ALMOST two years after a visitor to the Royston and District Museum mentioned that he had seen paintings by artist E H Whydale the works have been purchased. Museum curator Carole Kaszak told Crow Nostalgia: It seemed the owner had been given the painti

ALMOST two years after a visitor to the Royston and District Museum mentioned that he had seen paintings by artist E H Whydale the works have been purchased. Museum curator Carole Kaszak told Crow Nostalgia: "It seemed the owner had been given the paintings in lieu of payment for work. "Once we tracked him down he was willing to hold onto the paintings until we had the money to purchase them," she said. The cash for the paintings came from the museum's collection fund and a "generous" donation from the Royston and District Local History Society. "For Royston, any work by Whydale is important and the two pictures we have now acquired are both superb examples of his work," she said. The paintings are of the Packhorse Bridge at Sutton and ploughing at Sandy Heath. Both pictures, which are oil on canvas board, are now on display in the museum. "They are important additions to our growing collection of Whydale pictures," added Carole. E H Whydale was originally a commercial artist who went on to become an exhibitor at the Royal Academy for most years until 1950, two years before his death.