River City isn’t real, in fact it’s a figment of one person’s imagination. However, what you see in the six pictures that make up River City is far more real than make believe.
That’s because in it you’ll find: a road, a river, a circus, a cathedral, a railway station, a wedding reception, Hell’s Angels and a castle. You’ll find people, young and old going about their daily business, traffic moving freely along uncongested roads and a train. In other words some, if not all the stuff that make up real city, town or village life.
River City first made its appearance here at MBC in November 2024, when in support of Parkinson’s UK Trisha Bainbridge mounted an exhibition and sale of more than 200 of the paintings her late husband Ralph had produced. *There’s a link back to the original website post HERE.
In each and every one Ralph’s talent was obvious. Whether it be still life, abstract, landscape or portraiture with a paint brush in his hand he had been a genius.
One of our members, Haddon Willmer, was so taken by River City, how it not only serves as a memorial to a talented artist but, displayed well, how it could be a focal point for MBC’s ongoing ministry that soon after the event he dashed off the following message to Shelley.
Six Bainbridge paintings of people in street and by river
Installed in Church
Thanksgiving and memorial of the artist
Developing the ministry of the paintings
Look and enjoy. Imagine and tell stories of people, what they are doing – do this individually and in groups. Encourage children to look and talk, and spark Lunch Club into more reminiscence. Appreciating the town, houses and business, church and football club, river and buses and bridge. In groups, write stories, poems, prayers relating the town on the church wall to our life in the city, and to the city of God…. Talk about what the pictures lead us to think and imagine, to lament and be thankful for….
Now, I’m delighted to say River City hangs in MBC’s Meeting Area. Six seperate yet interconnected images that flow seemlessly from either left to right or right to left that together embrace life in its fullness.
Many thanks to Tricia and to Haddon for donating the work, having the foresight to realise its potential and for allowing me to write this piece.
I’ll close by setting you a challenge. Besides the list of things I’ve mentioned above Ralph has also included in the pictures some quite detailed elements. See how many of them you can spot.
Among them are… scouts camping in a field, a boat race (Hilford v Riverbridge), an escaped lion, Morris dancers in the Station Arms car park, Rivertown Utd’s stadium where the home team are beating the visitors 3 – 0, elephants, angry speakers, Romeo and Juliette on a balcony and so much more.
