I have been thinking about a portrait of Vera for some time now. She was a classic Newcastle veteran; no fuss and full of stories. I have only one photo of Vera, but I found a beautiful reference image taken by Peter Lorimer, when Vera was awarded Freeman of the City of Newcastle. I feel it reflects the bright, bird-like quality of Vera's focus. She was unfailingly polite, but one could see the slight scepticism in her face when presented with what she considered unwarranted praise.