Renowned Liverpool artist Paul Curtis is painting a new mural of country music legend Charlie Landsborough on the side of Birkenhead North station this week.
Charlie won the "immortalised" spot on the wall by beating Dixie Dean and Birkenhead's first female mayor, Lady Mary Ann Mercer, in a poll of local residents. The "celebration of the passion, talent, resilience and creativity that has come out of the North End" was organised by Cradle to Career, a project by the charity Right to Succeed, that works with government and community organisations to improve quality of life by "creating new opportunities for local children and young people" in Birkenhead.
Artist Paul Curtis is known for his artwork across Merseyside, including the 'Colombian Cacao pods', one of several murals he painted in New Ferry after a devastating explosion. He's also responsible for the Liverpool Wings in the Baltic Triangle, and the Birkenhead Drill on Gallaghers Traditional Pub in Birkenhead. His latest 2.5m tall and 5m wide mural depicts Charlie who grew up in Birkenhead North and taught at primary school on Portland Road, near the station. The Birkenhead singer is a huge country star in the USA, but struggled for three decades, working as a teacher while writing songs and performing, before achieving success.
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Paul said: "Charlie makes a great subject for a portrait, he has a look of his own, which will make for a more interesting piece to work on from an artist's perspective. I hope this mural is a success and Charlie likes the finished product, but more importantly, I hope the community likes the artwork. With a portrait mural, it is more a question of selecting the appropriate photograph that is suitable for the wall space. Then it's all down to me to do justice to the portrait. Hopefully I can capture some of the heart and charm that Charlie puts into his songs."
The completion of the mural will be celebrated on Thursday, May 19 at the St James Centre on Laird Street, where Cradle to Career operates from. Until then, the project wants people who live or have connections to North Birkenhead and Charlie to visit to mural and share pictures, memories and stories, tagging Cradle to Career and using the hashtag #NorthEndHeroes.
Cradle to Career is managed by Right to Succeed and is supported by Wirral Council, along with nearly £3m in donations from the Steve Morgan Foundation and SHINE Trust. A spokesperson for the project said: "We are thrilled that work is now well underway on the mural, and we are eager to see the finished product. Charlie is truly a "local legend" who has inspired many around Birkenhead and around the world with his music. We want to celebrate Charlie's legacy and all local heroes in our wonderful North End community. Paul Curtis is an amazing artist, and we are very excited for our upcoming reveal event. It will be a great day for the area, and we really hope that the North Birkenhead community will be proud of the mural."
