Hessle care home resident brings up century in style

A resident at a care home in Hessle has marked her 100th birthday with a trip down memory lane. 

Pat Mackrill, who lives at Care UK’s Tranby Park on Heads Lane West, celebrated her centenarian status with a special visit to Hull Guildhall, where she was reunited with artwork she made more than 70 years ago. 

Surrounded by friends and family, including son Geoff, Daughter Liz and grandson Ben, Pat visited the building to rediscover the paintings she produced in the 1950s and the tapestries she designed in the 1990s. 

Commissioned by Hull City Council, these paintings depict King Charles I being refused entry to Hull by parliament, an event widely considered as one of the triggers of the English Civil War. The accompanying 20-panel tapestry display portrays the history and development of Hull.

Making the occasion that much more special, she was welcomed by Lady Mayoress of Hull Cllr Maria Coward, who greeted her and joined Pat & her family to admire the paintings. 

After the tour the Lady Mayoress surprised Pat & her guests with afternoon tea in the Lord Mayors Parlour. 

Pat said: “It was wonderful to see my artwork again. My favourite part of the day was sharing the experience with my family and reminiscing about creating the artworks and all the research and effort that went into the designs. I’m happy that the paintings still look as good today as they did when I first painted them.”

Born and raised in Hull, Pat has always been passionate about art. She studied at Manchester School of Art during the second world war before carving out a successful career as an artist, creating commissioned work for local authorities and private companies.

Some of her most notable designs include a 27ft canvas focused on post-war regeneration for the Festival of Britain in 1951 and, of course, the paintings and tapestries displayed at Hull Guildhall today.

During the visit, Pat shared her secret to living a long life, which she credited to “doing what you love”. For her, that was painting whenever she could.

Emma Medici, Home Manager at Tranby Park, said: “Celebrating special milestones like Pat’s 100th birthday is an important part of life here, as we focus on creating meaningful moments for residents each day.

“Pat is incredibly talented and seeing her work was truly inspiring. We were delighted to have been able to bring her back to Hull Guildhall to be reunited with some of her amazing work. It was certainly a day to remember.”

Tranby Park offers full-time residential and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care. The home incorporates plenty of space for hobby and leisure activities, while the layout of the building is configured into a series of individual suites, each having a dedicated lounge/dining room to facilitate the creation of close-knit communities.