Sentimental twist to prized painting
There would, we said, surely be some Salopians who have paintings signed by Newport artist WHC Twist proudly hanging on a wall at their home – and as this painting shows, our prediction has proven correct.
Recently we featured the story of Bill Twist, a passionate artist who did many paintings of Shropshire scenes from the late 1950s until his death in 1967.
He had come from Liverpool to Newport in 1954 on his appointment as dispenser to the GP practice of Elkington, Sowerbutts and Neville, and his daughter Ann Truesdale, who lives at Ewelme, Oxfordshire, told us she would love to hear of anyone who still had his paintings.
And Mrs Marjorie Ashley, from Newport, has come forward as a result, and it turns out also that Bill Twist's painting on her wall has special sentimental meaning for her.
"I love this picture and am very proud of it," she said.
"It shows the post office in Upper Bar which belonged to Mrs Pugh and sold birthday cards too, and on the other side she sold fancy goods. The post box was there then – it's not there now."
The post office part is on the left of the Pugh's building, and these days sells children's clothing as Toggs and Cloggs, and the fancy goods part on the right is now M.R. Clarke chemist.
"God knows when the painting was done. Mrs Pugh – her full name was Kathleen Violet Pugh – lived at the post office and my mum, Mrs Ruth Robinson, did all the cleaning for her.
"When I was about 19 I started work there at the post office, as a counter clerk. I was probably there four or five years. I lived then in Church Aston."
Mrs Pugh was a widow whose husband had died young.
"Mrs Pugh was a lovely lady, very ,very nice. She knew a lot of people. When she sold the post office she asked my mum if she would like this picture, and my mum said yes."
The painting was later passed on to Marjorie, who had it reframed.
"It's just a lovely happy memory for me from working there.
"I knew Mrs Twist very well. She used to come in for her pension. I also knew the daughter Helen. I didn't really know Ann. They lived across the road at Smallwood Lodge. I vaguely remember Mr Twist. Mrs Twist later moved to Newtown in Church Aston."
