'Together, Forever Holding Hands' - Worthing Image Selected For National Portrait Gallery's Lockdown Collection

Thursday, 5 November 2020 15:16

By Charlotte Baker @Ch4rtweets

A portrait taken at Worthing Hospital is among those that have been selected by a panel for a project by the National Portrait Gallery.

'Hold Still' is a community project spearheaded by The Duchess of Cambridge, Patron of the National Portrait Gallery.

It's a unique collective portrait of the UK during lockdown, made up of 100 portraits submitted by people of all ages.

All images are taken during a six-week period during May and June and focus on three core themes; Helpers and Heroes, Your New Normal and Acts of Kindness.

Hayley Evans' image of her grandparents holding hands, after being admitted to hospital with Covid, was selected out of more than 31,000 submissions from across the country, with entrants ranging from 4 to 75-years-old.

The selection panel was made up of The Duchess of Cambridge, National Portrait Gallery Director Nicholas Cullinan, the author and broadcaster Lemn Sissay, the Chief Nursing Officer for England Ruth May, and award-winning photographer Maryam Wahid.

The panel met via a video call in July 2020 and undertook the challenging process of selecting 100 portraits for the exhibition.

Forever Holding Hands is a picture of Hayley Evans' grandparents who were admitted a week apart to the Covid ward at Worthing Hospital.

The pair had their beds pushed together and were given their own room.

Alongside the image, Hayley added:

"My grandparents, Pat and Ron Wood, were married 71 years ago on St George’s Day. In May 2020 they were admitted a week apart to the Covid ward at Worthing Hospital.

"At first they were nursed separately, but were soon reunited. Kind staff pushed their beds together and gave them their own room.

"They spent their final days exactly where they were meant to be and exactly how they had spent the last 71 years… together.

"Pat passed away in her sleep, lying next to her dear Ron and he followed her five days later. Together, forever holding hands.

"They appreciated the tiny things and took nothing for granted.

"The ability to touch when they had so little left was a gift. It was the only way to show their love and devotion.

"I took this photo with gloved hands looking through a visor.

"It gives me so much comfort to know, in a world where we have to distance ourselves from each other that they had everything they ever wanted in the palm of their hands.

"This was the last time I saw them."