Renowned South Shields illustrator Sheila Graber completes a mural at a care home

Sheila Graber, the animator behind the BBC children’s television series Paddington, has completed a mural at Haven Court care home, on McAnany Avenue.

Charlotte Britcliffe, deputy manager of the Cedar Unit at the South Shields care home, approached Sheila last year to see if she would be interested in creating a mural on the fence of the home’s garden area.

Once she accepted the task, Sheila set out her plan of creating a mural that would cover landmarks across South Tyneside and the wider North East from dawn until dusk.

Sheila has explained to the Shields Gazette where the idea for the mural came from and revealed that it has had its desired effect.

She said: “Charlotte’s idea was that there would be some friendly well-known landmarks for the residents to see from their beds to help them reminisce on happier times with their friends and family and themselves.

“The great news is that it has worked and I have heard many stories of folks reminiscing about happy days on Marsden Beach with egg and tomato sandwiches or walking their dog on the Groyne.

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“I pinched the theme of dawn at the Groyne to dusk at Marsden Rock from the Druids as evidently Stonehenge was built round the concept that we are born into the light and then pass into the dark.

“They used to have a procession ‘From Dawn to Dusk’ to mark a person’s passing and it seemed very appropriate to Haven Court who do an incredible job helping people in their last months of life.”

You can find out more about the work at Haven Court does by visiting: https://www.havencourt.co.uk/.