Giant community mural unveiled in market town

A huge artwork capturing the local community in Tadcaster has been unveiled as a tribute to life in the market town.

The mural is made up of hundreds of images of local characters, ranging from families and pensioners to a reverend, a florist and an ironmonger.

The artwork - called 'TAD'ah!' - has been placed on permanent display in The Barn community arts venue.

Artist Chris Tipping, who created the artwork from photographs taken over two days, said it was "a portrait of a memorable moment in time".

The mural, which is 14 ft 7in (4.5m) wide and 10 ft 4in (3.2m) high, features more than 150 photographs of people, along with 80 images of buildings, landmarks and items of natural history.

It is one of two artworks commissioned by North Yorkshire Council in Tadcaster, with the second set to transform the glazed canopy roof of the town's bus station.

“This mural tells the story of the people who welcomed me, took me on a walk around town, told me their stories and allowed me a look into their lives, jobs, allotments and homes," said Mr Tipping.

He told BBC Radio York: "Every town has issues of empty shops and buildings but there's a core group of people who try to really celebrate where they live and I was really lucky to bump into them for this project.

"This is a celebration of them."

Councillor Simon Myers, of North Yorkshire Council, said: “This mural has created a lasting contribution to the public realm and we hope it inspires others to get involved in cultural projects.”

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