St Helen's Street

It was in the late 80s when I lived in Cockermouth on South Street. I lodged with a delightful lady, that I called Mrs P. I was later to teach alongside her daughter. I lived opposite the charming Victorian, Croft Terrace, that's why it was the first streetscape I painted in Cockermouth. I had the front sitting room of the large Victorian semi and a bedroom to myself. Every morning Mrs P got up and made me a cooked breakfast before work. I was teaching at All Saint's School and walking in each day. Sometimes I walked up Cocker Lane and around the estate, and sometimes I walked through the marketplace and up St Helen's Street and through the little car park and over the beck to school. My head was usually full of lesson plan ideas and so I didn't really take much notice of the buildings. Now I find myself fascinated by the buildings as I wander around the back streets looking at the architecture of the town. I find gems that I want to paint. Cockermouth is one of the towns that have been described as Georgian gem towns.

The first two pictures show St Helen's Street going away from the Market place on the even numbers and then the next three show the odd numbers coming back to the Market place.