A BANNER produced by a Bradford-born photographer to celebrate our essential workers and volunteers during the coronavirus crisis has gone on display in a city hospital.

Ian Beesley and his team, including poet Ian McMillan, have produced colour lockdown banners to celebrate the dedication of NHS and key workers during the pandemic.

The first banner produced, in honour of the NHS, features the slogan; 'Forever In The Heart of the Nation - Our NHS - All for One and One for All'.

It has gone on display in the main concourse at Bradford Royal Infirmary after it was donated to the hospital by Mr Beesley.

 

It includes a heart shape which represents health and caring, a portrait of Nye Bevan, the founder of the NHS, and an image of Trafford General in Manchester - the first NHS hospital.

The clock was altered to 8pm in recognition of the time when the public applauded the NHS, carers and key workers during the initial weeks of lockdown last year.

Professor Mel Pickup, Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust's chief executive, tweeted Mr Beesley: "We love it Ian, thank you so much, it's heading to our main hospital concourse, where lots of people will get the pleasure of seeing it."

Mr Beesley said: "I tweeted a picture of the banner and Mel Pickup said it looks fantastic.

"I sent it across to them. Certainly when we made it that's what I had in mind. When we created it, the good home for it is my home town.

I thought it would be really nice to go there at the BRI

"It will be on display for as long as they want it. A lot of people seem to want to have a look at it.

"The NHS need more than applause, though, they deserve a decent pay rise."

The inspiration for the banners from the national banner collection held by the People's History Museum in Manchester.

Bradford Telegraph and Argus: Photographer Ian Beesley Photographer Ian Beesley

The five Lockdown Banners have also been on display in the main reception area of Tunbridge Wells Hospital in Kent last year.

Mr Beesley and his colleagues produced a series of trade union banners for an exhibition which was touring a number of museums across the country when the lockdown was announced, leading to the versions created to honour key workers and volunteers.

Another creation, features the slogan; 'Keyworkers Unlocking the Future'. Fellow artists, Martyn Hall and Tony Husband, have also contributed to the ongoing project.

Mr Beesley decided to create a series of them with the idea for the fifth one coming from Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust’s Chief Executive Miles Scott, who previously worked in the same role at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust for six years until 2011.