Having sent photographs to the Herald a good many times of the years (often celebrating the success of UCC students), it was so lovely to be featured in the Cumberland and Westmorland Herald this week. I had a fascinating, and varied, chat with reporter Alan Cole recently about the project, the importance of cash to society, then nature of collaboration and the sense of home! Whilst we chatted across the subjects, the article was focussed on the Guernsey Banknotes project (as, of course, it should be!) and my collaboration with Hayley Mallett. Thanks to the Herald for the great article and I'm trying not to be too embarrassed about having my face in the paper!

2025 has not really been the year of Wainwright's for me so far.  Though I did have a good old trip up the Barf run, finishing off in the beautiful village of Lorton, last month.  The woods were full of the beginnings of spring and the hot weather brought out little surprises like the pictured lizard.  Here's hoping for a few more fell-tops sometime soon! 

Great to be featured in the Guernsey Press article about the new Guernsey banknotes, alongside Hayley and Natasha.  I definitely felt a little like a school girl getting her photo done (how strange to be that side of the newspaper photo!)... Either way, it's a great article about the project and you can read it here: Artists’ designs chosen for new banknotes

I often say that I owe my name, my height and a lot of who I am to being - very proudly - a Guernsey girl.  Coming from Guernsey has shaped who I am, and I'm so grateful for the love of being outside, the coast, community, family, culture, and shared history that growing up on the island gives. It's not a surprise that my love of Cumbria - where I'm based - reflects lots of those aspects though with more mountains, lakes and rivers than beaches near me!  Much of my creative work is based on that identity.  My visits back are often to see wonderful family and friends and the sights and smells of home, but there's so much creative inspiration there too and that's what drew me to making work inspired by both of my homes.

So this project ... When the opportunity to be involved with the new Guernsey banknotes was first published, the ideas and inspiration started flowing.  I've grown up collecting Bailiwick notes, coins, and postage stamps (a habit I haven't grown out of!) and was very excited about the possibility of being a part of that rich history.  During that time, Hayley Mallett contacted me about using one of my photographs for her submission and the idea of a collaboration came into being. Having gone to Hautes Capelles Primary and St. Sampsons' Secondary SchooI with Hayley, we reconnected in 2022 when Sula Gallery featured an exhibition of my photographs.  Whilst we hadn't seen each other properly in almost 20 years before the exhibition, both Hayley and I have such a complimentary love of Guernsey's nature and flora - especially in detail - and I've been following her beautiful interpretations of the natural world for years - it's been such a natural collaboration and our shared ​love and focus on nature has informed the concepts behind our designs.  We've worked together - with photos by me that have then been beautifully worked by Hayley in thread and bead - to create designs for the bank notes that are examples of the islands’ nature that we hope bring a sense of pride and joy in our Bailiwick, something we feel strongly!

I can't wait to reveal the designs (that won't be for a while yet though!), but you can hear a little more in the States of Guernsey film above or on their website: The new bailiwick banknotes - States of Guernsey.  On the reverse of the notes, work by the talented Natasha K. He will be featured. 

You can see Hayley's beautiful work on her website: Hayley Mallett Art - Mixed Media Textile Artist.

What a wonderful privilege to be part of the Guernsey banknotes!