the Bill COckerill trophy

The 2019 BSAC AGM on
Wednesday 27 February is when members are able to select the most popular painting for the Bill Cockerill Award.

This is for new members who have joined the Club in the last three years and those who have not yet received an award from the Club.

Please bring your work for display at the AGM and the successful painting will be announced at the end of the meeting.

Bill Cockerill was a long-standing member of the Art Club who painted West Country Landscapes in oils. For over a decade the general public voted a painting of his as the best in each Summer Exhibition. He was proud of this achievement since, as he said with a twinkle in his eye, no judge at the Preview Party had ever commented on his work.

Towards the end of his life his family wanted him, as a widower, to move closer. He was rather reluctant to do this. However, he asked Jed Falby and myself to visit his home in Budleigh. He told us that the Art Club had played a major part in his retirement. He thought, however that many new members were reluctant to submit paintings in the Summer Exhibition. This was possibly due to the presence in the club of professionals who had been trained at the Slade School and other art establishments. He said that he would like to give a trophy which would be competed for by members of less than 5 years standing. (now 3 years). He suggested that judging, by the members, could take place at the A.G.M. (it would make it less dull)!

Bill then presented to Jed and myself the silver salver [now known as the Bill Cockerill Trophy] which he said had been a wedding present and on the Club’s behalf we thanked him. Incidentally one of Bill’s last landscapes hangs in the waiting room at the Budleigh Salterton Hospital. ​

Glynn Whittle (Hon. Member)

​Winners of the Trophy

2000	Beryl Hammond
2001	Jean Morbelli
2002	Elizabeth Finnigan
2003	Margaret Norman
2004	Nicky Carson
2005	Nick Speare
2006	Julie Bingham
2007	Len Clark
2008	Mitzi Crossland
2009
2010	Jenny Ware
2011	Sue MacGregor
2012	Bob Seabright
2013	Chris Stacey
2014	Badi Stogdon
2015	Chris Wright
2016	Dan Glen
2017	Christine Noddings
2018	Jean Owen
2019	To be announced at the 2019 AGM