PAINTER Patrick Cannon feels a familial bond to Didcot power station.

Before it was even built his grandfather and great-grandfather farmed those fields.

Their company Cannons of Milton helped transport construction materials to put up the cooling towers, and also won a contract to transport waste ash away from the site, which was later used in cement to build county roads.

Tomorrow morning 44 years of history will come crashing down as the first three towers are demolished.

Mr Cannon, a professional designer, has preserved their impact on the landscape on glowing canvases.

And his powerful paintings, showing the skyscraping towers at dawn and dusk, are proving popular – he has already sold three in his series of seven works, for £500, £400 and £250.

Mr Cannon, 40, who now lives in Wapping, East London, said: “I was born and raised in Milton and I could see the towers from my garden.

“I was always fascinated by them – the sheer size, the steam they produced. I’ve seen it in many different seasons, weathers and lights and they’ve always made me feel at home, a kind of gentle giant looking over my shoulder.”

Mr Cannon’s grandfather George Cannon always said he wanted to witness them being demolished, but it was not to be. He died five months ago, just shy of his 100th birthday.

But Mr Cannon’s mother, father and brothers and sisters still live in the village.

He added: “The decommissioning inspired me to paint them while they were still with us, to celebrate them and what they have brought to our community.”

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