Memories of School and River

The School scenes, entitled "Cricket at Withens'Lane" and "Masters v School", may be viewed by left pressing the accompanying link using your mouse.

The Mersey Memories scenes are shown on two web pages and each page may be accessed by pressing one of the links below.

The prices of the cards are £1.00 each including envelopes. (Add £1.50 PP per 10 cards, or £2.50 for overseas delivery).

Unframed prints (470 mm x 380 mm) are £25 for each scene in the Mersey Memories series and £35 each for the School cricket scenes. (Add £3.00 PP for each print, or £4.00 for overseas delivery. ) When placing an order for items from the Mersey Memories series, please state the name and number of each scene required. For the School pictures, please state the title of the scene required.

Orders and Inquiries should be sent to:

Philip Colebourne, c/o Old Wallaseyans' Club, 140 Grove Road, Wallasey CH45 0JF

Orders should be accompanied by sterling cheques or banker's drafts drawn on a UK bank made payable to Philip Colebourne.

About the Artist

Norman Colebourne was born in 1908 and attended Wallasey GS where he studied art under Mr Bohs. On leaving School, he went to work in Liverpool; firstly for a shipping company and then for Barclays Bank. He always enjoyed his ferry trip across the Mersey and was greatly impressed by the moods of the Mersey and the variety of shipping seen on the River.

After war service in the RAF where he produced a number of miniature portraits of his colleagues, he returned to the Bank. At night, he studied Art at the Wallasey School of Art studying under Edward Mansfield and Philip H. Smith. He exhibited his paintings locally and at Bank Staff Association exhibitions in London.

On retiring from the Bank in 1972, he was able to devote more time to his painting, often undertaking commissions for a particular ship or period. Although he worked in oils, he would use the paint thinly to obtain the detail required. His log book records over 200 paintings.

Around 1989, Norman started a series of paintings to be known as "Mersey Memories" with a view to producing a calendar. His death in 1992 meant that this project was not completed. However, the 12 completed paintings are available in card or poster form and are shown on the accompanying pages to this site.