My Scarborough Day - Sally Gorham, chair of the Old Parcels Office Artspace

I’d retired from my job as an NHS manager in London and done a Fine Art degree at Central Saint Martins – as a fiftysomething surrounded by 20-year-olds.

When I graduated, my parents – who lived in Scarborough – couldn’t travel to London for our degree show so I decided to bring a mini-show to them.

In 2018 my husband and I loaded a van with work from 20 graduates and installed it as a pop-up at the OPO.

It was such a success that we did it again that November.

The OPO is Grade II-listed and has amazing roof lights, but it was a shell – though watertight, thanks largely to Whitby artist Jo Davis, who’d raised money to re-roof it from Network Rail (its owner), the Railway Heritage Trust, Arts Council England and Historic England.

During Covid we bought a flat here and I joined the OPO board, which was working towards installing heating, lighting and loos, and setting up 11 artists’ studios.

We then moved here permanently and in 2021, I became Chair of Trustees.

I’m up at 6.30am to read emails, then I’ll do whatever is needed – such as designing a poster or writing a press release for OPO Open, for which more than 200 contemporary artists submitted 400 works, from which we’ve selected 80.

We run up to nine exhibitions a year, each for three or four weeks, and installing an exhibition is full-on, starting with the private view for up to 150 people.

Then I’m working on the next one.

Our most popular is the Open and our September heritage exhibition.

We’ve focused on railways and entertainment, and this year we’re teaming up with the Maritime Heritage Museum to do the history of fishing in the town.

We also hold Scarborough Sixth Form’s end-of-year show, run workshops and Open Studio days to the artists based here, who work across ceramics, paint and sculpture.

Most day-to-day running falls to me, with a little freelance support, and dedicated trustees and volunteers.

We are very much missing Chris Mellor, cultural development officer at the council, who died after Christmas.

Trustee Rob Moore, a fantastic curator, installs exhibitions as well as teaming up with Chris Lee from Filey to run our folk music and Americana nights.

Most days my husband and I have lunch and a walk, maybe stopping at Beachcomber Cafe on South Bay if it’s sunny.

Often I have meetings with local organisations like Crescent Arts or people who want to use the space for exhibitions and events.

We’re also leading a High Street Creative Hubs Project, funded by NYC’s Shared Prosperity Funding.

We’ve opened 33 Newborough as a studio and gallery and 44 Newborough has become the home of Mandy Apple, run by a group of emerging artists.

The heart of our work is creating something for Scarborough people.

The OPO gives everyone a chance to see what’s being made without going to London or Manchester.

That’s what drives us.

In the evening we like the jazz club at the Cask and the Stephen Joseph Theatre, and we’re members of Scarborough Historical Society.

For its size, Scarborough is incredibly vibrant.

Interview: Yolanda Carslaw