FOUR eye-catching ‘windows’ in Delph are giving passers-by a unique glimpse back through time to an authentic Victorian Christmas.
The displays were first created by Janet Iles in 2007 after she was approached by the Wake Up Delph committee to help dress the front of the village’s Co-op store for the festive season.
Now, 13 years on, the ‘windows’ have been brought out of storage, carefully cleaned and repainted and put back on display, this time opposite The White Lion pub.
Janet explained: “In early 2007 I was painting scenery for Uppermill Stage Society and had also done a couple of sets at the Millgate Theatre.
“Keith Begley, who was involved with the Wake Up Delph Committee, approached me and asked me if I would be interested in doing some artwork for them.
“He explained that people thought it would be nice to have some Victoria windows put up to make Delph have a really Victorian Christmas feel, and they had approached the Co Op who had said they were happy for these to go up.
“I agreed to come up with some ideas and so with my husband Geoff and friend Joyce Mallalieu went to the Castle Museum in York, which has old Victorian streets and looked at their shop windows and took photos and notes.
“I designed four windows and they were approved by the committee and they supplied the ply which I painted in my study at home.
“Geoff and Joyce worked alongside me, helping with the blocking in and some of the more detailed things.”
Their precise attention to detail included painting authentic sweets, packaging, an advert for ‘rooms to let’, a lantern advent, posters for Cadburys and toys including a rocking horse.
Janet even replicated an authentic poster of a shop for rent in King Street and Joyce carefully painted details including delicate hat pins next to Sylko threads.
Now, after more than a decade in storage, the displays have been uncovered and restored by Janet with some help once more by Geoff and Joyce after they were contacted again by the Wake Up Delph committee.
The boards were looking dull and had accumulated black mildew spots which had to be cleaned off and then the displays repainted and revarnished.
The committee has installed them opposite The White Lion pub, with a string of Christmas fairy lights across the top.
Janet added: “They look lovely and I am really pleased. I hope the brightened windows will bring a lot of cheer over Christmas to everyone who sees them!”
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