There are two reasons for me doing this painting. Firstly, I really like the Canberra. I spent some very happy summers at my cousin’s fruit farm in Wyre Piddle, in Worcestershire, a stones throw from RAF Pershore (now Throckmorton Airfield), where Canberras with big black and yellow diagonal stripes on the undersides would fly over on a regular basis. Secondly, it’s a respectful nod to a painting of a B17 by Frank Wooton which I always loved, so thought I’d attempt a version of it.

The title was formed from a nickname for the Canberra used by aircrew; the Cranberry.