Timmy gets a taste of Teesside on tour
TV-STAR-TURNED-ARTIST IS CYCLING BRITISH COASTLINE FOR ART INSPIRATION
THE 80s kids’ TV star Timmy Mallett rode into Teesside as part of his epic 4,000-mile cycle trip around Britain on Monday.
Timmy set out from his home in London in March and is cycling around the whole coastline, taking in some the beautiful scenes to inspire his artwork.
He set off from Sunderland on Monday morning and made his way down to Teesside on his 40-mile-aday trip.
After stopping off at The Open Jar in Seaton Carew for a parmo, Timmy got back in the saddle to make his way to Middlesbrough.
However, despite looking forward to seeing the iconic Tees Transporter Bridge, Timmy was left frustrated that it was closed and he couldn’t go across it for his final leg of the day.
He said: “The Transporter Bridge, it’s iconic, it’s one of the most beautiful bridges in the world and it spans the Tees. It brings joy to my heart to be here, love it, the only thing that would make it better is if it was open.”
Despite the hiccup, Timmy said he was delighted to be back on Teesside, having stayed in the area previously when he was in pantomime at The Billingham Forum.
He said: “Going to the Marina in Hartlepool is always a joy. I stayed there when I was in pantomime and it’s a special place.
“And I love the promenade from
Hartlepool to
Seaton Carew.”
During his trip
Timmy makes sketches and takes photographs of places that inspire him, such as Tees Transporter Bridge, and will later turn them into artwork.
Timmy, who entertained a generation of children with Mallett’s Mallet on the cult Saturday morning children’s show, The Wide Awake Club, now has an online gallery of his art, Mallett’s Palette.
Timmy said after leaving Middlesbrough in the morning he was looking forward to cycling on the beautiful Redcar coastline and on towards Whitby.
He plans to be back home in London by July 26 to celebrate his son’s birthday.
Born in Cheshire, the youngest of three boys, Timmy’s love of art was inspired by his father who taught him how to paint.
Timmy went on to study at history at Warwick University, which is where his media career began on the student radio station.
He now runs his own production company and has appeared in assorted reality TV shows, including in 2008 when he entered the jungle in I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here.
The Transporter Bridge, it’s iconic, it’s one of the most beautiful bridges
in the world
Timmy Mallett