Artist Beth aims to put a boost for Bobby Ball statue appeal in the frame

Beth Holyoak, 23, has long been a fan of the star funnyman who died in October and has made the most of her time on furlough from her job as a quantity surveyor to come up with the striking artwork.

It’s in acrylic paints on canvas and measures 80cm square and Beth has set out to capture the memorably bubbly character of Bobby, who, with comedy partner Tommy Cannon, tickled the funnybones and captured the hearts of the nation for decades.

Bobby and his wife Yvonne settled in Fylde, becoming involved with a wide range of aspects of the community and the appeal for a statue in his honour in Lytham’s Lowther Gardens, next to the Lowther Pavilion theatre of which he was a patron, was launched in December.

It has a target of £100,000 and by the start of this week, the total raised stood at just under £20,000, to which Beth hopes to add by attracting the highest possible bid for her artwork.

“I’ve always loved art and been a fan of Bobby and thought combining the two was the perfect opportunity to help the appeal,” said Beth, a former pupil of AKS school.

“He thought so much of Lytham and Lytham loved him and the statue in Lowther Gardens is a wonderful idea.

“I’ve tried to capture Bobby’s wonderful character and I hope people will be generous and offer what they can to help the appeal.”

More than 750 individual contributions have already been made to the more than £19,400 raised towards the statue by early this week.

Last month, Blackpool entertainer Kelvin Wood added £2,500 to the fund by running at least 5km every day through January, culminating in a run to Lowther Gardens from Blackpool to be greeted by Yvonne and other members of Bobby’s family.

Details of the appeal fund are at www.justgiving.com/campaign/bobbyballstatue

To bid for Beth’s artwork, go to the Bobby Ball Facebook page, email [email protected] or call Deborah Wilkinson on 07903 800806.

More information is also available at on Beth’s Instagram account @bethholyoakart

It is thanks to our loyal readers that we can continue to provide the trusted news, analysis and insight that matters to you. For unlimited access to our unrivalled local reporting, you can take out a subscription here and help support the work of our dedicated team of reporters.

Support us and become a subscriber today. Enjoy unlimited access to local news, the latest football stories and new puzzles every day. With a digital subscription, you can see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Click here to subscribe