Inspired by the Staines’ Mural (on display in Staines’ Library), Nigel Hatcher and fellow students at Fairway’s Day Centre decided to make a mural depicting local landmarks and memorials in and around Egham.
With tutor Mary Howard-George assisted by Sally Baggett, the group of pottery students designed their mural, deciding first the clay, techniques and glazes they would use and then which buildings, statues and memorials they would include. They decided to use red earthenware for the background tiles as this would make a decorative background that they could impress with their own stamps of crowns, shields, and crosses in keeping with the central theme of the Magna Carta. The main tiles showing places of historic interest in the local area, the students’ names and the shields of the barons were made of white earthenware, dipped in black slip and decorated using the technique of sgraffito.
Patsy Butler, Paul Ley, Gerald Bradfield, Julie Shore, Christine Tinkley, Colin Williams and Emma Clark were involved in making the tiles, impressing, slipping, glazing and firing them. Nigel Hatcher used sgraffito to draw the places of local interest and Paul Ley incised the names. All the students were involved in drawing the shields of the 26 barons who signed the Magna Carta with additional support from Christine Tinkley.
Now complete the mural is on display in Egham Library where it can be enjoyed by local residents as well as visitors to Egham.
Places featured:
The Magna Carta Memorial, The John F. Kennedy Memorial, The Air Force Memorial, Statue of King John, Statue of the Magna Carta, The Red Lion, The Crown, Strode’s College, The Royal Holloway University and St John’s Church.
