Recognising Tonbridge Recognised

Recognising Tonbridge detail

Painting by Tonbridge Artist Mike Insley

The young man, lazily laying on the grass and enjoying the summer sunshine during the Annual Cricket Week, is a detail in a painting by the Tonbridge artist Mike Insley. I have have often wondered what the three bottles, standing on a crisp white cloth, might contain - perhaps home-made wine or lemonade.

Mike, is well known in the town for heading up the Tonbridge Arts Festival Big Picture and for his involvement in the Tonbridge Art Group.  His painting can be viewed in the foyer of Angel Centre. It's worth going along to have a look and take in all the detail in the image.

Mike Insley (centre) - Unveiling The Big Picture - Tonbridge Arts Festival 2012

These are Mike's words on his painting that hangs in the Angel Centre:-

'This painting is based on a photograph of a cricket match at the Angel County Cricket Ground taken in 1903. The County Cricket Ground was situated on what is today the Angel complex, Sainsbury's and the carpark. It was the first headquarters for Kent cricket and it hosted an annual County Cricket Week in Tonbridge from 1869 to the beginning of the Second World War.

The picture draws heavily on the photograph, but I have made rather more of the figures and in some parts, where it is not clear to me what was going on, I have made some modifications. As well as being a sporting event, I imagined the week would have been quite a social occasion, a chance to renew old acquaintances, make new friends or just soak up the atmosphere.

I am greatly indebted to the unknown photographer.'