www.blackpoolgazette.co.

uk The Gazette, Friday, April 8, 2011 

postie immortaLises tangerines Boss’ WemBLey gLory day in brief

What a winner – Chip pan fire
strikes home
A CHIP pan caught fire in a
Blackpool home yesterday.

it’s Ian Oil-oway!

Firefighters were called to
the property, on Portland
Place, shortly before 5pm.
One person in the house
required treatment for
smoke inhalation.
The kitchen suffered slight
smoke damage.

Lead stolen
LEAD flashing was stolen
By JACOB HOOSON from a block of flats in
Blackpool.
HE is known as one of football’s most The thieves climbed on to
the porch of a property on
colourful characters – so it should Kent Road. They managed to
come as no surprise Ian Holloway remove the flashing from the
makes for a good oil painting. property in the middle of the
The Blackpool FC boss has been im- night without being spotted.
mortalised on canvas by a local artist The council-owned ma-
sionette-style flats were
who has made ‘Ollie’ the centrepiece of targeted around 1.40am
his new exhibition. yesterday.
The paintings are the work of Stephen
Bruce who works as a postman and part-time
brushmaster. Book thief
The collection – unveiled this week at South POLICE are lookig for a
Shore’s Solaris Centre – showcases paintings shoplifter who stole books
of dramatic Fylde landscapes, such as Lytham from a store in St Annes.
Square and Fairhaven’s White Church. The books were taken from
But it is the ode to Ollie which is the eye- a display in WH Smith on
catching centrepiece. St Annes Road West around
The Pool boss is painted in the now iconic 1pm on Wednesday.
pose – showing his delight on the pitch at
Wembley as his team won promotion to the
Premier League.
Stephen, who lives in Ivy Avenue, South
Shore, said: “There are about 24 paintings, but
this is the one I want people to view the most.
“If Ian could come and see it that would be
great. I really hope he’ll like it.”
The exhibition is a result of several years
of paintings that have been “stacked up” in
Stephen’s house.
Started as a small hobby in 1994, paint-
ing has become a staple in Stephen’s life.
He added: “It all started off when a
previous partner bought me a set of
paints and told me I needed a hobby.
“Since then it’s just taken off and it’s
all been self-taught.
“I work as a postman, and I had the idea
to ask if I could exhibit some of my work
while I was in the Solaris Centre on duty.
“That was two years ago, there’s such a big
waiting list for exhibitions here.
“Now that it’s all come together, I hope peo-
ple will come and enjoy the work and pass on
some comments.
“My biggest dream would be to paint full-
time. The time just flies when I’m painting.”
The exhibition is open for viewing through-
out April at the Solaris Centre, Blackpool;
with paintings also available for purchase.
n Big match preview Pool v Arsenal in
WINNER: Artist Stephen Bruce with his painting of Ian Holloway
tomorrow’s Gazette – part of an exhibition at the Solaris Centre, South Shore, Blackpool

Hunt launched after teen robber misses court

A STREET robber was today
being sought by police after
he failed to turn up at court.
Darren McCaul was con-
victed of carrying out a rob-
bery in Fleetwood after he
failed to re-appear at court for
the second half of his trial.
The 19-year-old was said to
have demanded a phone and
wallet of a young man he came
across in the small hours.
He also warned his victim
he had a knife.
The youngster later picked
McCaul out on a police identi-
fication procedure.
But the defendant insisted
to officers it was a case of mis-
taken identity.
McCaul, of Rede Avenue,
Fleetwood, had denied a
charge of robbery relating to
the offence in the early hours
of June 12 last year.
He had attended Preston
Crown Court for the first day
of his trial, but then failed to
turn up on the second.
The case was adjourned
for a day, but then yesterday
McCaul once again failed to
attend.
A warrant had now been
issued for his arrest.
Judge Anthony Russell
adjourned the case to May 13
for a sentencing hearing to
take place.