Winston Churchill and Alfred Hitchcock honoured in Ilford exhibition

The artists have opened a public exhibition at Ilford Town Hall that runs until July 21, after a pre-run at Valentines Mansion.

Their work recognises community leaders, like Cecilia Richu and Isaac Harvey from Ilford.

But they also included famous people from the past who changed the world.

These included our wartime prime minister Winston Churchill who led Britain onto victory in 1945 over Nazi Germany in the Second World War — and who was MP for Woodford till he retired in 1964 at the age of 90.

The Our Local Heroes exhibition is a social inclusion project by Uniting Friends charity for adults with learning disabilities or autism.

“Redbridge has amazing people and talent,” Uniting Friends’ chief executive Russell Lerner said.

“There are many well-known heroes and some less so — but all with great stories, enough for our artists to acknowledge them.”

The artists used collagraphy, digital photocopying and offset and letterpress printing for their works. 

One hero they chose was film-maker Alfred Hitchcock, who grew up in Leytonstone, born in 1899 in the flat above his parents’ greengrocery shop in High Road.

Another was the Victorian philanthropist Thomas Barnardo who arrived in 1866 to study medicine at the London Hospital — but instead went out rescuing destitute children living on the streets and setting up his Stepney school to feed and educate them.

Dr Barnardo, as he was known, later opened his famous orphanage in Barkingside.

Our Local Heroes is funded by the Colours of Redbridge cultural programme through Arts Council.

United Friends cover Redbridge, Newham, Havering, Waltham Forest and Barking and Dagenham as well as Essex.

Its vision is for “a world that recognises values and equal participation” in the community, particularly those with learning disability, through education and social activities to reach their full potential in society.