A LARGE mural painted by Purton artist Leslie Holland on the wall of a cowshed at Lower Shaw Farm has been restored by volunteers.

Mr Holland, who died last year at the age of 98, was the father of Matt Holland, the founder and organiser of Swindon Festival of Literat-ure, who with his partner Andrea Hirsch, runs the farm as an activity centre.

"The 53-year-old former milking cow shed was a standard Wiltshire dairy farm building and therefore was big and grey and constructed from breeze blocks," said Matt.

"And because this is a place for children, life and expression we didn't want a building that was big and grey. So part of it was painted by friends and part by my father.

"But time and sunlight faded it and so now volunteers from Swindon Volunteer Centre and from the staff of Thames Water have been repainting the murals."

"Leslie Holland's work on the cowshed portrayed bulldozers and equipment that would have worked on a planned demolition of Lower Shaw Farm and the life it was given after being saved," said Matt.

"We have activities for children from five years old to courses for adults who are interested in a huge range of things."

Among the dozen people who have been working on the restoration was painter in chief, artist Heidi Mabbott, who works for the Volunteer Centre.

"The timing is just right. Many people who take part in the Festival of Literature, which is about to start, visit Lower Shaw Farm," she said.