Ron's Place

Ronald Geoffrey Gittins (1939–2019) was an outsider artist. He was born in Birkenhead in 1939, one of three children of James and Alice Gittins. He attended the Laird School of Art briefly and also had some theological training, but worked as a skilled cutter in the printing industry, in retail in Liverpool, and as a factory control officer for a white goods manufacturer in Bromborough. He was a talented musician, singing in church when a boy and later "a brilliant Buddy Holly impersonator", and also performed with local amateur dramatic groups. At one stage, as a self-employed artist, he established Minstrel Enterprises, a business featuring himself as "The Minstrel".

While living at his parents' rented home he transformed his own bedroom in the style of a Roman villa. When Gittins was 35, the Liverpool Echo featured his decoration of his then home at Beta Close, Bebington, in a story headlined "Pictures of Pompeii Help Put Ron to Sleep" with a photograph of the walls and ceiling of his bedroom, painted with Roman scenes and emperors.

Gittins lived alone at 8 Silverdale Road, Oxton, from 1986 until his death in September 2019.{{cite web |title=Ron Gittins: the man who built a Roman altar in his kitchen |url=https://ronsplace.co.uk/about-ron/ |website=Ron's Place |access-date=5 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240405144014/https://ronsplace.co.uk/about-ron/ | archive-date=5 April 2024 | url-status=live}} The terms of his lease allowed him to decorate the house as he liked, without the need to seek his landlord's prior consent. Over the 33 years he lived there he extensively decorated the entire flat, including external columns beside the front door which were removed by the landlord before they could be rescued. Gittins was interested in history, and was inspired by ancient Egypt, Greece, and Rome in his decorations. It has been said that:{{quote|He was a familiar sight in Oxton Village, where he would walk along the streets dressed in a series of homemade military costumes, pushing an old-fashioned pram filled with the bags of cement he used to build his gigantic fireplaces.}}

In January 2020, the formerly rented ground-floor flat was found to contain a collection of outsider art produced by Gittins, and never previously seen.{{Cite news|first=Laura|last=Davies|work=Liverpool Echo|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/gallery/extraordinary-home-late-oxton-artist-17626295|title=The extraordinary home of late Oxton artist Ron Gittins|date=24 January 2020|access-date=2 March 2023}}{{Cite news|first=Laura|last=Davis|work=Liverpool Echo|url=https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/liverpool-news/reclusive-man-transformed-dingy-flat-17622994|title=No one knew what eccentric relative did to his home until he died|date=25 January 2020|access-date=2 March 2023}}{{Cite news|first=Laura|last=Davis|url=https://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/uk-news/incredible-hidden-artwork-sits-behind-17633901|work=Manchester Evening News|title=The incredible hidden artwork that sits behind the doors of this ordinary house|date=26 January 2020|access-date=2 March 2023}} It includes sculptures of a lion and the head of the Minotaur, underwater scenes and rooms based on ancient Egyptian and Greek themes.{{Cite news |date=1 March 2023 |title=Ron's Place: Anonymous donor puts up £335k to save artist's home |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-merseyside-64813907 |access-date=6 April 2024 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}} A crowdfunding appeal was launched to save the work.{{Cite web|url=https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/saving-rons-place|author=The Caravan Gallery|title=Saving Ron's Place|publisher=Crowdfunder|access-date=2 March 2023 |archive-date=2 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230302092041/https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/saving-rons-place |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Ron's Place – #savingronsplace |url=https://ronsplace.co.uk/ |access-date=2 March 2023 |archive-date=2 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230302130343/https://ronsplace.co.uk/ |url-status=unfit}} Fundraising was also supported by Pulp singer Jarvis Cocker.{{Cite news |date=29 September 2022 |title=Bid to save secret world hidden inside rented flat |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/entertainment-arts-63067699 |access-date=6 April 2024 |work=BBC News |language=en-GB}}

Descriptions of visits to the flat in 2021 were written by Denise Courcoux in The Double Negative,{{cite news |last=Courcoux |first=Denise |title="It's Worth Fighting For" – Denise Courcoux Takes A Trip To Ron's Place |url=http://www.thedoublenegative.co.uk/2021/03/its-worth-fighting-for-denise-courcoux-takes-a-trip-to-rons-place/ |access-date=5 April 2024 |work=The Double Negative |date=17 March 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220221184644/http://www.thedoublenegative.co.uk/2021/03/its-worth-fighting-for-denise-courcoux-takes-a-trip-to-rons-place/ |archive-date=21 February 2022 |url-status=live}} Matthew Hogarth in Bido Lito!{{cite news |last=Hogarth |first=Matthew |title=Ron's Place |url=https://www.bidolito.co.uk/feature-ron-s-place-2021/ |access-date=5 April 2024 |work=Bido Lito! |date=16 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210616001453/https://www.bidolito.co.uk/feature-ron-s-place-2021/ |archive-date=16 June 2021 |url-status=unfit}} and Cathy Ward in Brut Journal.{{cite news |last=Ward |first=Cathy |title=Ron's Place: a visitor surveys the scene |url=https://brutjournal.com/article/rons-place-a-visitor-surveys-the-scene/ |access-date=5 April 2024 |work=Brutjournal |date=October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211018233323/https://brutjournal.com/article/rons-place-a-visitor-surveys-the-scene/ |archive-date=18 October 2021 |language=en |url-status=live}} The Wirral Arts and Culture Community Land Trust (WACCLT) was established in December 2021 as the first arts-based community land trust in the United Kingdom, with the aim to "save Ron's Place and create a stimulating, positive legacy for the Wirral and the wider community."{{cite web |title=Harnessing the power of Ron's Place |url=https://wirralartsandculture.org/rons-place/ |publisher=Wirral Arts & Culture CLT |access-date=5 April 2024 |date=11 November 2021 |archive-date=5 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240405094209/https://wirralartsandculture.org/rons-place/ |url-status=live}}{{cite web |title=Working together #savingronsplace |url=https://ronsplace.co.uk/about-us/ |publisher=Ron's Place |access-date=5 April 2024 |archive-date=5 April 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240405150108/https://ronsplace.co.uk/about-us/ |url-status=live}}

The semi-detached house containing the flat was auctioned on 1 March 2023 and was bought by WACCLT, with the help of a donation from the Muller Wimhurst Trust, to preserve the artworks.{{Cite news |url=https://www.birkenhead.news/rons-place-saved-by-mystery-benefactor/ |title='Ron's Place' saved by mystery benefactor |date=1 March 2023 |work=Birkenhead News |location=Wirral |access-date=1 March 2023 |mode=cs2}}{{cite news |last=Brown |first=Mark |title=Ron's Place: cash loan saves palace of outsider art at last minute |url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2023/mar/01/rons-place-cash-loan-saves-palace-of-outsider-art-at-last-minute |access-date=2 March 2023 |work=The Guardian |date=1 March 2023}}

Writing in the journal Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, Lisa Slominski says that "Oscillating between an idiosyncratic subjectivity and universal offering, the power held in Ron's Place is undeniable."{{cite journal |last=Slominski |first=Lisa |title=Ron's Place: the theatre of (personal) power |journal=Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences |year=2022 |volume=31 |pages=e31 |doi=10.1017/S2045796022000105|pmc=9069576 }}

In March 2024, the ground-floor flat was given Grade II listed building status by Historic England.{{NHLE|num=1486042|desc=8 Silverdale Road, Oxton|grade=II|access-date=5 April 2024}} NB: Includes a detailed description of the decoration of the flat{{cite news |last1=Coleman |first1=Jenny |last2=Nanji |first2=Noor |title=Ron's Place: Artistic fantasy world gets listed status |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-merseyside-68731665 |access-date=6 April 2024 |work=BBC News |date=4 April 2024}} The director of The Twentieth Century Society, Catherine Croft, described the building as "the first example of outsider art to be nationally listed."{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/2024/apr/05/rons-place-birkenhead-flat-of-outsider-art-granted-grade-ii-listing|first=Mark|last=Brown|title=Ron's Place: Birkenhead flat of outsider art granted grade-II listing|work=The Guardian|date=5 April 2024|access-date=5 April 2024}}

File:Lion's Head fireplace in Ron's Place, Birkenhead.jpg|Lion's Head fireplace

File:Painting of three women on wall of Ron's Place, Birkenhead.jpg|Painting of three women on a wall

File:Ornate fireplace in Ron's Place, Birkenhead.jpg|Ornate fireplace

File:Painting of woman in Egyptian style dress in Ron's Place, Birkenhead.jpg|Painting of woman in Egyptian style dress

File:Bathroom ceiling of Ron's Place, Birkenhead.jpg|Bathroom ceiling

• 575 Wandsworth Road
• David Parr House

{{reflist}}

• {{cite web |url=https://longreads.com/2023/07/13/how-an-extreme-diy-project-sparked-a-debate-about-art/| last=Olesker | first=Max | author-link=Max Olesker | title=Ron's Place | date=13 July 2023 | publisher = Longreads}} Essay

• {{official website}}
• [https://wirralartsandculture.org/ Wirral Arts and Culture Community Land Trust]
• {{cite web |title=Roman Villa, Birkenhead, Liverpool |url=https://www.thekeepersproject.com/roman-villa-birkenhead-liverpool-keepers |website=The Keepers Project |access-date=5 April 2024}} 13m30s audio interview with Gittins' niece Jan Williams and Chris Teasdale, including clips of Gittins busking in a shop, with transcript
• {{cite web |last1=Es |first1=Henk Van |title=Ron Gittins, Roman Villa, decorated interior |url=https://outsider-environments.blogspot.com/2020/01/ron-gittins-roman-villa-decorated.html |website=Outsider Environments Europe |date=29 January 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925183429/https://outsider-environments.blogspot.com/2020/01/ron-gittins-roman-villa-decorated.html | archive-date=25 September 2020 | url-status=live }} Blog post

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Category:Buildings and structures in Birkenhead

Category:Grade II listed buildings in Merseyside

Category:Culture in Merseyside

Category:Houses in Merseyside

Category:Outsider art

Category:Grade II listed houses

Category:Visionary environments

Category:20th-century works