To celebrate the 70th anniversary of the NHS, a bespoke Urmston Mural was unveiled in the town centre by Kate Green, MP for Stretford and Urmston.
With the birthplace of the NHS at Park Hospital in Davyhulme, now Trafford General, David Mackereth, Hon Secretary of the Urmston Partnership, came up with the idea to mark the occasion. He enlisted the help of Urmston in Bloom to organise and manage the celebratory event, which really was a fitting way to mark the milestone.
The Urmston Mural, which has been installed on Higher Road, was designed by Manchester-based photographic artist Neil Roland. The artistic director of the project was Kevin Murphy, who worked with students from Urmston Grammar, Wellacre Academy and St Anthony’ Catholic College, creating an impressive piece of art that truly reflects Urmston’s vibrancy and sense of community.
Neil says: “I was approached by David, who had seen some of my work at exhibitions, and was commissioned to design a Mural that reflected the local area and incorporated Trafford General, formerly Park Hospital.
“I was inspired by the local architecture and landmarks of the town, so designed a Mural that fitted Urmston yet in my own style. It is the first time that I’ve created designs to be interpreted by others, thus forgoing my usual total control of the artwork, but the students involved have done a great job. The Mural will no doubt encourage interest from locals, who in turn will hopefully feel pride in their environment.”
David adds: “The Urmston Mural is a stunning piece of art. It is reflective of the town centre and in particular Trafford General, and is something the whole community can be proud of. It looks great and it was a pleasure being part of such a special project to celebrate 70 years of the NHS.”
Kate Green comments: “I was honoured to officially unveil the Urmston Mural. It really is superb and such a great, community-inspired initiative to commemorate when Aneurin Bevan launched the NHS at Park Hospital on 5th July 1948.”
The project was support by many local businesses including Barking Dog, Cheeky Cherub, Chorlton Scaffolding, EBR Designs, Market 41, NFIS Electrical & Security and Trafford Housing Unit.
The Urmston Mural will remain in situ for the next 12 months, with both the Urmston Partnership and Urmston in Bloom hopeful it can become a permanent fixture in the town.
In addition to the unveiling of the Urmston Mural, a new logo for Urmston in Bloom was also revealed, designed by pupils from St Monica’s RC Primary School in Flixton.
