- 1926
Beryl Frances Lansley, born in Egham, Surry.
- 1930
her parents separate, she moved to Reading with her mother and three sisters. Where she later attends Kendrick Girls School.
- 1941
left school to take shorthand and typing course.
- 1944
she moves with her family to London. Where she finds work as a model and then a showgirl.
- 1947
the family move to a house with a tea garden by the river in Hampden.
- 1948
married John Cook.
- 1950
son John born.
- 1952
Cook family move to live with John's mother in Southend-on-Sea, then buy their own house in Leigh-on Sea.
- 1955
she and John take on a pub tenancy, The White Horse in Stoke by Nayland.
- 1956
family moved to Zimbabwe in Africa.
- 1960
her first painting Hangover.
- 1963
family moves to Zambia.
- 1965
family moved back to England.
- 1966
began painting regularly around this time.
- 1968
family moved to Plymouth and run a guest house.
- 1970
friend sells some paintings around this time.
- 1975
in November at Plymouth Art Centre, her first exhibition.
- 1976
early this year her paintings featured in the Sunday Times colour supplement. Later her first limited-edition signed prints are produced by The Alexander Gallery. Who continue to publish prints which, since her death, are known as the official collectors editions.
- 1977
first exhibition with the Portal gallery [see exhibitions list]
- 1978
her first book "The Works" published by John Murray [see books list]. This was also the year the first greetings cards were published by Gallery 5. They are still publishing them today and to date, have issued around 200 different designs.
- 1979
her work first appears on television in "The South Bank Show" where she discussed it with Melvyn Bragg.
- 1980
TV Southwest interviews her in "A Day in the life of Beryl Cook"
- 1981
Gallery 5 publish the first Beryl Cook calenders and continue to do so.
- 1983
She and John travel to America, resulting in the book "Beryl Cook's New York"
- 1984
she is featured in the BBC2 program "One Pair of Eyes"
- 1986
her first limited-edition, signed, silk-screen prints produced by Flanagan Graphics.
- 1988
she is interviewed by Kathy Sayers for Westward TV.
- 1987
she is featured in a show for German television called "Rund Um Big Ben"
- 1994
her work is shown on the BBC digital channel in "The UK Today"
- 1994
she and John travel to South America, resulting in a number of paintings on
Latin American subjects. - 1995
she was awarded an OBE and received her medal in 1996. 1995 was also the year that the Post Office reproduced one of her paintings as a 1st class postage stamp.
- 1998
she and John moved to live in Bristol.
- 2002
her painting "The Royal Couple" featured in the Golden Jubilee exhibition
at Art London. - 2002
she and John moved back to live in Plymouth.
- 2003
she was interviewed in the program "My Westcountry" ITV 1
- 2004
Tiger Aspects made two animated films called "Bosom Pals" using characters from her paintings.
- 2005
Channel 4 News featured a short film on her and her work.
- 2006
she was the featured artist in "The Culture Show"
- 2008
she died at home on the 28'th of May.
- 2008
Plymouth University, Peninsula Arts Gallery mounted a major retrospective exhibition in November.
- 2010
two of her paintings are hung as part of the "Rude Britannia" exhibition at the Tate London.
- 2011
Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery hold a comprehensive exhibition of her paintings including some of her embroideries and other art works.
EXHIBITIONS
- 1975
Plymouth Arts Centre
- 1976
Whitechapel Art Gallery London.
- 1977
first with The Portal Gallery London, with whom she had a long and happy relationship and where she continued to exhibit until her death. They held 18 exhibitions of her work altogether, and in 2006 staged a comprehensive exhibition of her work to celebrate her 80'th birthday.
- 1979
Walker Art Gallery Liverpool.
- 1981
Musee De Cahors France
- 1982
Chelmsford Art Gallery.
- 1988-1989
touring exhibition at Stoke-on-Trent, Preston, Nottingham and Edinburgh Art Galleries.
- 1992
touring exhibition at Northern Centre for Contemporary Art, Scunthorpe Museum & Art Gallery and York City Art Gallery.
- 1995
Plymouth Arts Centre
- 1998
touring exhibition at Grundy Art Gallery Blackpool, Durham and Hartlepool Art Galleries.
- 2004
Durham Art Gallery and the Potteries Museum and Art Gallery Stoke-on Trent
- 2007
Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Newcastle
- 2010
two paintings in the "Rude Britannia" exhibition at the Tate London
- 2011
Bristol City Museum and Art Gallery