Fascinated by his uncle’s stories of the local pits, Rod became a joint owner of Ludworth Moor Colliery, to the south east of Manchester, in the early 1980s. His depictions of the mine show his partner, Geoffrey du Feu, working underground in the last operational mine in the area.

Rod explained the inspiration behind his work: ‘The harsh beauty of industrial life has always been at the heart of my drawings and paintings, reflecting on the hardships of life inspired me in my quiet moments to develop my artistic style.’