ANTONY 'H' Haylock is about to hold his first solo show in Leigh, before it goes to London. Titled Celebration of the Inanimate, the artwork is based on unassuming objects which trigger emotions and forgotten memories, punctuated with humour. It's been a long time coming, this show, and rather astonishing that he hasn't had one before, given the long list of Antony's achievements and, well, look at his work.

Celebration of the Inanimate takes place on the lower floor of the Leigh Community Centre, on Saturday April 30, at 7pm.

Expect fun, music, a few surprises, and some truly excellent artwork.

Admission is free.

THE most prominent memory I have of first interviewing artist Antony Haylock in 2014, was, despite having a three page spread to fill, it was a struggle to fit everything he has done in. Various points listed on his CV, include him being one of the creators of the successful CBBC Little Charley Bear series, a designer, professional painter, graphic artist, exhibition maker and film producer.

At the end of that same interview, Antony, or "H" as he is known, had told me he wanted to start concentrating on his painting again.

The opportunity arose, in the form of a patron called Michael Holmes.

Antony says: “Michael told me he was thinking of paying an American artist to paint some wine bottles for him, but wasn’t sure. I told him, ‘well I can paint some wine bottles for you’. Mike said to me, ‘no, you do cartoons and stuff don’t you?’ I told him I could paint anything he liked.”

When Antony produced the images of the wine bottles, he said Mr Holmes went silent for a bit with his mouth open. Clearly loving his work, two years ago he finally became his patron, affording the artist the time to produce work with no other commitments.

The forthcoming show, his first solo one, explores inanimate archetypal objects. It was inspired by an author, Tom Robbins, who wrote one of Antony’s favourite books, Skinny Legs and All. The story runs along the thread of a couple of newlyweds on a road-trip, on which a bunch of inanimate objects (Can o’ Beans, Dirty Sock, Spoon, Painted Stick and Conch Shell) play a key role.

“I was at Battlesbridge Antiques, having a look around, as I like to do, and I saw an old tin mug, all battered and knackered, and I thought, ‘wow, I love this mug, it’s so cool’, and thinking of the book, I wondered what it would say if it could talk, and it went on from there”, said Antony.

Celebration of the Inanimate takes place at the Leigh Community Centre, on Saturday April 30, at 7pm. Admission is free.