A MotherTown Lockdown Masterpiece
Our tired shutters at the Holdcroft Heating HQ had been well overdue some TLC. Much like the spring of 2020 they were grey, dull and hopeless. There was only one thing for it, we needed hope. We needed colour. We needed help!
So we contacted our friends from ‘Our Burslem’, a local community action group, passionate about everything BURSLEM. We asked their Facebook page to help us to design a mural for our shutters to reflect on the happier moments of lockdown. The response was inspiring!
From Toilet Roll (Of Course), enjoying blooming gardens, wildlife in empty streets, the sunshine warming our skin and Captain Sir Tom warming our hearts on VE Day. And of course, the amazing hero Key Workers & NHS Staff.
Our M.D. Tina Holdcroft said: “We wanted people to remember the good parts of lockdown, and not focus so much on the negatives, even though it was such a tough time. I just thought we could expand on that and create a lasting reminder, something to look back on.
“Our office is based in Burslem and we wanted to do something for the local community. Art is a great way of spreading positivity and we wanted to put a smile on people’s faces. It’s about creating lasting memories of the happier times – and Our Burslem are always really supportive.”
Art Not Graffiti
After gathering the ideas from the residents of Burslem, we approached local artists Rob & Tom from ‘We are Culla’; who have been commissioned for a number of window vinyls and murals across Burslem as part of the Mothertown Marvels project.
Tina added: “In the mural we have included images of spitfires and bunting, to commemorate the VE Day celebrations, and we even got permission to use the Burleigh print. I love Burleigh and it just brings out what we’re about here in the local area – and helps us to support local businesses too.
“There’s an orange line that runs throughout the design and that is a street map outline of Burslem. In the final design there’s also a star included, which was from a picture that my young grandson sent to me, so there is a little personal touch for us too.”
The design also pays homage to our national heroes such as NHS workers and Captain Sir Tom Moore, as well as local nods including images of potbanks and a map of the local area.
Not only are our shutters now a beautiful work of art, they hopefully can help to put a smile on the face of local people during such an awful time in our history.
Holdcroft Heating are now working even harder than ever to keep the families of Staffordshire & Cheshire warm and safe; especially during the Covid-19 pandemic. We are available for breakdowns and maintenance as well as new boiler installations. All of our staff practice social distancing and use PPE to keep help keep families safe.