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Edward Harrison was born in Nottingham in 1938
His Father was a talented engineer who travelled the country installing and fixing lace machines.

His mother if she had not have been committed to bringing up a family could have been an opera singer judging by the quality of her voice whilst singing around the house.

Shortly after leaving school Edward was called up for his national service with the Sherwood Foresters. During basic training at Derby Barracks Edward his section were one day stood by their beds for inspection.

When Sergeant Bramley started screaming and shouting during line up as sergeants tend to do, Edward found it so amusing that he couldn’t stop laughing. He was arrested and two soldiers marched him off to the guard house.

 He was trained as a radio operator and after jungle training in Malaya served with the signals unit there.

Whilst there he turned some of his spare time to basketball where helped by his height he excelled at, at chess, and at wood carving – with his friend Roy they carved a complete chess set from teak, it took them months and they had to use boot polish to stain the black set. He made many friends there, maintaining contact with them through the years both at re-unions and on a personal level. Many of his army friends are here today, some of whom have travelled from afar.

After the army Edward worked for Ericsons at Beeston Nottingham on telephone exchange wiring work, and then travelled all over the country on telephone wiring jobs. Edward had started sailing as a hobby by then, and used to study for his navigation exams during work. To do this he would climb up a ladder to a platform, then settle down and study while watching out through a hole for his boss.

Edward then worked as a gardener and then a store-man before training as a carpenter. Edward was never career driven though he did enjoy his work. What he really enjoyed was working with his hands to create something, or doing something adventurous

Edward had some amorous relationships, but was not a domestic animal. Marriage and loss of freedom could not compete with the call of the wild and adventures like rock climbing and sailing. Edward remaining a bachelor all of his life may also have been due to his fairly relaxed approach to romance – a lady once invited him to accompany her to some events because she didn’t feel comfortable going on her own. Edward found the lady attractive, and said that he would perhaps tell her YES in the springtime – it was autumn when she asked.

While not of the marrying kind Edward did like having children around, and the kids loved him. He would entertain his niece’s daughter every day with stories and biscuits, take her son and his friends out sailing, and teach kids to play chess.

. His hobbies earlier in his life were rock climbing – he spent every weekend for 5 years rock climbing with his friend John in the Peak district, sailing, boatbuilding, cycling, tennis, carpentry, playing the guitar, snooker, and country walks. Some of his hobbies came and went, sailing and art were the only activities for which he never lost enthusiasm. Those in Edward’s Nottingham art group watched as his style became recognisably his own, and his work getting better all the time until he won the best portrait prize in one year’s show.

Edward was a very kind person, he would offer people help whenever he saw they may need it, for example the lady who was left to clear up after late evening art sessions – Edward would always remain, not making a show of it, but not leaving her in an empty building or on a dark pavement until her husband arrived to collect her. He was also a very independent person, who always did his own thing, once Edward had decided on a course of action he could not be shifted. He will be sadly missed by all, but we would his memory to live on in the Edward Harrison Nottingham Art Foundation to help a Nottingham artist with an annual grant towards his or her formal education for fine art.

For further details of Art Awards or how to make a donation to the foundation please email: ccc3@talktalk.net