Daughter of mural artist 'delighted' with repaint

A mural on the side of a wall in a car park for nearly 20 years has been re-painted to the delight of the daughter of the original artist.

Rebekah Newton, 37, said she was initially nervous when told her father's street art of Locomotion No 1 was going to be restored for the 200th anniversary of the Stockton and Darlington Railway.

But she said she was grateful and relieved to discover artist Jess McGowan planned to follow the original lines.

Stockton Council is going to use the Bishop Street car park mural as the backdrop for a railway-themed party on 28 September.

Zak Newton moved to Stockton from Northampton in 1990 and his daughter said he was "really passionate about history and culture" in the area.

"He did so much research before painting a mural, he was always going to the library," she said.

"He would see a wall and think a mural would look good on that."

Miss McGowan, 28, worked on the mural for four weeks to get it back to its former glory.

She said: "It was really challenging with how the wall was, all the paint was peeling off.

"We managed to get some good references and chat to people who first saw it when it was done.

"We wanted to make sure it was true to how it was originally painted."

Miss Newton was invited to see the repainting work in progress.

"I have got to admit that I was initially a bit sceptical," she said.

"But when I saw that the artist had followed his lines I was so grateful.

"She has done an absolutely amazing job, I'm delighted.

"I'm really proud of his work and it's great it has been given new life."

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