It’s never too late for one new old master

THERE are several words you might use to describe Leonard Bradbury. Survivor is one. Determined is another. He is also a successful businessman, a talented artist and, by his own admission, very, very lucky.

At the age of 88, Leonard’s artwork went on show in his very first exhibition at Batley Art Gallery last month – a fitting tribute to his Vera, his late wife of more than 60 years, who always told him he should not waste his talents.

Born in Leeds and brought up by his father in a small house during the 1920s depression, Leonard would draw on the kitchen cupboards with chalk.

As a young lad, he was drafted in to the army when the Second World War broke out and shipped off to Africa, where he fought in the successful Allied campaign. He was then posted to Italy but was soon captured and became a prisoner of war, being moved around to several camps in Germany and Poland.

Throughout it all, despite knowing there was a chance he might never see his loved ones again, Leonard was determined to take something positive from his situation.

He would draw pictures of fellow prisoners’ girlfriends for the camp currency – cigarettes – and would also produce cartoons at the expense of Hitler and the prison guards, much to the other prisoners’ amusement.

At first, Leonard would scrape the paint off Red Cross tins for colour, but was eventually able to get his hands on some proper materials thanks to his cigarette hoard, which enabled him to trade with the German guards.

It was during this time that he also came to the attention of legendary fighter pilot Douglas Bader. After he was captured by the Germans in 1941, Bader made several escape attempts and it was while planning one of these that he approached Leonard and brought him on to the escape committee to forge documents.

The attempt failed and Bader was eventually sent to Colditz, where he remained until the end of the war.

Leonard also spent some time incarcerated with two Disney animators who taught him how to draw characters such as Donald Duck and Mickey Mouse, while he in turn introduced them to the joys of fine art. Towards the end of the war, he and the other men in his camp in Poland were sent on a ‘death march’ before they could be freed by the Allies.

However, during an attack on the roadside from a low flying aircraft, he managed to escape and he and fellow escapees lived like bandits until they were picked up by the Allied forces.

“I was very lucky,” said Leonard, from his home in Soothill. “I was in situations where people all around me were killed and I survived.”

When he returned to England, Leonard set up a painter and decorator business, pushing a home-built hand cart. He moved in to interior design and produced portraits for the Jewish community in Leeds.

He has also produced props for Leeds City Varieties and Yorkshire TV and eventually set up Bradbury and Son in Batley with his son Stephen, which still designs, produces and installs fine fireplaces to this day.

During his life, Leonard’s art has always taken a back seat to his working life. But when he retired at 76, he was able to spend more time concentrating on his painting.

The exhibition at Batley Art Gallery drew on his lifetime experiences and his love of painting. He has produced many portraits of the royal family and has also painted pictures of well-known personalities from the world of TV and music.

Leonard, who has two grandchildren, admires the old masters, particularly Francois Boucher from the Rococo movement, and has produced many works in homage to these. He is also currently working on a painting for the Royal Academy Exhibition in London.

“The Batley exhibition was my first one and I’ve probably left it a bit late, but I’m still ambitious and it would be nice to have some recognition for my paintings. It’s never too late to try!”