Fleetville, where I live, is commonly known as St Albans’ East End’. At its further most point, it had an old toll gate, where the pub, The Rats Castle now stands. Hatfield road is filled with an extraordinary shops selling every type of food, clothes, barbers, (at least 3 ),my hairdresser, two churches, two mosques, two parks and a enormous Morrisons, where I draw every Monday morning. Where else would an artist want to be?
‘Jim of Andrews”oil on board, 20 x 30 cm.
This wonderful shop, owned originally Jims parents, now by Jim, is a local institution. I have never had so many people, stop and talk to me about their own memories. ‘Going to buy sweets there after school or going in as a group to buy the ingredients for a domestic science class, when Fleetville Juniors was a Girls school.’
Painting on the busy Hatfield road requires patience. I really wanted to catch Jim sitting outside his shop in the sunshine. Normally I’m quite happy to paint the cars, but on this occasion I was willing them to move.