Honour for ball painter
SHROVETIDE ball-painter Tim Baker has been given a prestigious national award in recognition of the 30 years he has spent painting the game’s official leathers.
The passionate, Ashbourne-born Shrovetide follower and historian was nominated anonymously for the British Citizen Award for the Arts, and his medal was sent to him last week.
The award recognises citizens who have made a positive impact on their community, and it would usually be officially presented at the Palace of Westminster – but this has been postponed due to the pandemic.
Mr Baker was first offered the voluntary role of painting Shrovetide balls ahead of the 1991 game and this year he had been hoping to paint his 30th official match ball, but no balls have been released for 2021 due to the match’s cancellation.
Each ball takes around 70 hours to perfect, and it becomes a focal point for the pre-game build-up before it is tossed into the hug on Shrove Tuesday and Ash Wednesday.
Along with fellow ball-painter Simon Hellaby, Mr Baker’s commitment to the game extends beyond painting the leather – he and Mr Hellaby tour the community with their balls, giving talks on the game’s history and its importance in modern society.
Mr Baker has also devoted much of his time to researching and documenting the game’s history, and passing on his knowledge to others.
This year he is hoping to release a book which documents every known Shrovetide ball in existence.
After receiving the award, he said: “It’s a great privilege to paint the Shrovetide balls, being a true Ashburnian, to be connected to Shrovetide in this way has been a great honour since I was 17 years old.
“It was quite a shock to receive the award – I thought it was a wind-up at first, but I feel extremely honoured. I’m totally elated.”