CELEBRATING with his friends and family around him, former husband of artist Gillian Ayres and well known artist in his own right Henry Mundy reached his 100th birthday on Sunday, January 13.

Henry was delighted to be able to spend the day with close family and friends, including his two sons Sam and Jim Mundy, at Eventide Nursing Home in Bude where he now resides.

Son Jim said: “He is a well known painter and formerly the winner of the John Moores prize.”

The John Moores Painting Prize is given to the best contemporary painting and was won by Henry in the early 1960s.

Jim said his father grew up in Birkenhead, Cheshire on the Wirral, and before the war years Henry began his painting career at a very young age, attending art school in Liverpool before going on to the Camberwell School of Art in London where he met Gillian Ayres, whom he later married.

Gillian is most well known for her abstract painting so coupled with Henry’s contemporary style they were quite a pair.

Jim continued: “He also had a war career. He was a member of the British Army and fought the Japanese in Burma and was at the siege of Imphal and the Battle of Kohima.

“After the war he went to Camberwell School of Art in London where he met Gillian Ayres. He went on to work as a lecturer at Bath and the London Art School and later in life he lived in Gooseham, from about 1985 I would say, and he settled down here very happily.”

A special birthday party was held at the nursing home for Henry, and Jim added: “Dad was very pleased as it had been a complete surprise for him.”