“AS a young lad, I worked on the pots and pans stall on the old market,” says artist Gary Miller whose view of Bishop Auckland market graces today’s front cover. “I remember getting picked up really early on a Thursday morning and helping a gentleman called Geoff set up the stall. I would then head to school and come straight back afterwards to help pack the van away.”

Today, an exhibition of Gary’s work, which is quirkily nostalgic, opens in Cockton Hill, Bishop Auckland, and includes a couple of his most popular paintings of the market.

A touch of snow on Bishop Auckland Market Place, by Gary Miller“The market was such an incredible place to be back then, particularly as it turned dusky later in the afternoon and was all lit up,” he remembers.

“The characters were fantastic: old Tommy with his blue overalls was always on hand to help anyone around there – I'm not actually sure he worked there, but he just loved being there!

“With buses coming in from miles and miles away, and the little cafe huts for the bus drivers and public, it was a vibrant place on market day, and the sense of community was never so alive and well.”

Bishop Auckland's iconic town hall, by Gary MillerGary’s paintings capture the buzz of Bishop and also the fascination of a child with the bright lights of the adult world: his views of the Odeon cinema, lit up alluringly against the dark sky, prove that it really once was a mecca of global entertainment.

His works trigger deep feelings in people who see them. “People tell me how they met their future betrothed in Rossi’s café, had their first drink in the Tut ‘n’ Shive, or worked in Doggarts, or drove OK buses,” he says. “Places like the Sun Inn, the Odeon, the station and Hintons all shine out for us as memories.”

The exhibition celebrates the 20th anniversary of his painting the town, although he started drawing long before that.

Painted from the old post office steps: the three pubs on Coundon's main street, by Gary Miller“As a little lad, I’d sit on the steps of the post office close to my home in Coundon, and sketch the characters and cars in the main street,” he says.

He’s had a proper job for much of his life, but redundancy a couple of years ago allowed him to pursue his dream of being an artist, and now he runs galleries in both Bishop and Durham which promote the works of other local artists.

The Foresters Arms, Collingwood Street, Coundon, by Gary MillerHis paintings of Durham are in the Elvet & Bailey gallery in the High Street, while the new exhibition of 33 paintings is in No Three gallery in Cockton Hill.

It runs from today until Christmas Eve. It is open Wednesday to Saturday 10am to 5pm, and on December 23 and 24. Prints, calendars and cards are on sale as well as the originals.

On December 1, No Three celebrates its first birthday with new works from other Bishop Auckland artists, including Derek Siddle, Billy Mills and Ed Williamson. The gallery’s postcode is DL14 6EN.

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Gary Miller in the No Three gallery where 33 of his paintings are on display