A SMALL watercolour which he painted as a boy and now hangs on his living room wall is a daily reminder to Anthony Duckworth of the time he spent as a child with his grandparents in Blackburn.

“I copied one of the paintings in my grandparents’ home on Preston New Road when I stayed with them in the summer of 1953,” said Anthony.

“It was one of a pair of striking oil paintings which I loved.”

Although born and brought up in Brighton, Anthony was a regular visitor to his grandparents from an early age.

“Although I wasn’t an official evacuee, my mother would often bring me up to stay in Blackburn for long spells during the Second World War while my father worked on the south coast,” he said.

“I was a young boy at that point, only four or five, but I can clearly remember getting the train as being the start of some kind of magical journey.

“Just the trains themselves were a treat for a young boy with their dark red carriages and the smell of steam.

“I just loved coming up to stay with them.

“The people were always so friendly, even if their accents to my young ears were so different.

“My grandparents, John and Helen Duckworth, lived at 185 Preston New Road, which was a corner house and was deceptively large.

“It had a secluded garden and a seemingly endless number of rooms to a small child.

“My grandfather is a bit of a mystery really,” said Anthony. “In directories of the time he is listed as a ‘gentleman’ which meant he didn’t meed to work.

“But I believe he was either a hairdresser or ran a barber’s shop more as something to do than to provide an income.

“I’d love to know more about him.”

Anthony, who lives in Surrey, says his fondest memories of his trips to Blackburn are of Corporation Park “It was across the road from my grandparents’ home,” he said.

“It was such a lovely space.

“Coming from Brighton where parks were just spaces of grass with the odd tree dotted about, this was like entering another world.

“There was all the landscaping, the lakes and, of course, the wonderful conservatory. I also remember all the rhododenrons which always seemed to be in bloom when I visited.”

Anthony’s grandfather died in 1950 and his grandmother in 1959.

Following her death the house and its contents were sold off, including the painting which so impressed him as a child, “Before the war, my grandfather used to like going to auctions and I think that’s where he bought them,” said Anthony.

“They were in very heavy frames and looked very impressive works. I would love to know what happened to these paintings, as they were such a part of my childhood.”

Anthony’s own artistic talents, as shown by his version of the painting, led him to a career as a design engineer and following retirement he once again took up painting as a hobby.

n Do you know of the whereabouts of the painitings or more about Anthony’s grandfather John Duckworth? Contact Gill Johnson on 01254 298257, or email gill.johnson@nqnw.co.uk