MACKENZIE'S BORO

ART CONSULTANT ERIKA BAYLEY GETS THE GUIDED TOUR OF MACKENZIE THORPE'S BORO.

Following the Team Talk visit to Arthaus, in which this lively gang of ex-steelworkers from Teesside came to view an exhibition of Mackenzie Thorpe artwork inspired by his roots in  Middlesbrough, I somehow agreed to be taken on a guided tour of the town and surroundings that are at the heart of Mackenzie's “industrial” work, by those who know it best.
​And so I found myself, on a suitably grey winter's day, meeting Team member Brian for my first trip “Over The Border.”

First Stop: The Transporter Bridge

It was only natural that our first port of call was Middlesbrough's beloved “Tranny”, that iconic symbol that dominates the cityscape and features in so many of Mackenzie's images. Driving past the now-derelict (but still-infamous) Captain Cook pub, we met the men who work on the bridge, and rode across the river Tees with them as they recounted stories about transporting workers and watching for the seals that breakfast in the waters below every day. Industrial Middlesbrough sprawled on either side of the river; ships, factories, docks and work yards (some active, some not) lay in every direction.
We took the opportunity to photograph our own version of Mackenzie Thorpe's "Waiting For Me Dad"

​Middlesbrough Train Station and a Journey to Saltburn
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Our next port of call was the Train Station, where Mackenzie's “Station Posters” are on display right on the walls of the platforms, in the heart of his home town. I got to enjoy these full-sized nostalgic tributes to Teesside while waiting for the train to Saltburn. Brian wanted me to see the industrial landscape on this short journey to fully appreciate the extent and significance of Middlesbrough's industrial history. I watched the factories and mills, many of which are no longer operative, roll past and reflected on how much this has impacted the community here.

Redcar and the Steel Mills

After stopping to take in the view of the cliffs at Saltburn, Brian led me North to Redcar and South Gare for a look at the closed (yet still manned) steel mills. Huge and decaying, they stand like the skeletons of great beasts, still dangerous-looking and awe-inspiring but somehow beautiful and poignant at the same time. The mills tower over the Cleveland Golf Links, which, as a symbol of privilege and leisure, stand in stark contrast to the crumbling ruins of industrial working life above. We left this atmospheric stretch of coast and headed back to the Boro, driving past ICI and the other old factories that line the road into the city.

Middlesbrough
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The rest of the day was spent touring Middlesbrough, from Grove Hill to Linthorpe, Doggy Market to Town Centre, a circuit of places that have cropped up in Mackenzie’s artwork and stories. I could not have asked for a better tour guide than Brian – like the town itself he is full of distinctly northern character, stories, and humour! Brian had an anecdote or memory to share for every stop we made, bringing the town to life for this New Yorker’s first taste of the Boro. I'm looking forward to our next outing, which will reunite me with the rest of the Team Talk gang as we re-enact the Mackenzie Thorpe sculpture "The Apostles" - this group is about to take the modelling world by storm!