| Brenda Bury, 23 -
year - old painter who once protested to Sir Winston Churchill
about pretty French girls taking part in an English university
rag, has received the British painter's top honour. One of her
paintings - of Mrs Julian Amery, wife of the Tory MP for Preston
North - is to be hung at this year's Royal Academy summer exhibition
in London. Said Brenda's mother, Mrs Mabel Bury, of Barnsley
Road Brierley, near Barnsley, last night: "Of course she
was much younger when she went to Downing - Street. She is
more grown up now." At the time Brenda was studying at
Reading University. Rag organisers invited three French girls
from Paris to join the procession because they said, "local
girls lack glamour." Brenda and her friends thought
differently. To prove their point they made their protest march
to Downing - street in bathing suits and fancy dress. Brenda may
be this year's youngest exhibiter. She had three pictures
selected last year but none hung. When only seven she won a
National Savings painting competition. Five years later she won
a youth club painting competition. After an honour degree at
Reading she thought of being a teacher but changed her mind.
Then began her painting career. Now she intends specialising in
the painting of children. Her latest work? She hopes Sir John
Barbirolli , Halle Orchestra conductor, will sit for her.
FOOTNOTE May 2006: Brenda
now lives in Toronto Canada and is married to scientist John
Polanyi. She now works on both sides of the Atlantic from her
base in Toronto. Read more about Brenda at
www.brendabury.com
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Brenda Bury in
1956 from an old newspaper cutting |