IPSWICH: Forgotten artworks are being dusted off in attics across the town today in the wake of the discovery of a hidden mural.

Tony Woollard, 45, instantly recognised his grandfather’s handiwork when he opened his copy of The Evening Star earlier this week, and he was not the only one.

A steady stream of readers have contacted the newsdesk since we ran a story about homeowner Shirley Elmy’s discovery at her bungalow – a huge mural covering either side of the hallway of her Sidegate Lane home – and all agree it is the work of Charles Walter King.

“I lived in that house with my parents and grand- parents,” said Mr Woollard. “I was born in 1965 and that was my first home.

“I recognised the style straight away, and then I saw the initials and I knew it was his.

“It brought memories flooding back, it was a bit of a bolt out of the blue.”

Others recognised the work because it is in the same style as other pieces they have in their own collections, and they have described Mr King as a “talented artist”.

Mr Woollard, who has three treasured paintings himself, said: “He was off and on with his painting, from what I can remember, although I am going back 40-odd years.

“He generally worked on landscapes with foxes, dogs and ducks, most of them were from his imagination.

“He was a great character, to put it mildly. He was well liked by everyone.”

Another of Mr King’s murals, according to his grandson, was painted on the wall of a shop in Upper Orwell Street. Mr Woollard, who now lives in the town’s Gatacre Road, said: “This was of a square-rigged schooner and was in a fish shop – which has now long gone.”

n Have you made an unusual discovery? Contact the Evening Star newsdesk – either by phone on 01473 324790 or alternatively by e-mail at starnews@eveningstar. co.uk