Three additions have been made to Farnham’s wall of famous people.
At a ceremony held on Tuesday 23 September, plaques were unveiled by the Mayor of Farnham, Cllr Jeremy Ricketts and Alan Cooke, vice-chancellor at the UCA, in honour of the artists Henry Hammond MBE and Arthur Hackney.
Henry Hammond was born in 1914. He studied at the Croydon School of Art until, at the age of 20, he won a scholarship to the Royal College of Art. He is best known for his brush decorated stoneware, but also worked in porcelain and in his early days as a potter.
In 1939 he was offered a job as the pottery instructor at the West Surrey College of Art. He was unable to accept as he had been called to serve his country in the Second World War. After his return from war, Henry Hammond spent some time in St Ives with the studio potter and art teacher Bernard Leach. He later returned to Surrey to take up the role of pottery instructor until he retired in 1980.
After the war, Henry Hammond shared a studio in Bentley with colleague and potter Paul Barron. Together they helped to build up the ceramics department at Farnham School of Art.
Henry was awarded the MBE in 1980, six years before his death.
The second plaque commemorates the artist Arthur Hackney who was born in Yorkshire and studied at Burselm School of Art, Yorkshire and later at the Royal College of Art in London.
He served in the Royal Navy between 1942 and 1946 and, in 1949 he won a travelling scholarship to Rome with the Royal college of Art.
Arthur Hackney later became a teacher followed by head of printmaking at the West Surrey College of Art and Design until he retired. He was honoured as a Senior Fellow of the Royal Society of Painter/Printmakers and member of the Royal Watercolour Society.
His work is held in many public collections including the Victoria and Albert Museum, London.
In a separate ceremony, the Mayor of Farnham Cllr Jeremy Ricketts unveiled a third plaque to mark the achievements of Nick Craig who is cited as the world’s finest amateur racing sailor.
Nick Craig began his sailing career at Frensham Pond Sailing Club. He has gone on to win many of the sailing world’s most respected racing titles and in 2011, it was calculated that he had won an impressive 37 world, European and national titles.
In 2011, Craig was awarded the Pantaenius UK Yachtsman of the Year, which is a remarkable achievement for an amateur sailor. He earned the award after winning the OK World Championship for a record-equalling fourth time and the Endeavour Championship trophy for the fifth time. The Endeavour Championship is an annual invitation only event to find the overall dinghy champion of champions from the UK’s most popular dinghy racing classes.
Speaking after the ceremonies Cllr Jeremy Ricketts, the Mayor of Farnham said: “As England’s craft town, I am delighted that we have been able to recognise the achievements of two people whose talents helped to grow what is now the renowned University of Creative Arts.
“I was also fascinated to hear about the achievements of Nick Craig. Despite very little formal coaching he has beaten many full time professional sailors to win many much-coveted titles. I am constantly amazed and humbled by the wealth of talent in and around Farnham.”
The famous names’ plaques can be seen in South Street on the outside wall of Sainsbury’s.
The unveiling of a plaque on the Famous Names Wall outside Sainsbury’s. Cllr Jeremy Ricketts with amateur sailor, Nick Craig.
