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Quotations.............................famous or otherwise "To find a friend one must close one eye. To keep him - two". Norman Douglas, British Author 1868-1952.

The above is a reproduction of an oil on hardboard painting entitled "Ragman In Holt Street", it is signed J. Birchall and dated 1964, a large red '4' on the reverse side suggests a number of copies of this subject were executed. John 'Jack' Birchall lived all his adult life at 6 Holt Street in the Far Moor area of Orrell, he was trained as a painter and decorator and was apparently highly adept at his trade, but his work as an artist was his overriding passion, he died in 1988 aged 84. A contemporary of Isherwood and Major he is known to have exhibited in art competitions against the former with limited success. The scene depicted in this work is a view from Mr. Birchall's house and is of a 'Rag and Bone Man' with his pony and cart outside 'Nellie Green's' at 1 Holt Street, the back of the houses pictured on the left are of the rear of 'Tom Francis' butchers shop' and 4-18 St. James' Road beyond. picture reproduced by kind permission of Mr. J. Pye