting chatting and smoking waiting for their call to come to board the cutter and guide a ship safely between the piers into the Tyne avoiding dangerous Black Midden rocks and other hazards.

Standing viewing the building over 77 years later Sheila noticed that a whole extra layer has been added since George first drew it. She has coloured that in white and used green to outline the extension. She says "It's odd that although I drew and painted hundreds of views of the river from the window of the Pilot Office or from the Groyne when I was in my 20's .. I NEVER caught the view from the high ground beside the beacon.. it's only taken me 60 years to get round to it!"

£80.00 A4 Watercolour & pen & Ink unframed includes P&P all profit sails off to our 3 charities