“Three Spires Under Blue Skies” was painted as a result of my being approached by Truro City Council in October 2014 and asked to create the cover artwork for the 2015 Official Truro City Guide, thereby marking my move from Gweek back to Truro in the spring of the same year. The majestic Truro Cathedral, with its famous three spires, was the obvious choice for the painting.
Distributed in outlets and retail premises across the city and to 60,000 homes in the city area it was a great honour to be approached for this publication, although the guide has been out for a few months now there are still a few copies around Truro. The Guide is packed with information and ideas for all as the holiday season gets into full swing and last week I was contacted by a man on holiday from Leeds who having seen a copy tracked me down at my studio to buy a painting.
Three Spires Under Blue Skies ~ 2105 Official Truro Guide ~ Chris Billington
However, the main reason for this post is to highlight the current plight of Truro City Cathedral
‘Sign a slate’ appeal for Truro Cathedral
Truro Cathedral has recently launched it’s ‘Sign A Slate’ appeal, a £3.2 million appeal for funds to repair the Cathedral roof, which has been in place since 1908 and is now in a bad state of repair. The Cathedral is asking for people to ‘Sign a Slate’. Sixty thousand of them are needed to restore the roof and each slate will record the donor’s name, for the hundred years or more that the restored roof should last.
The Cathedral already has a Government grant of half a million pounds towards the project. Starting this summer, the work is expected to take five years and whilst I think it would be more fitting for Delabole slate to be used on the project, the Welsh slate from Cwt-y-Bugail Quarry is probably a next best alternative.
It is people that form the heart of the cathedral and so it was very important to us to find a way for everyone to get involved and feel part of this important restoration project.
Three Spires Under Blue Skies (2014) ~ 32in x 40in ~ acrylic on canvas ~ Chris Billington
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