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Mural by John Gilroy in the Dickens Bar of the Morritt Arms Hotel, Greta Bridge, Co. Durham.

This unique mural of Dickensian characters is worth a visit in its own right. In 1946 John Gilroy, a well-known portrait and landscape artist famous for his advertising images for Guinness, completed the mural in just eleven days as a favour to Major Morritt – then owner – whom he coached as an amateur artist. Gilroy’s Dickensian faces are said to represent local characters of the time. This is only a small part of the whole artwork by the way.

Why the Dickens connection? In 1839 Charles Dickens visited Greta Bridge to research "Nicholas Nickelby" and highlight the hardship inflicted on their boys by certain boarding schools. Infamy came to Dotheboys Hall in Bowes, which is still visible today along with the headmaster’s grave in Bowes church cemetery. Dickens stayed at one of the inns in Greta Bridge – probably The Morritt – and in the novel, this was the meeting place between Nicholas and Wackford Squeers.

Shutter speed: 1/125th sec
Aperture: f/5.0
ISO: 1600
Focal length: 46mm