Dynamism, Polymathy, Idealism
VICTORIA KINGHAM talks to another of many exceptional women concentrated in this small area. Trisha Napier is currently exhibiting portraits at the St Leonard pub, but her talents and involvements seem limitless.
Trisha Napier is lively, self-deprecating, wryly humorous. The portraits currently on show at the St Leonard are good, but as much as anything else they are markers along her life’s trajectory. “A picture of Naim Atallah”, she begins, “was selected for the BP Award at the National Portrait Gallery, along with one called The Look of Love, basically a hirsute gent in a bright shirt.” That one is pictured here. “Naim was introduced to me by Auberon Waugh. He asked for a portrait and actually bought that one. For some of the other portraits I contacted The Tatler and said, I’m a portrait painter, and they wrote an article about me and a couple of other portrait painters. I did a few actors, but some of them own their portraits now. Then I got distracted by other things, so portraits went a bit to the side. I did a course making holograms and designed these holographic pendants. I advertised them in the RSPB magazine and started selling them.”
Victor Serebriakoff, a portrait of whom is on display in the exhibition, was an early member of MENSA, involved in setting IQ tests and extensively promoting the organisation. As you might expect, Trisha is a member, and this led eventually to the portrait. Meeting people seems to be her speciality. “You meet someone in a pub, and they say, did you know so-and-so is looking for a PA? I became PA to BMP International, went to Kiev and set up a Telecoms conference for the World Bank. Then there was another company – a trade association promoting videoconferencing – we put on shows and workshops and stuff and I ended up as Executive Director.”
I wondered how the portrait painting began, and whether she had been to art school. “I started painting quite young – my father used to frame my pictures, and an art teacher at school was very complimentary,” she remarked. About art school, she says “I’d been acting in the local church in Shrewsbury where I grew up, and I thought: do I want to paint to order, or just paint for myself? In the end, I went to Webber-Douglas (drama school) at Kensington. I did drama and stage management, went on to be acting ASM at the Thorndyke, then went on to the National Theatre. I didn’t end up staying there, because I had offers to do other things. I did a few small films, including a small part in Quadrophenia. I went on tours to Israel, Ireland, Sweden … It was great! Then in the end I got sort of cheesed off, strapped into a corset in a film, all that hanging around and waiting. I wanted to be busy, so started painting again. And I’d done a course in Speedwriting and typing, because I thought it would be useful.”
Trisha then started working for the Independent Police Complaints Commission. “The job was PA to the Chief Exec, but I transferred down to case work, which was really interesting – you just had to do a quick test. Initially this was the police investigating themselves, but it turned into the IOPC [Independent Office for Police Conduct] and restructured. The IOPC were just starting, so they had people who were temps who were sensible and organised and had logic and awareness. I think now they recruit more intensely. I was perfectly able to do the job. I became an investigator, and was eventually running my own cases as lead investigator.”
And if you find this oddly familiar, then yes, she is that Patricia Napier, who was interviewed on BBC Newsnight about the Bianca Williams and Rodrigo dos Santos case, and resigned after many years because as lead investigator on that case, she felt she could no longer work for an organisation that did not support her. You can find the details everywhere on line, so I won’t enlarge on them here, except to say that two of the police officers involved have since been dismissed. The result of Trisha’s own case for constructive dismissal is still outstanding.
She and her family came here from London, after living on a houseboat at Canary Wharf. They had a seaside flat on the seafront, then decided to move down here permanently. “The people in the St Leonard (Chris, Phil, and Hulya) are really nice, so I thought I’d give an exhibition a go. And perhaps do another one in a few months’ time in a different space,” she continues. “I’d like to continue acting. I think I should probably be playing Miss Marple! I nearly got a part in The Mirror Crack’d ,but they thought I looked too much like Kim Novak. I also have a stall in the Bazaar on Kings Road that I share, having developed an interest in auctions. So I sell stuff in the Bazaar on Saturdays.”
Somewhere within this extraordinarily varied and absorbing life, Trisha has also managed to bring up a family. “I have a son, he’s living in America with a Turkish wife and son. My daughter is living in St Leonards with husband and son. I am very close to my family. When I move though, I’m going to set up as a hypnotherapist. I’m always working,” she says. “Moving from one thing to another, so life doesn’t get boring.” The story continues.
Portraits by Trisha Napier will be on display in The St Leonard, London Road, until 20 July.
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