Remembering Freda Hayes: Artist, Educator, and Community Pillar
Freda Hayes, my beloved mother, passed away at the age of 88. Throughout her life, primarily spent in Cumbria, she was not only an artist and teacher but also a vibrant part of the Keswick community.
Freda was gifted in the arts, specifically in painting. While she chose not to sell her artwork, preferring to keep it personal, she occasionally shared her creations with close friends. Her artistic journey began at Barrow Art School in the mid-1950s, where she joined a circle of painters and potters. This group remained tightly knit, sharing their passion and companionship into their 80s and beyond.
Born in Kendal to Laura Brand, Freda never had the chance to know her father. She was raised by her mother, with significant support from her uncle, William Brand, in Barrow-in-Furness. William, who worked as a fitter at the local shipyard, was instrumental in nurturing her artistic talents. Freda’s formal art education started in 1955 at Barrow Art School, where she met her future husband, Geoff Hayes, also an art student. The couple married in 1959 and initially settled in Hampshire as art teachers.
The arrival of their daughters, Sophie and myself, in the mid-1960s led Freda to step back from teaching to dedicate herself to her family. The family relocated to Brampton in Cumbria, where Geoff took a teaching position at Harraby school in Carlisle.
In 1968, we moved to Keswick, marking the beginning of a significant chapter in our lives. In Keswick, Freda worked as a teaching assistant at local schools and also conducted private drawing classes from our home.
In the mid-1970s, Freda and her friend Lyn Denny initiated an Oxfam shop in Keswick following a training course they attended. Later, she ventured into entrepreneurship, running a market stall where she sold her screenprinted tote bags for about a year.
A staunch socialist and avid reader of The Guardian, Freda was deeply involved in political and social activism. She was a member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) and Cumbrians for Peace. Her passion for community engagement extended to the Keswick theatre club, where she was an active participant for over four decades.
Freda’s creativity was boundless. She constantly engaged in sewing, painting, and teaching art. She had a particular passion for fostering artistic skills in others, encouraging many to explore their abilities in drawing and painting.
Geoff, her husband, passed away in 2024. Freda’s legacy continues through her daughters, Sophie and me, and her six grandchildren, Harry, Flora, Milo, Anna, Finn, and Jerry, who remember her fondly for her vibrant spirit and nurturing nature.
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