The Bluebird Of Happiness

Dreams have come true for Maxine Pincher as she opens her new gallery at the stylish Mercia Marina development near Derby

- Nicola Allen

Art has changed Maxine Pincher’s life in more ways than one. Two years ago she met the man who would become her husband when she sold him some paintings at the gallery she used to manage. Maxine and Nigel tied the knot last summer in a ceremony in Montana, USA, and are now living in a traditional farmhouse in Barton-under Needwood, which they are renovating from top to bottom. And it seems that all good things really do come in threes as after getting married and moving in with Nigel, Maxine has now also achieved her dream of opening a fine art gallery at Mercia Marina’s £3m landmark Piazza building, which opened earlier this year.

The Bluebird Gallery is on the ground floor of the new building, facing the water, and at 1,248sq ft it is the second largest retail unit in the Piazza, after an Indian tapas-style restaurant called Lotus. The view from the art gallery is one that Maxine is familiar with as she has walked her dog for many years around the marina on Findern Lane, Willington, often thinking that it was the perfect location for a gallery.