Fred immortalised in art

A drawing of Fred by a Wolverhampton artist is to go on display at a craft fair in the city tomorrow.

The tramp was immortalised in charcoal walking along the road with his stick by 71-year-old Brian Preston, of Compton.

A keen amateur artist, Mr Preston sketched the picture from a photograph taken by a friend last year and has exhibited it around the region as part of a series of eight tramp portraits.

At the time of Fred's death, the drawing was out on loan to a Rugeley artists' group but has been returned in time for tomorrow's festive fair at the Light House Media Centre in Fryer Street, city centre.

Mr Preston, who obtained an art degree after retiring from his job as a groundsman, sold the other drawings in the series but hung on to the one of Wolverhampton cult figure Fred.

He said: "I scrounged the photograph off my friend in order to draw Fred. Some people saw him as a nuisance, then all of a sudden there's all this publicity on the internet about him. It was amazing really. I don't now what I shall do with the picture now, perhaps I shall keep it to exhibit."

The festive fair will feature 40 stalls and takes place between 10am and 3pm and offers some of the region's best contemporary craft and designer wares. Artists and designer makers from all over the Midlands will be exhibiting a wide range of distinctive and unique pieces including fine art, ceramics, textiles, glass and jewellery.