"Manchester shows impressionist talent of labourer too poor to go to art school or view Paris artists"... David Ward, Guardian .

(his paintings)..." shine like Lowrys with the lights on.... his rain-slicked image of Oldham shoppers pays homage to Renoir's Umbrellas, and he crops and chops his compositions with the carefully contrived spontaneity of Degas....".. Alfred Hickling, Guardian

."..there is nothing tentative about his art: the street life of Manchester and Oldham and the nearby country and coastline are evoked with a rare liveliness and intensity of colour"...John Russell-Taylor

..."his pictures exhibit a real grasp of process, of time and movement captured in paint...This is no rank amateur...Here is a man of dignity and humility who managed to infuse a spirit of celebration in to his work, a spirit unfettered by commerce and undaunted to the end."..David Gledhill, 24 Hour Museum

..."he coloured the streets and canals of Manchester from an impressionist palette....the result is reminiscent of Monet.." Amber Cohen, Play

Some comments by visitors to the exhibition

"A wonderful exhibition - thank goodness these paintings were discovered!"Anon

"Wonderful! It is heartening to experience work of such quality...This exhibition comes like a breath of fresh air.  Thank you!" JH

"This is one of the most moving exhibitions I have ever seen...." Anon

"I have stood at that bus stop in the rain! Lovely pictures" WB

 "Congratulations to Manchester for revealing Alfred Ackrill to the world. I have travelled from Nottingham and am delighted and impressed by this hidden master" ACL