I would like to share this email with you from one of our customers, Shayne Baker, all the way from Canada.....
Good Day Mr. Olley,
I hope that this e-mail finds you well. I wanted to say thank you for the signed copies of the Geordie and Mackem Coats of Arms that my mother-in-law brought home for me. Despite being born and raised in Canada, your artwork is very inspiring to me; my late father-in-law was a Geordie through and through and a collector of your works.
Whenever I see your prints or sculptures, it never ceases to remind me of him and bring a smile to my face. He was a great and loving man with amazing stories and a quick wit. He managed to convey the rich history of Hebburn & Jarrow and what it meant to be a Geordie, but was unsuccessful in teaching me the dialect. In fact, for the first 6 months that I knew him, I answered everything he said to me with a yes or a no, hoping I was giving a correct response; he figured it out pretty quickly and spoke slower…. it still didn’t help J. My wife and mother-in-law are from Sunderland, so I consider myself Mackem by marriage and display the Coat of Arms with adopted pride!
Both are treasured pieces and will be proudly displayed in our home. Thank you again and take care.
Shayne