ARTWORK created by children at the Wirral school once attended by OMD's co-founders has gone on display in the phone box from which the band made its earliest gig bookings.
The work by pupils at Great Meols Primary was created as part of a competition organised by OMD's fan club, Friends of 632 3003.
The theme was 'OMD album art throughout the decades'. Pupils were asked to create their own interpretations of some of the electronic band's classic LP covers.
The judges were faced with the task of choosing an overall winner from 110 entries and it was Winnifred Bates who received a prize, with the school also getting a donation to its art department.
Winnifred's winning entry was put on display in the public call box on nearby Greenwood Road on Sunday (February 4) along with work by runner-up Charlotte Marsden.
Charlotte was one of 12 runners-up whose OMD-inspired art will also be on view - one each month - in the phone box over the next 12 months.
The phone box featured in the lyrics of the band’s track Red Frame White Light and has now become a popular destination for OMD fans from across the world to pay homage to their favourite band.
Celebrating the event in a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), Friends of 6323003 commented: “Today has been very special. We have installed the winning entry from art competition with Great Meols School.
“Well done to Winifred in being our overall winner and to Charlotte for being our featured artist for February.”
Today has been very special. We have installed the winning entry from the art competition held with Great Meols school. Well done to Winifred in being our overall winner and to Charlotte for being our featured artist for February. @GreatMeolsPS @OfficialOMD @WIRRALGLOBENEWS pic.twitter.com/NCWeZgomRK
— Friends of 6323003 (@save6323003) February 4, 2024
OMD co-founder Andy McCluskey, a former pupil, returned to the school on January 8 to announce the winner at a special assembly. He also presented deputy headteacher, Ben Parker with framed picture of the famous red phone box from which the band made their bookings for gigs in the early days. The picture was signed by Andy and John Petch, who created the artwork for OMD's recent album, Bauhaus Staircase.
Steph McCahill, of Wirral OMD fan group Friends of 632 3003, told the Globe: "The Friends of 632 3003 are delighted to showcase the amazing talents of the art competition winners from Great Meols Primary School in the OMD phone box.
“It is fantastic to be able to do something like this in the heart of the Meols community, the home of OMD. It brings together the artistic talents of young, local people with the artistic talents of an internationally acclaimed band who started out in Wirral.
“We are so proud of the children who took part in the competition and to be able to display their art in this way is a very special thing to be able to do.”
The school’s deputy headteacher Ben Parker said: “The children were really excited to have the opportunity to create some artwork that will be displayed in the local community.”
Andy and fellow band member Paul Humphreys met at the school and later bonded over a love of electronic music before forming OMD in 1978.
The band went on to enjoy huge success with hits like Enola Gay, Messages and Joan of Arc.
They are currently on tour following the release of what Andy recently hinted could be their final album, Bauhaus Staircase, which entered the UK chart at number two in November. It was the electronic pioneers' highest charting studio album across a career spanning 45 years.
Andy, who is currently on tour with OMD, told the Globe: "It was a huge delight to return to my old Primary school after many many decades and see how many really great designs that the pupils had created.
“I made a point of telling them they should all be proud of what they had achieved. Certainly Winifred and Charlotte created two incredibly strong compositions.”.
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