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Local artist Mel Hubbard has created a series of illustrated maps including of Grafton Underwood, where she lives, and neighbouring Brigstock and Geddington. She is now starting work on the other manorial villages of Boughton, starting with Weekley and later onto Warkton and Little Oakley. Originally a garden designer, working with the landscaping team at Bosworths for several years, she found shaping out these maps a good crossover between painting and the more controlled process of garden design. Mel has been keen to refl ect the villages as they stand today but, at the same time, incorporate some of their history, wildlife and other characteristics. She has thoroughly enjoyed researching the stories and history of these beautiful villages and, in particular, looking for Purple Emperor butterfl ies in Fermyn Woods, understanding the interesting story of the Bocase stone near Brigstock and walking up at Lyveden New Bield. Mel is grateful to the GVFB for allowing her to use the fabulous Queen Eleanor fi re tender image on the Geddington map and to those who have printed stories on local village websites or shared information with her during her research. Using her artistic licence, Mel has made items fi t in where she can on her maps and apologises in advance to anyone living in the villages who can’t fi nd their home or favourite place to walk. You can see copies of her maps hanging on the wall at The Pig & Waffl e in Grafton Underwood and Cafe Oak in Geddington. Her fi rst map of Grafton Underwood was also a tribute to the USAAF men and women from the 384th Bomb Group who served at the airbase here in WW2, with reference to the beautiful memorial window in St James’s Church and the stone Memorial at the end of the old runway. This was so well received by current and past residents of the village, as well as some of the relatives in USA of those who served here, that she was inspired to donate £10 from the full sale price of each map to the 384th Bomb Group museum project, which was featured in the May/June issue of Village Connect. The full-colour A2 maps are produced locally by Atelier Editions in Kettering and On the Edge in Market Harborough in a fi ne art quality Giclee print. Priced at £75, the maps would make an excellent Christmas present; printing is done to order and potential buyers should allow a couple of weeks for prints to be ordered, produced and collected. Commissions are also taken. For details or to order your map, please contact Mel on 07778 160 155 or by email at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
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