A MURAL celebrating the life of a hairdresser to the stars has been unveiled.
Matthew Davidson died three months after marrying his childhood sweetheart.
Now, his favourite pub has created a wall painting to remember him by.
Matthew was a regular at the Wheatsheaf in Kirk Ella and the pub's new landlady had the painting installed as part of a refurbishment.
His widow Amy, 31, said: "This was his favourite pub – everything happened in the Wheatsheaf.
"If he'd had his way, his wedding reception would have been in the Wheatsheaf.
"It's great to be able to come in and see him. I can just walk in and he's on the wall."
Matthew was a hairdresser for celebrities, well-known in East Yorkshire and across the UK for his work with celebrity hairdresser and friend Mark Hill, before he died aged 39 after battling Hodgkin's lymphoma.
His clients included DJ Fearne Cotton, TV star Holly Willoughby and Bafta nominees.
He lived close to the Wheatsheaf and often popped in with friends for a pint.
The pub is also special for Amy. It was where she and Matthew met in 2003.
She said: "We had an argument and I told him what I thought, then he apologised.
"I can come here with his friends and it's just like it always used to be.
"You feel like you're still having a pint with him."
Janet Wilson has worked at the pub for 25 years and remembers Matthew well.
She pulled him many pints of Stella Artois from behind the bar.
Janet said: "He was always the life and soul of the party.
"We don't sell half as much Stella now.
"All the hairdressers used to come across here on a Friday lunchtime."
The Marston's pub was taken over by new landlady Liz Owen-Dyce at the end of last year.
This month it has undergone a major refurbishment, reopening last night after a four-day closure.
Liz said: "We've heard a lot of history about Matthew.
"There are a lot of photos of him around the pub, so we thought we would do something a bit more special.
"This was his drinking hole – all the customers knew him."
As he fought his illness, Matthew was a regular visitor to Castle Hill Hospital, often staying next to the Teenage Cancer Trust unit.
His dying wish was to raise money for the children there.
Amy said: "The fundraising came about when Matthew was waiting for chemotherapy one day.
"There was a young lad waiting and Matthew said he looked so scared."
Since his death, friends and family have raised more than £26,000.
• Gallery: Pictures of the Matthew Davidson mural
