We attended the opening of the gallery last week, which displayed over 100 pieces of art, mostly from ex miners, including my dad Bob Olley, Tom McGuiness, Norman Cornish and many more. These men, who spent their days working underground, the constant mixture of pit smell, black grease and sweat, and for some having the fear of being underground, chose to express themselves through art, capturing the mining heritage, the trust and friendship they had for eachother and the community spirit that pit villages and surrounding areas showed when the pit closures occurred. My family grew up with stories of my Dad and Granda down the pit, which I'm sure most did, that's our heritage and we should be proud of it.
The artwork can be seen at
The Mining Art Gallery, Auckland Castle, Bishop Auckland DL14 7LR
In 2015 Bob designed this banner which was designed to commemorate the 175 years since a catastrophic explosion at St Hilda Colliery, South Shields, where 51 men and boys lost their lives.
In 1839 candles were used to light areas of the pit. The explosion is said to have been caused by a current of gas from some of the wastes, reaching a lighted candle.
The names of the men and boys killed in the devastating explosion can be found in the registers at St Hilda Church at the Market Place, the banner is also on display.
Good Day Mr. Olley,
I hope that this e-mail finds you well. I wanted to say thank you for the signed copies of the Geordie and Mackem Coats of Arms that my mother-in-law brought home for me. Despite being born and raised in Canada, your artwork is very inspiring to me; my late father-in-law was a Geordie through and through and a collector of your works.
Whenever I see your prints or sculptures, it never ceases to remind me of him and bring a smile to my face. He was a great and loving man with amazing stories and a quick wit. He managed to convey the rich history of Hebburn & Jarrow and what it meant to be a Geordie, but was unsuccessful in teaching me the dialect. In fact, for the first 6 months that I knew him, I answered everything he said to me with a yes or a no, hoping I was giving a correct response; he figured it out pretty quickly and spoke slower…. it still didn’t help J. My wife and mother-in-law are from Sunderland, so I consider myself Mackem by marriage and display the Coat of Arms with adopted pride!
Both are treasured pieces and will be proudly displayed in our home. Thank you again and take care.
Shayne
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A lady got in touch a few weeks ago to tell us that The Stripper had been part of the pub they run in Sunderland for many years now and just recently thieves stole her from her home on the wall. The landlord was devastated and wanted to know if she could be replaced. We searched the archived transparencies and negatives and found her, along with her old mate from Derby Street Baths and the family enjoying the sun on Littlehaven Beach.
These are now all available to buy in print.
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The One Eyed Doe
The Wolf In Sheeps Clothing
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"Mam would be up at the crack of dawn, summer or winter, and into the wash-house to prepare for washing day. The copper boiler would be filled by bucket from the outside tap - if it wasn't frozen - and the fire would be lit under the boiler. The clothes would be boiled, scrubbed, possed with the poss-stick, rinsed, the water squeezed from them between the wooden rollers of the mangle, and then pegged to the clothes line in the back lane." - Bob Olley
]]>I came across an article from the Darlington And Stockton Times about a guy in the region called Matthew Bryan, who leaves his work for others to find. The reason - to brighten up the lives of strangers.
If I was lucky enough to find something like his work, it would certainly make me smile and brighten up my day. He quotes "Its not about getting recognition, I just think we can make the world a better place by sharing the things we love and are passionate about and I think art-dropping is a lovely idea".
To view the full article please visit www.darlingtonandstocktontimes.co.uk
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Ive bought a copy of your westoe netty and i just want to tell you how much i love the style of your painting. after seeing the humour in your painting i looked on the website and have to say if i had the money there are several prints i would love to have, unfortunately i am on income support and therefore poor and couldnt really afford the one i bought, but i had to have it as i loved it so much! but now i find myself in love with several others, so i need to save!
I’m not an artist or knowledgable in the field but i know what i like, and i feel inspired by your work to leave a message, which is something i have never done before.
Its not only the style in which you paint i love but the way you show how life really is in paint with such a sense of humour. sorry im not clever enough to put that in fancy words that make more sense. im trying to say that i can almost recognise the scenes you have painted, the magistrates court for example is spot on!
I just wanted to let you know you have a new fan, i love your work, and i would like to thank you for inspiring me to pick up my pencil and begin drawing again which is something i havent done since school even though i loved it and was quite good (not to your standard ofcourse!)
I also want to thank you for giving me a picture in my home that i absolutely adore.
Thank you
Lisa H
age 37 xxxxxxxx