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Gwen grew up in Surrey and it was in the mid-1950's she decided that she wanted to do something different with her life from her dull cashier job. Ditching her office job she and a close friend decided to join the Women's Royal Naval Service and ended up in working at Chatham and Haslar hospitals in the Gosport area . These 'nurses' were described as SBAsΜύ (Sick Berth Attendants). It was whilst working at Haslar that she met her future husband who came from Hull. He was doing his national service at the time and his apprenticeship at Brough had been interrupted by his call-up. Shortly after they were married he returned to Hull with his new wife and a baby in tow to resume his apprenticeship.

Before coming to live in Hull, Gwen says she'd never even visited the city and was pleasantly surprised to find the people welcoming and friendly. Gwen recalls that she couldn't quite get used to the habit of people dropping by and letting themselves in. Something she says, would never happen in the south. For six months Gwen's family lived with her mother-in-law but eventually they moved out and occupied a small house in the city. Shortly after her doctor came knocking at the door and asked Gwen if she would become a housekeeper at his surgery in Morrill Street.

There were no wages but the whole family moved in rent and light free. After that arrangement came to an end, Gwen moved to Preston Road but she still worked as a receptionist. Later Gwen worked in many of the city centre pubs behind the bars and it wasn't long before she was asked to manage Hull's first wine bar, 'Oasis' in the the late sixties and early seventies.

Although physically active for most her life, there came a period when she was suffering from chest pains but, it was only after moving house and changing her doctors that her heart problem was diagnosed. Shortly after her surgery, Gwen had to come to terms with the fact that working was no longer an option and needed to fill her timeΜύ with other pursuits. She joined some classes to learn about computers and also learned to type. It was also around this time she joined the Bilton Grange Painting and Drawing Group.

Since joining the group's membership has increased significantly although there was a period when it seemed that the group might close. After campaigning for funding to keep the group going, it now attracts over 30 people, some with physical and learning disabilities.Μύ

Gwen Mawson (second from left)

In 2007 the group were involved in five exhibitions and also last year, Gwen and a number of people from the group were involved in the Surkofa Sunsplash event in Hull's Queens Gardens. They produced a huge mural and hung it in a gazebo as you can see from Gwen's picture.

Gwen admits that originally her efforts were nothing special, however as her skills have improved, Gwen was fortunate to get some of her work exhibited at the Ferens Opens Exhibition in the city.

When the exhibition was due to close Gwen visited the gallery to collect her work and no-one was more surprised than her to discover that her oil painting had been sold.

Since the death of her husband a couple of years ago, Gwen says her activities keep her occupied and she enjoys helping others who have difficulties looking after themselves.