Banksy

Some time last year I took a photo of a painting on the wall of one of the hotels in Belgrave Rd and posted it under the Tittle Graffiti, Art or Banksy. I do believe it was the first time this piece of work had been published anywhere. Banksy hasn't actually claimed to be the painter but the image is on his web site.

A couple of weeks ago the Herald Express, our local paper, carried an item about the damage done to this wall art. The Hotel owner had done his best to protect the picture, covering it with glass in a strong wooden frame but some not nice person or persons unknown came along one dark night and poured paint remover over part of the picture. Not sure why.

To see the original post click on the label "Banksy" below.

Soon be on Holiday

A few things from Torquay before I head off to sunny, I hope Australia. First is Banksy's "Boy drawing a Robot" seems to have been covered up for some reason. I haven't been down Belgrave Rd for a week or more and was surprised to find large boards had been placed over the drawing. Maybe they are there to protect it from the weather. It has been bad recently.

Second was an item on the local TV news. Twenty Kilograms of cocaine worth about £3m has been seized by police following a raid by police on an industrial site here in Torquay. There has been no mention as to where the cocaine came from but 6 people are being held in connection with the raid.

And a 3rd item from the Herald express tells that a 1960s building in Babbacmbe that has been derelict for at least 5 years is finally going to be developed. We really like to act fast here in Torquay. A supermarket chain are taking over the site and there are 6 flats also included in the plans. PS Even though the building is an eyesore and has been empty for years there are some people don't want the development to go a head. Torquay's biggest problem. Someone comes up with an idea and the money and someone else stands up and objects. Mind you, it isn't only residents of Torquay who have this dismaying trate. Lots of people are in favor of round the year summer time here in the UK but one or two government ministers don't like the idea and so it probably wont get off the ground. Such a change would make for lighter evenings and a boost for tourism.

And a bit of good news from Brixham to finish. A record £24m of fish sales last year which is £7m up on last year.

Banksy is being watched

In case you are worried that some might walk off with our very own Banksy, remember the Boy drawing a Robot, worry no more. Someone has installed a Closed Circuit TV system to watch over the picture. Up there in the top left.

Plymouth, Boom Town

There is an unexploded bomb turned up in Plymouth 65 years after the Second World War ended. There were over a hundred air raids on Plymouth due to there being a big navel dockyard there so it isn't surprising that at odd bomb turns up from time to time. When I heard the news I had visions of people spending the night on camp beds in some local church hall or school. A TV reporter would talk to elderly people who would mention the wartime spirit and children would run around in the back ground excited by the unusualness of the days events. A police or army spokes person would explain that, "A device has been found and for reasons of security we feel that moving people out of their houses while it is decided what action needs to be taken to make the area safe. Sorry no other comment." (Why don't they just say an unexploded bomb has turned up and we don't want anyone blown to pieces).

The next item was a bit more serious but it evoked a similar vision of people being put up in church halls on camp beds with children running round while mum or dad explained that the hadn't taken the third job that had been offered and their benefit had been stopped and the church hall was the only place left for them to sleep. Thank god for the Church of England having so many under used church halls. Hang on a minute; There are 2.5 million people unemployed in the UK, I have a feeling that the country is going to run out of church halls before we run out of unemployed people that just don't wont to work. No no, no. Hang on an other minute. That's not right either. I know that most unemployed people (I am one myself) would sooner work then live of the state. Shouldn't they get first crack at any jobs that are available. I mean picture the situation; Person A and person B don't have jobs. Person A wants a job but can't find one. Maybe he/she doesn't have any experience or is over 50 or maybe there just aren't any jobs going. Person B doesn't want a job even if there was one on offer 5 minutes walk from home. So who should the job centre send for any job that does turn up?

Well in truth the problem isn't that the government are spending too much on benefits for people who don't want to work but that they are doing nothing to increase the number of jobs available to those of us non workers who do want a job. Not only are they not spending money on creating new jobs, they are about to spend billions less on jobs that at present exist but wont this time next year. What clown voted in that nice Mr Cameron? It wasn't me. Text, Twitter or email this to Mr Cameron before it is too late; "Get a couple of million of us into work and the Tax revenue would easily pay the for the benefits of those who really don't care if the never work in their entire life."

PS I titled this post "Boom Town Plymouth". but a recent report stated that for every advertised job there are at least 7 people looking for work. Not exactly Boom Town and I would like to apologise for misleading you, my reader.

PPS Some one has added something to our Banksy. Vandal!

More on Banks in Torquay

It would seem that the art work on the Grovsner Hotel, opposite the now closed Sherwood Hotel in Belgrave Rd is by Banksy. The photo shows some workpersons covering the drawing, apparently with perspex to protect it and it will be unvailed on 19 Oct, no idea what time. The second photo shows that someone has already added a little extra in the form of what looks like a can of coke in the robots right hand. 

 

More photos here

Is this graffiti, Art or Banksy

YesterdayI saw this painted on the wall of the Grovener Hotel in Belgrave Rd.

I know it has wasn't there 3 weeks ago which was the last time I went down Belgrave Rd and I don't know who painted it. Was it Banksy, it looks like his style?

I wonder how long it will last.