As a journalist who has worked in the media for 26 years, my role has primarily been to write other people's stories. It is rather fitting then in this first week at the University of Gloucestershire, coming in as a second year on the BA (Hons) Illustration degree course, that I mark it with my first piece of public art. Zara Phillips officially opened the newly renovated Stroud Maternity Hospital as it marked its 60th anniversary. For my Fine Art sculpture unit earlier this year I wanted to make something for the hospital to say thank you on behalf of all the mums who had given birth and received after care there. My passion for drawing came through, and instead of making a sculpture in the traditional sense, the piece ended up being a sculptural drawing, capturing my twins breast feeding whilst holding hands. Entitled "Babies come with attachments," the image incorporates six mini starched white Terri Towelling nappies hanging on a line - a familiar sight in the 1950's-1970's - with free-hand embroidery of six icons representing the different decades and all the extra attachments that one has to have when having a baby. The drawing of the twins breastfeeding is done on very fine Japanese paper in pencil, sewn onto a Terri Towelling square as if it is a nappy liner. The picture was hung today in the new nursing room which so happens to be the very place where I first learnt to tandem feed the twins.
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| Babies come with Attachments hanging in Stroud Maternity Hospital |
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| Rosie and Kezia stand under their picture |
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| The after-care part of the hospital before the new look |
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| iconic image of nappies on the line |
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| embroidered drawings ready to be assembled |
On the same day, Stroud's Birthplace, a social history book, which I wrote with fellow journalist Diane Harris to mark the Maternity Hospital's 50th anniversary, was officially put on line. It means midwifery students, new mums and those who did not get a copy when it was published in 2003, can assess it easily. Stroud's Birthplace includes pictures of author Laurie Lee and his daughter Jessy, best-selling novelist Katie Fforde and daughter Briony and Gloucestershire/England wicketkeeper Jack Russell, among many others.
The link for the Stroud Maternity book, "Stroud's Birthplace," is
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