In a physical sense it's not all that far from Hyde to Henbury. In experience and achievement it has been, for William Geldart quite a journey - and one not without excitement or amusement.
Born in Marple, Cheshire Bill's father was a painter and decorator who no doubt plied his brushes with skill and care, though art was far from his thoughts. However, young Bill manifested his gifts from a very earl age and was recognised as being blessed with a special talent even when a young boy at Marple's All Saints Primary School. His abilities continued to flower when he moved on to Hyde Grammar School. Here he had the good fortune to find an understanding staff who often turned a blind eye when he was sometimes outside sketching when, technically, he should have been studying less congenial subjects.
There followed a mish-mash of uninspiring jobs, punctuated by National Service which took him to 14 Fighter Squadron in Oldenburg, Germany followed by a period at the Manchester Regional College of Art. He was still no more than twenty-one when he saw an advertisement for an assistant in the design studio of the Whitethorn Press where "Lancashire Life" had been added to its original single publication "Cheshire Life". Three of us interviewed him and he was offered the job, if my memory is not a fault, seven pounds a week! as Editorial Director, I suppose the final responsibility of his selection lay with me. It was probably the best move for the magazine I ever made and Bill brought a new professionalism into the design of the company.
It was a happy relationship. At times we disagreed sometimes with considerable spirit and I now admit he was more often right than wrong. I cannot recall if I suggested he should embark on a series of drawings each month of Cheshire villages, or if the idea emanated from him. Whatever the truth of the matter, they proved a notable success, and the idea had continued ever since, though now by different hands.
It did not take long to amass a considerable portfolio of drawings, and from these were made limited edition prints which, on two occasions were given a major exhibition in Kendals department store in Manchester. Both were a resounding success. One purchaser and his wife were visiting from Hong Kong and invited Bill to go out as their guest to draw the teeming, sweating masses of the colony. He spent four and a half weeks doing just that. On another occasion I had been Invited by what was BOAC to fly to Fiji, Australia and New Zealand, but for various reasons was unable to take up the offer. Geldart went in my place returning with many drawings, much experience and some very odd memories - particularly developing raging tooth-ache in the wilds of Fiji and having to have an extraction performed (by a New Zealander) in a village hut. When it came to "spit please" he had to expectorate over the window sill.
It all added to widening experience, and the inevitable happened. At the age of thirty-four Bill decided to "go it alone". He opened a studio in his home, then an old manse in Hyde, with his wife, Anne acting as mentor, slave-driver, business manager and book-keeper - a situation which still remains, though now they live very comfortably at Spinks Farm - once devoted to pig production - at Henbury.
He has illustrated books for a variety of well-know publishers in Britain - Viking Kestral, Andrew Deutsch, Dents, Michael Joseph, Julia Macrae, Collins and in France titles for Editions Gallimard including a translation of Kes not to mention Joyce Stranger's "The Fox at Drummers Darkness" for an American House. A picture book "Ears and the Secret Song" about a year in the life of a Harvest Mouse sold out all over the world, many copies being sold in Germany.
Great industrial companies too seem delighted with his meticulous talent, and firms such as Zeneca, Giba-Geigy, Rolls Royce, Pilkington Glass and including the Halle Orchestra queue up for a proportion of his time which is, inevitably, limited.
He has completed several major enterprises, one of which is a large series of drawings for Manchester City Council - the idea being the presentation of prints to important and favoured clients and supporters. One print has already been given to Juan Samaranch - the head of the Olympic Committee, another presented to the city of Leningrad and a third to the city of Dublin. Fortunately for his old company, "blood is thicker than water" and The Whitethorn Press launched a splendid volume of his work, entitled GELDART'S CHESHIRE in limited edition of 1,000 copies. Despite the price of this unavoidably costly production of £45 each it was a great success and is now sold out.
There is no doubt this stocky, middle-aged artist with his twinkling eyes has come a long way since I worked with him back in 1957. Personally I have little doubt that he will go a lot further. I wish I had bought a few more originals before he exhibited at the Royal Academy.
Alice Painting
Geldart Gallery