Tadcaster has some fascinating architecture and associated architectural decoration, especially on the John Smith’s magnificent ‘ornamental’ brewery buildings. Hudson’s Folly, Tadcaster Bridge and St Mary’s Church are key visual anchors and touchstones for the town. The stained-glass windows of St Mary’s Church particularly are notable for their colour and narrative, unseen or noticed from the outside. Retail signage on the High Street, especially the highly original expression atop the entrance to Allen’s Ironmongers, celebrates the architectural, social, brewing & agricultural heritage of the town.

There is some especially brilliant heritage brewery advertising associated with Tadcaster available online, especially from the 1970’s, such as beer mats, which contain wonderful and bold colour branding, graphics and stylistic expression.

I don’t drive. I use public transport to travel all over the country for work. I walk everywhere. Arrivals and departures into and from new places are so very insightful and can be disconcerting. The first thing I noticed on the bus coming in from Leeds was the magnificent golden stone façade & chimney of John Smith’s Brewery looming into sight. On the other hand, the Bus Station at Crab Garth, on first sight is all rather underwhelming. However, it doesn’t take long to find yourself up on the bridge looking up and downstream. Like mostly everyone else, coming to Tad for the first time, I have only ever seen the river in good times, but I have read about in detail and seen striking images of the bad times, such as the 2015 floods. The bridge has been a battleground in all senses, a historic safety-pin holding the two sides of the town together. Now re-built and engineered to last, hopefully this latest reincarnation stands as a testament to hope and the strength of the local community.

Looking both ways, up and down stream seeing not just the surface, but being aware there is an undercurrent, experiencing the good weather, whilst acknowledging the bad. This is very much part of my creative and investigative approach. Looking and un-picking Tadcaster to better understand it – very much in the role of a curious, first-time visitor, merging the obvious and highly visual, built, and natural environment with the lesser known, perhaps underrated parts of the town, with its quietly spoken spaces and unsaid words.

It is at this creative crossroads of influence, where I will look to find my inspiration for the work.

I have met with many people in Tadcaster on my visits and enjoy this community spirited engagement. Based around research and understanding, my engagement is quiet and conversational. Some of these encounters have formed stories within the artwork.