Artist creates pub postcard for St Albans (From St Albans & Harpenden Review)

Artist Bernie Carroll, from Liverpool, creates pub postcard for St Albans

2:05pm Thursday 10th January 2013 in News By Zoe Forsey, Senior Reporter

An artist from Liverpool has travelled to St Albans to create a postcard of some of the city’s pubs.

Bernie Carroll, who lives in Liverpool, has sketched 27 boozers across the city for his latest creation.

The Six Bells in St Michaels Street, The Boot Inn in Market Place and The Blue Anchor in Fishpool Street are just some of the pubs to feature in the design.

Mr Carroll said: "The response in St Albans has been fantastic.

"Someone suggested that I should do a postcard for St Albans as it one of the most historical cities.

"I was surprised how few pubs had shut down in St Albans.

"Most cities have got about 10% boarded up."

Mr Carroll has been drawing pubs and making postcards for about 25 years.

Since then the 63-year-old has drawn about 30,000 pubs.

He has made postcards for cities across the UK including Liverpool, Cardiff and Manchester.

He said: "It’s a hobby that has gone mad. It has just grown and grown.

"I won’t make me very rich but it makes me very happy doing it.

"I’m not very good at drawing people but I’m good at drawing pubs.

"Just going to a new town is always a lovely experience.

"I will just carry on until I drop. I’m aiming to do as many cities as possible."

Mr Carroll spends about an hour drawing each pub.

Although he has a lot of experience drawing buildings, he found some of St Albans’ pubs quite tricky.

He said: "The Peahen was a very difficult pub to draw because it is on a corners and it has a lot of windows."

The postcards are now on sale at the Tourist Information Centre in St Peter’s Street.

Mr Carroll is hoping to do an updated version of the postcard later this year to include any other pubs that want to be featured.

Any landlords who are interested should contact him on 0151 7269899.