It was while enjoying a curry one evening back in 2009, that Andrew slid a scrap of paper over to his best mate Terry Mottram and asked, “What do you see, Terry?”. This seemingly innocuous question turned out to be the birth of the Swift Gallery, as Terry found himself staring at a rough sketch of a motorsports photo gallery! 

 

In Andrew’s words “The Collection is a case of a private interest that grew into something much larger. Having collected quality images over a thirty year period, gradually garages and various offices were filled. When the opportunity arose to bring everything together under one roof, it became possible to achieve something we had long wanted, a gallery type space where we could not only show our photographs, but also share them with others.”

 

Andrew’s sketch soon became a plan and that plan, in turn, morphed into the inaugural layout for the Swift Gallery in Fenton. On 21st June 2012 the Gallery was officially opened by John Surtees OBE and Andrew’s long held dream became a reality.

 

The initial gallery format was a single tear conversion of a spare warehouse within Monarch Works, the industrial estate that Andrew had purchased for Swift Electrical some years previously. Such was Andrew’s enthusiasm for the project that a mezzanine was soon added to the back of the Gallery to accommodate more display space and also the Jim Swift Room, Andrew’s tribute to his father. This room featured many images of Jim racing his “C” Type Jaguar against the likes of Stirling Moss, as well as Andrew’s very extensive motorsport library.

 

In time a second mezzanine was added to the front of the building to accommodate a spectacular kitchen, fit for a Michelin chef, that enabled Andrew to royally entertain guests on site.

 

The final notable addition, over the Winter of 2015/6, was an elegant reception area, a souvenir shop and a wonderful display featuring John and Henry Surtees. This was all built on space “grabbed” from an adjacent unit. Andrew has always enjoyed the look of concern on VIPs faces when arriving at the Gallery (in a somewhat run down area of Fenton), while secretly knowing that they eyes would light up once inside the Gallery. With the new reception, guests’ eyes lit up just that little bit earlier!

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PHOTOS:

 

Andrew’s original plan

Work in progress

One of many gallery layouts

View from the rear mezzanine

Andrew and Terry in the gallery kitchen

Reception and souvenir shop

A maze of motorsport art