Artists take action

A couple who have been painting for 12 years sold prints of their work to raise money for a group of Christian Palestinians who will take part in an exchange visit to Southwell.

Mr and Mrs Brian Hiscoe of Humberstone Road, Southwell, raised £1,000 at an exhibition at their home on Saturday.

The Palestinian Christians will be visiting Southwell in October as part of an exchange trip with members of the congregation of Southwell Minster.

Mr Hiscoe (82) said: “For the last nine years the minster has developed a link with the Christians in the Holy Land.

“Members of the congregation of St George’s Cathedral in Jerusalem, suggested an informal exchange between Christians from Jerusalem and members of Southwell Minster congregation.

“The Palestinian Church is feeling a bit beleaguered and the Christians in Palestine are now only 2% of the total population, so it was decided to have an exchange visit.

“As these people are coming from the West Bank and East Jerusalem they are living under pretty difficult conditions and they haven’t really got enough money to pay for their visit. The minster decided to set up a fund to help them with their expenses.”

Mr Hiscoe and his wife, Mrs Betty Hiscoe (80) started painting after taking an art course together in Sheffield in 1995.

The couple sell prints of their watercolour paintings.

The prints cost around £10 each and subjects include landscapes, buildings, flowers and still lives.

Mr Hiscoe said the exhibition was very successful and they had sold almost all 200 prints on display.