The world’s biggest mural of Captain Sir Tom Moore is being installed on a building in Southport town centre today!
The incredible 24ft high artwork, named ‘Hope’, has been commissioned by Mark Cunningham, owner of Anthony James Estate Agents, and painted by Rob Newbiggin.
Rob, a former professional boxer and a current boxing coach, is also behind famous artworks of notable people including Eric Morecambe, Dame Vera Lynn and Eddie Large.
The mural has already attracted admiration from passers-by as the work takes place to attach the mural outside the Anthony James Estate Agents building at Charlotte House on Hoghton Street in Southport.
A second huge mural, featuring some of the NHS heroes who cared for patients during the Covid-19 pandemic, will also appear on the building soon.
They have taken months to create on separate boards at Rob’s home.
In six months’ time they will be auctioned off to raise money for the NHS.
Mark wanted to commission the artworks to create a very visible way of saying thank you to Captain Sir Tom Moore and to the amazing NHS staff who have done so much to save lives during this devastating Coronavirus pandemic.
Mark said: “These murals are huge. They have been a logistical nightmare to put this all together!
“We wanted to do something that shows our appreciation for the NHS and for Captain Sir Tom Moore, who have inspired the whole nation with what they have done this year.”
Artist Rob Newbiggin said: “Some day that was, taking my mural named ‘Hope’ which are 12 individual 8ft x 4ft boards from a front room project in my home to become the biggest Colonel Tom Moore public mural in the country and a new visble landmark in Southport. We’re now waiting to see if we can get lucky and have Tom himself come and officially sign it.
Captain Sir Tom Moore, known to many as ‘Captain Tom’, celebrated his 100th birthday in April.
He has raised over £32million for the NHS through walking laps around his garden during the pandemic.
His birthday was marked in a number of ways, including flypasts by the RAF and the British Army. He received over 150,000 cards, and was knighted at Windsor Castle in July as well as being made an Honorary Colonel.
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