Could 'missing' painting be hanging on a wall in Preston?

Not the missing picture, but a typical George Mainwaring scene painted from his memories of growing up in 1920's Rochdale.

The picture, showing a market stallholder cleaning pots, was bought by a man called George Murray about 1979 and is wanted for an exhibition of painter George Mainwaring’s work due to be staged in Manchester this summer.

"All we know is that a George Murray from Preston bought it at an exhibition dad had in Accrington around 1979,” said son John Mainwaring who lives in Hampshire.

“We would love to track it down and borrow it for the show because it was regarded as one of his best.”

The Mainwaring family have been searching for photographs or drawings of the art work from George’s studio, but have so far drawn a blank.

All they know is the picture, titled “Have you gone your duck and green peas?” depicts a scene in Rochdale Market in the 1920’s.

George, who came from Rochdale, painted numerous pictures in the 1970’s showing scenes of Northern life during the 1920’s including a delivery by the coalman, a snowy scene of the “knocker-up,” a cobbler’s shop and boys playing a street game.

George died in 1996, aged 89. Many of his paintings were of scenes he remembered as a young man living in Rochdale.