Selling a lifetime of art work, an Ely couple pledge to help the children of Syrian refugees
Derek and Margot Andrews are selling their art work to raise money for Syrian refugees - Credit: Archant
Two Ely artists are opening their home to sell a lifetime’s work.
Art teachers Margot and Derek Andrews of Douglas Court, taught for twenty years in schools and colleges across Cambridge, Suffolk, Yorkshire and Essex before setting up a pottery by the river at Prickwillow for 20 years from 1976 until 1996.
The couple, who recently celebrated their 60th wedding anniversary, say their home is so full of artwork that they want to put it to good use.
They have decided to sell more than 200 items, priced from £3 to £50, including pottery, drawings, watercolours and acrylic paintings to benefit Save the Children’s Syria Crisis Appeal.
Mr Andrews said: “ Our shelves and folders are full. We need to be able to keep working and it is time to put previous work to good use.
“It’s an unusual sale because it’s not to show our latest work but the work from our lifetime. We wanted to do something too to support the Syrian refugees so this seemed ideal.
“There are so many needs in the world but this one is particularly acute. Save the Children does great work providing education and health facilities to children who have lost homes and families.”
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He said their days as potters at Prickwillow saw a lot of passing traffic.
“People liked to watch us at work and chat to us. Margot loved demonstrating to children and our work as educators continued,” he said.
Mrs Andrews said: “We made a modest living from the pottery and it was a lovely way of life. We were able to go on holiday every year and painted wherever we went. We took trips to Crete, France, and the West Country . We also worked on subjects nearer to home. Derek has some paintings of Ely market and I love painting in gardens”
She added: “We do feel slightly sentimental about selling so many memories but we’re photographing our work and then we can see them on the screen so we have a record of it all.”
The sale will take place at their home at 15 Douglas Court from 10am to 5pm on Saturday 28 and Sunday 29 November.
