In 2015 Pete was commissioned to paint a mural for the Fox Valley shopping centre in Stocksbridge that opened the year after. His brief was to create a design that celebrated the site’s rich heritage.
Stocksbridge grew rapidly from the mid 19th century onwards when British industrialist and businessman, Samuel Fox, bought a mill to produce wire in 1851. To accommodate its workers Fox built several houses. A decade later Fox began to produce his own steel for his products. To this day steel is still produced in Stocksbridge and Fox Valley itself is built on the site of a former steelworks building.
Pete’s mural celebrates the rolling countryside that surrounds the area, offering unique natural beauty. It also pays homage to the first steel workers of Stocksbridge, integral to the town’s history. Some of the figures jubilantly hold up umbrellas which reference Fox’s development of the Paragon umbrella frame. His design was revolutionary and outshone other competitors on the market. ‘Fox Frame’ umbrellas were sold globally and were produced from 1851 all the way up to 1935.
