Derbyshire pub regulars immortalised in secret painting

Regulars at a Derbyshire pub will be able to raise a glass to themselves after an artist painted them on the wall of their favourite drinking spot.

Nick Hugh McCann captured the likenesses of nearly 150 of his fellow drinkers at The Bell Inn in Sawley.

The work - called A Few Down the Bell - took seven years to complete, and also features the landlady and a dog.

Regulars said they were looking forward to visitors coming to see the finished work.

Mr McCann said he took a number of photos of other customers as they shared their time together and kept his plans secret while he worked on the "monumental" challenge.

He said paying tribute to his friends and fellow regulars was a fitting tribute to the classic pub, as well as making art less exclusive.

"The pub is the heart of the community," he said.

"It's a place for grown-ups and everybody else to let their hair down, and it's a great British tradition.

"I think it's really nice to have a picture in a normal place as opposed to a gallery."

"The way he's captured everybody so naturally is brilliant - it's a real credit to the pub, the people within it and to Nick," said regular Richard Daz, who is pictured with his dog Rolo.

"He's put a lot of effort in, it's taken him lots of years and the fruits are there for us all to see."

Landlady Michelle Allen said it was "a little bit embarrassing" to find her portrait in the centre of the image, but feels honoured by the work Mr McCann put in.

"It shows that everybody is there for you," she said.

"Your customers are there for you, this is how the pub's always been - they're your regulars, and we're proud to have that many people come in and show their support for us."

Kevin Bonfield, one of the regular customers featured in the painting, said the work was a "fantastic" addition to the pub.

"Everybody on there who I know is spot on," he said.

"I always called him a genius jokingly, and he is one."

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