Sir Michael Bond presents Mayor of Newark, Mrs Irene Brown, with a painting

A stunning painting by a former Mayor of Newark has been presented to the current Town Mayor.

Sir Michael Bond and his brother Geoffrey, along with their wives, Jane and Dianora, presented Mrs Irene Brown with an oil painting of Grisedale in the Lake District by William Cubley, who was Mayor of Newark in 1866.

The brothers, who both attended Magnus Grammar School in Newark, presented the painting on Friday in the Mayor’s Parlour in the Town Hall in memory of their grandfather, Mr James Gardner, who was Borough Treasurer of Newark from 1916 to 1951.

Mr Geoffrey Bond, who lives in Southwell, said: “Newark Town Hall has a collection of paintings by William Cubley in the gallery. Our grandfather was a great servant to the town and he left this painting to my brother and I.

“We had lent the painting to the gallery, and we thought it would be a nice gesture to give it to the town in memory of him.”

The painting is now hung in pride of place in the Spotlight Gallery in the museum.

Mrs Brown said: “I was really pleased to accept the painting on behalf of the town council. It’s a lovely painting and you can imagine yourself in the painting next to the bridge.”