It was a moment in time when Salford's shopping centre was the biggest social club in the city. Friends and neighbours would cluster to chat, gossip, and have a bite sat on a bench.
A family enjoying a fish and chip dinner; four elderly ladies sat side by side; the bustle of a new shopping mall.
Shopping City or The Precinct, as it is still known today, opened in stages over 1971 and 72. Six years later young artist, Philip Westcott, sold his first painting. It was called "Rainy Day on Worsley Green" and had been exhibited at Eccles Art Gallery, and went for £5.
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But that sale opened doors for Philip, which would lead to him doing 40 paintings based in and around The Precinct, capturing an era and setting him up a career teaching art, and as an accomplished artist in his own right. Recently one of his works featured in Grayson Perry's television programme.
Philip, 71, who taught at Ordsall High, St Patrick's in Eccles, and St George's High in Walkden, said: "I sold my first paintings at Eccles Art Gallery.
"Then the curator of Salford Art Gallery, Michael Leber, invited me to exhibit at the Memorial Art Gallery in Swinton, where I was featured on Granada Reports. From here I was invited to have an exhibition at Salford Art Gallery in 1986, and L S Lowry's work was in the room next door, it was a very proud moment."
Trained at Leeds Carnegie College from 1969-72 in art and design, he has followed Lowry, and Salford artist, Harold Riley, in gaining a national reputation.
"Of the 40 paintings based around the precinct in the late 70’s and 80’s, I still have the two in my personal collection and the one is in the collection of Salford Art gallery, the rest have been sold to private collectors.
"As an artist I like to paint things that I have a connection to. One of my earliest memories was going to Salford Market as a child and my mother would buy the fruit and vegetables and my father would swap his paperbacks at a stall. When I became interested in painting this type of scene, I started by doing a couple of paintings of the market.
"As I stood there one time, I realised that facing the other way were a fascinating range of images to capture, showing the growth of the modern shopping centre. I then painted the precinct and the people shopping or resting on the benches. Scenes of everyday life."
"In those days The Precinct was all open with lots of benches. The flats were still relatively new and the elderly people and families would meet there to enjoy the company. These scenes are a complete contrast to the way the place is now."
Recently he has painted portraits of people in a local cafe.
"My wife and I often go for walks and treat ourselves to a coffee at the end of these. Before lockdown we had started to go to The Malaga Drift Coffee Lounge and Bar in Eccles, as we like to support local independent businesses, during lockdown.
" We continued to do this, collecting our takeaway drink after the local walk. We have since become regulars and enjoy the community sprit there. I normally try to sketch people when visiting cafes and on a recent occasion a particular character caught my attention and I asked could I do a painting of him, unfortunately I haven’t seen him since to show him the finished result.
"The idea of doing more in this theme appealed to me and I have now done six portraits of people there and aim to do a few more. These are now displayed on one of the walls and seem to have gone down well. One regular took a while to recognise himself and another I was afraid to show to him as I caught him in a serious mood. Fortunately he was delighted with this, as I reflected where he was at the time, and in fact cheered him up."
His work which featured in Grayson Perry's Art Club on television, was a couple in a Manchester café, who seem more interested in the contents of their phones than each other, reflecting a sad aspect of everyday life.
Philip has had a string of exhibitions including at The Old Parsonage in Didsbury, The Castle Parks Art Centre in Frodsham, and Saddleworth Museum and Gallery. He is currently hoping to get works in the Salford Open Exhibition.
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