Published: 02/02/2010 13:10 - Updated: 03/02/2010 09:46

THIS year's Shrovetide balls have been finished and are now ready to be shown off by the two official painters.

 

Tuesday’s ball, painted by Tim Baker, will be turned up by West Derbyshire MP Patrick McLoughlin and one of the ball’s main features is a stunning representation of the iconic badge of the House of Commons — the golden portcullis.

Painted overall in an unusual black, rather than the typical white, the colour is said to represent the coal that Patrick once mined in his former career as a coal miner.

The theme continues with two more stunning paintings of life in the coal industry, one of a miner working under the light of a dim lantern, and another of a silhouetted mining shaft collecting coal against a setting sun.

Elsewhere on the ball, which is decorated with garters painted in the Conservative Party’s blue colour, it denotes Patrick’s title in Parliament, the Opposition Chief Whip.

A flowing Union Jack flag and laurel wreath complete the decorations on the ball, which Tim says is slightly smaller than in previous years.

Simon Hellaby, painter of this year’s Ash Wednesday ball, painted an immaculately detailed Ballidon Church, which is hugely symbolic to Wednesday’s turner-up — ball maker for more than 20 years, John Harrison.

His ball, which he personally spent more than 15 hours handcrafting, also features the Lions International Badge, an organisation of which Mr Harrison is a charter member.

A line from an historic Shrovetide poem by the late Don Lowndes, “Don’t deny our ancient game”, features, as does a Royal British Legion crest.

Other features on the ball, which took Simon around a month to complete, include the Derbyshire Fire and Rescue Service logo, the Wildlife Trust logo and another logo for the RSPB — all organisations Mr Harrison is involved with.

The Union Jack is also present underneath the ball, this time with a delicate silhouette of the Queen’s Crown on top of the UK flag.

The balls will be on display soon in the window of Ashbourne jewellery firm CW Sellors, at their Victoria Street boutique.