PEDESTRIANS using the subway in the town centre this week will have noticed a splash of colour adorning the walls.

Artists from primary schools across Northwich have contributed to the project – the brainchild of town mayor Cllr Janet Myerscough-Illidge.

Complete with a war remembrance exhibition, the subway has now been given a new lease of life, with MP Mike Amesbury the special guest at its official opening earlier this month.

Cllr Myerscough-Illidge said: “It has been an honour and pleasure being the mayor of Northwich and I wanted to leave a legacy for the town.

“I decided to use the inspiration and ideas of the local primary schools to design art work to bring life to the subway. I would like people to be able to walk through and see the different aspects of our town through the eyes of our younger generation.”

With a host of schools involved in the wider project, Victoria Road Primary School offered up special pieces reflecting on the First World War in this, the centenary year of its conclusion.

Headteacher Cathy Lord said: “I am so proud of how wonderful the subway now looks, using the art work from the Northwich Schools Partnership and the designs that our children created for the memorial garden at Vickersway Park.

“Chris Shaw and Lesley Moore, as well as other members of the town council, have worked really hard to ensure that the mayor’s vision of more art in the community came to life.

“It is a massive thank-you to them for championing the art project as it enabled schools to show how much they value art as part of their curriculum.

“This is a fabulous example of how successful community projects can be and we feel honoured, as a school, to have been part of it.”

Nikita in Year 6 couldn’t believe that her design had been chosen, not only to create garden but also as communal art for the subway.

She said: “I am really grateful to have been chosen as the winning design for the Memorial garden. To have my art on the subway wall as well is amazing.”

MP Mike Amesbury said: “It was a privilege to be invited along – it’s a real credit to the town council and everyone else involved in bringing these terrific projects to life.

"I was incredibly impressed by the artwork in the subways which was designed with the involvement of local schoolchildren.”

The town council secured funding for the project from Cheshire West and Chester Council and Northwich BID.