Ex-graffiti artist TJ brings back Macclesfield’s first police car
AN ARTIST who fell foul of the law over his graffiti art has purchased Macclesfield’s first ever police car.
TJ Dolan has bought the black Wolseley 10 as part of a project on his family’s heritage.
But in the meantime the iconic car, which was used to fight crime in the town between 1947 and 1955, has become his main set of wheels.
TJ bought the car at an auction in York – but is keeping tight-lipped over how much he paid for it.
TJ, who was brought up in Macclesfield but now lives in Manchester, said: “I’m an honorary policeman now, with my own police car. The car’s in a really good condition, it’s amazing. It takes a while to get anywhere but it can do around 65mph.
“It’s been fascinating to get the car. It was £420 new and I’m only the fourth owner. It’s got all the original features, a working Winkworth police bell, trafficators rather than indicators and the original engine and interior.
“It’s been great to bring it back to Macclesfield.”
TJ was sentenced to 15 months in prison in 2007 for leaving graffiti around Manchester and Cheshire.
But he told the Express: “I’m fine with what happened with me going to prison. It’s part of the deal if you do graffiti. If I had a problem with the police, I wouldn’t buy a police car.
TJ, 29, found out about the black Wolseley 10 while doing research about Macclesfield for his exhibition. A few weeks ago he tracked it down to an auction in York and has now brought it back to Macclesfield. He’s figuring out how to use the car in his exhibition and in the meantime is using it to get around.
The car was bought new in 1947 for the chief constable of Congleton, RW James. It was when the local constabularies merged to form Cheshire Police that the car was used in Macclesfield, from 1947 to 1955.
After that the car was bought by a private owner in Ireland who kept it until 2009. A later owner restored it with the help of Cheshire Museum of Policing and Archives.
TJ says it will go on loan to a museum in Sheffield unless he can find somewhere in Macclesfield.
He said: “I’d love for it to be displayed in Macclesfield where it belongs.
“My art exhibition is based on a fictional character who is loosely based on my family’s heritage. Some of the paraphernalia such as this police car will be used for images, painting prints and be included in the exhibit.
“This is the kind of thing I’m working on, bringing things from our past into a new reality.”
Email TJ at hellokreky @yahoo.com.