Painter brings fishing town to life in colour

Alan Castleton started painting and illustrating after he moved to north Essex

An artist has given "a new look to familiar scenes" by transforming old black and white photographs of a fishing town into full colour paintings.

A collection featuring 21 paintings by the King's Lynn artist Alan Castleton will form a new exhibition called "Nostalgia, King's Lynn through Time".

The event will open at the True's Yard fisherfolk museum in the Norfolk town on 5 July.

Mr Castleton said: "I had posted some of the first examples on social media and was astonished at the feedback."

Museum curator Lindsey Bavin said the collection was "beyond remarkable" given that Mr Castleton was diagnosed with a rare neurological condition which left him barely able to hold a paintbrush.

"Alan is truly an inspiration," she said.

"Even when things seemed their bleakest, he just kept going with a singular focus, a dogged determination to complete these works."

Alan Castleton has created 21 paintings in an exhibition titled 'Nostalgia, King's Lynn through Time"

Mr Castleton was born into a well-known North End fishing family and turned to painting and illustrating when he moved to Essex.

The museum, which was officially opened in 1993, celebrates the fishing community of North End which it said made a significant contribution to King's Lynn’s economic and social life for about 900 years.

Mr Castleton offered the museum a minimum of 20 new paintings before having the idea that they could base the theme on his work.

However, after they had agreed on the theme, he was diagnosed with Bulbar Myasthenia, which left him unable to hold a paintbrush for long periods of time.

"Suddenly in the space of a week, I could hardly see, then swallow, then speak, or even hold a paint brush for more than half an hour at a time," he said.

"From two paintings a month, one painting took me nearly six weeks to complete, my last great project was doomed to end in failure before it had begun."

The exhibition will be officially opened by David Flux, the High Sheriff

The exhibition, which runs until 30 August, will be formally opened by David Flux, the High Sheriff of Norfolk.