Great Yarmouth born and bred, in 1947, in Row 73 ( which was next to what is now the Victoria Arcade), Ernie Childs was surrounded by the sights, sounds and smells of a thriving Herring Fishing Industry.

This is what the town was built on. Its very existence revolved around the people, the hardware and the produce of this tough but God-fearing and superstitious trade.

Ernie's dad would take him down to the quay to pick up stray herring for dinner. The beach and the quayside - in common with most children brought up here at that time - were his playground. 

He could be heard recalling (to people who asked), the  vivid and detailed memories he had of the Scots fishermen and fishergirls who travelled down the coast following the catch. How he would listen to them as they gathered around in their free time in groups for a natter - mostly in Gaelic.

How well he remembered the strong smell of their clothing and skin; of tar and rope; of the oil from the fish; of the sea and the soot from the coal-fired drifters that were home to the menfolk whilst at sea. Their weather-beaten hands and faces bore witness to the harsh unyielding conditions they faced during their working day.

These experiences massively impacted upon the life of this growing lad, and would stay with him throughout his life, shaping his character, influencing his decisions and forming the cornerstone of his passion; Maritime Painting.

Most of Ernie's work is based on his life-long experiences from living in the heart of the fishing industry and it is plain for all to see.

He loved to capture the essence of the history that had always surrounded him. Whether it be a pen and ink sketch; a life-size sculpture; a watercolour or an oil painting or a Limited Edition Tankard (in the days of the former Great Yarmouth Potteries of which he and his wife, Karen were founders and proprietors).

All bear the hallmarks of one who is deeply interested in the intricacies of sky and sea; the ever-changing colour palette; the men and women; the locations, vessels, equipment and produce of this once-great Era of the East Coast Herring Industry.

The medium that Ernie would choose to paint in would be oils, he always said, because of the way you can control shades and thickness.

But he ran very popular Art Classes in all mediums on a couple of days a week. They were held at what were the Great Yarmouth Potteries Buildings on Blackfriars' Road, in one of the most the historic parts of town.

The buildings are a lean-to structure nestled up against the Medieval Town Wall. These fascinating premises were a herring smokehouse owned and run by the Heyhoe family until the 1960s. These unique and fascinating buildings have their own story to tell!

Ernie's  work has sold worldwide, and can also be seen on display in public buildings, council chambers and lifeboat stations as well as the mantelpieces and display cabinets of ordinary folk like himself.

Ernie sadly passed away on Tuesday 10th September 2019, and right up to that sad day, Ernie and Karen and Roy were working on the publication of his books 'My Thoughts On Canvas, Book 1 and Book 2'  (now available).

The books (of which he was quietly and justly proud) are a superb and highly detailed collection of his paintings; stories; anecdotes and observations on the herring fishing industry, heroic rescues at sea; iconic lifeboat stations and their brave crews and all things Maritime that formed such a massive part of his life and work.

As Ernie painted in both landscape and portrait format, and, unless the book format is square, landscape-  and portrait-shaped paintings can look uncomfortable when mixed together, and so Ernie decided to separate them, including only landscape-shaped canvases in 'My Thoughts On Canvas', reserving his portrait-shaped paintings for a second book which was already being worked on in tandem with  'My Thoughts On Canvas'  which was  eventually entitled 'Book 2'

Latest Update: Book 2 is now available and can be viewed and ordered on the 'Buy Ernie's Books' page (click here to go directly).

As a lasting tribute to their esteemed guide and mentor, Ernie's Art Class Students and artist friends have requested that they can continue to meet. They continued to meet at the Potteries Buildings and Workshops as usual, each Tuesday and Wednesday until 2023 when the buildings were sold. When that happened, Karen managed to secure space for the group to relocate at St Mary's Church Hall on Southtown Road and they still meet under the banner of Ernie's Memorial Art Group.

A fitting legacy indeed.