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HomeEventsArt & LiteratureFran puts Finstall on the map in style

Fran puts Finstall on the map in style

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An exhibition of paintings to be held in Bromsgrove Library throughout October explores the village of Finstall in watercolours. Cottages and houses in the centre are mixed with views of the Finstall Lanes in all seasons to give a pictorial description of this charming village.

Fran's map of Finstall

The focal point of the exhibition is an illustrated map of the centre of the village, highlighting attractive architectural features and small delightful corners.

It is the work of artist Fran Rogers, who invites the viewer to take a visual stroll around the village and to appreciate lovely areas which are not immediately evident when driving through. The railway bridge on the footpath to the Oakalls has an unkempt charm and will not be known to many, while the beamed frontage of Jackie Cater’s interiors shop is a very familiar landmark to motorists and pedestrians alike.

Hidden gateways and paths are recorded, as well as bus shelters, village seats and of course the telephone box, which must have an uncertain future in these days of the mobile phone.

The Cross Inn sign is a well known feature and has been given a prominent place on the map, while the old village names have been included with help from local historians and Bromsgrove library archives. The flowers included have been chosen as examples of typical cottage garden flowers, found in abundance in the pretty village gardens.

The eclectic architecture of the village takes on a more ordered appearance in the map, as certain features predominate in areas, such as the black and white beams to the west of the village and the Bromsgrove stone walls to the east.

The Village Hall and the Cross Inn are the gathering places of the village and many people will have fond memories of happy events in both these buildings.  The Cross Inn provides welcome refreshment to all and the Village Hall serves the community with regular events throughout the year, such as the annual Flower and Vegetable Show and carols at Christmas. Sadly, the Village Shop is now closed, but Finstall is still a thriving community which fiercely guards its village status.

It is natural to worry about the future of Finstall. With the Birmingham conurbation encroaching and the green belt under threat, it could easily lose its village character with thoughtless development. Fran hopes that the map will encourage people to see the village through fresh eyes as a place to enjoy and preserve. Although it is inevitable that there will be changes, she hopes that they will be sympathetic to the nature of the village.

The map follows on from one she completed in 2002 to celebrate the Golden Jubilee. This features the Finstall Lanes with houses and their residents, and shows remarkably few changes over the last few years, proving that people like to stay in Finstall once they have arrived.  The original of the 2002 map will also be displayed in the exhibition, but all limited edition prints have now all been sold.

Fran, who has a BA in Fine Art from Birmingham College of Art, was Head of Art at South Bromsgrove High School for several years, and has been a resident of Finstall for 15 years. She moved to the area from west Wales, where she was Head of Art at Pembroke School. She has regularly exhibited her paintings throughout her career and has done many local commissions.

She hugely enjoys creating illustrated maps which appeal to her sense of place and history. In 2003 Fran produced a map of the campus of Bromsgrove School, a print of which now hangs in Bromsgrove Council offices, and the original hangs in the school foyer.

Fran is also a member of Finstall Village Hall Committee and intends to give the latest map on permanent loan to the Village Hall. High quality limited edition prints will be made for sale and a percentage of each map sold will be given to the Village Hall to help to raise funds for its upkeep and renovation so that it can continue to serve the village so well.

“My apologies to those people whose homes could not be included in the map” says Fran, ”but I was restricted by the size of the hand made paper and the shape of the village.

“We all have fond memories of the village where we grew up, and hopefully residents will see this as an opportunity to give a keepsake to their children or a family record. I will be happy to customise any map with the names of the residents of any dwelling depicted.”

The exhibition will be held in Bromsgrove Library and will run from October 5 – 30. Limited edition prints will be available in October – call Fran on 01527 872109 for details.