Things are a bit funny in UK right now. The government has delayed the ease of the lockdown due to the increase in cases in some parts on England. This doesn't seem to have sinked for many people yet. When I went out today, the seafront was quite busy, almost as if people had forgotten we're in the middle of a pandemic. Lots of people weren't wearing a face mask, including when they were inside the shops - that's actually mandatory now, but its hard to enforce.
Despite the fact that I've always hated wearing face masks, I really don't want to take any risk now. It's become more acceptable in UK, compared to say even a month ago and people are gradually accepting its part of life, for others even if they themselves don't like wearing them. Anyway, all this didn't stop me from enjoying a walk around town today and to go on an art trail.
The trail is for a street artist, called Jamie Scanlon who goes by the tag JPS. He's a local guy, homeless and a former addict who decided to clean up his act after seeing the Banksy exhibition in 2009. Since then, he established himself as a local street artist and now spend his time between UK and Germany.
The Playhouse, Weston-super-Mare
I'm not a big Star Wars fan but Yoda and Ewok are so well known that pretty much everyone knows them. I love how Ewok is painting as well. A guy walked passed me when i was taking the photos, and said he thought this was Banksy. He didn't realise our town had our very own artist.
I stumbled across the climber nearby, another one of the smaller murals around town. This is outside a bar/cafe/shared workspace type of place. You can see how little it is compared to the sign on the door. Finally, according to my trail map, Cupid should be around this area. I wasn't sure if this is it, as the style is slightly different and I couldn't see a tag. But I've checked online since i got home and this is in deed JPS Cupid.
My rating: 8/10
Scallys
Scallys is a pub near the seafront. I've never been in before but I hear its popular with bikers. The Balloon Girl is on a swing in the front of the building, but she looks a bit grumpy. Pocket Money is on the left side of the building, I wonder what mischief the kids are up to. Terminator is further along the wall but due to Covid-19, the pub had cordoned off the exterior and I couldn't get closer to take a photo. Not to worry, I will make up with one of my favourite one which is on the other side of the building. If I'm the owner, I'm sure I wouldn't mind!
My rating: 9/10
Richmond Street
I actually posted about this two months ago but I didn't know about JPS back then. Bear Wall has had a make over since and now has a red background, previously the wall was just plain white. Maybe it's been given a new lease of life because it survived Covid-19 😉
My rating: 8/10
Walliscote Road
I love how Skater Boy skates off the road sign towards the clear blue sky today. Opposite Skater Boy is a new find that wasn't on my map. I think it's a great play on words. Who doesn't love Mr Bean?
My rating: 9/10
The Italian Gardens
Before my street art trail, I grabbed some lunch first from my favorite Greggs, sausage rolls of course. I missed them so much when they were closed during lockdown. For the non Brits, Greggs is a chain of bakery and their most well known product is their sausage rolls where they sell 1.5 million a week! The local council have laid out some tables and chairs in the public area by the high street. This is new and I hope they continue to do this even after lockdown as its so nice to sit out in the open.
My rating: 9/10
Join me on Haveyoubeenhere! 😄
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Every adventure, trip, or tour you take is fantastic, focusing on all the aspects you can have as a person when visiting a new place. Today you bring a street artist with a peculiar story but an impressively entertaining and cognitively valuable art.
I liked the detail of the snack you took and the attention you pay to COVID-19 prevention. Greetings, an excellent week.
Thanks for dropping by amd glad you liked it!!!
He is really a very good artist. I am happy he found his calling after a wild and aimless life before. Great tour. Wish you could have taken a shot of the sausage roll. For an item to sell 1.5 million pieces in a week, it just makes me wonder how it looks like. Perhaps in another post :)
I wish I had as well, as they alsi had this really awesome poster in the shop about sausage roll and social distance. I wish I'd taken photos, don't know why i didn't. Guess that gives me an excuse to go back again 😁
You're lucky to have so many street art gems in your area. I have enjoyed most of them and now am wondering if the artist had the owners permission to do those murals or he is just acting without consent.
We don't have many in my city as it is considered a criminal act when you do it without permission. However, there are a few graffiti, ugly ones, made out of revenge mostly or as a prank.
I think it's illegal here as well but people aren't too bothered especially if it adds value to your property, like if Banksy painted in your wall. i saw some local people on Facebook were really pleased when JPS painted on their wall recently as he's back in town and gone on a painting spree.
The problem is others could thing this is good and mess up the walls :)
I was up there last week. Weston can be either really nice for a day out or really rough. I.e some of the weekends in the evening during the holiday season.But it's mostly folks from outside the area causing mischief. However it's a cracking spot for a mooch about when it's slow.My partner and I have looked at properties up there before as some of the period properties up there are stunning and have so much potential. I've never really thought to look for the street art though, but I will now. Awesome post as always. Up voted and happily rehived. :)
You must ping me when you come here next time, it will be great to meet a Hive neighbour!!
That sounds great. A week before I'm next up that way I'll hit you up on discord and we can sort out the details. :)
Sounds good!
There are lots of street arts in Bucharest (capital of Romania) with different messages and when I used to live there during my college I was reading all those messages on my way to college and then back home just to bright up my day a little :D
Some street artists are really smart people despite the impression they give as being vandalists. Their work often carry a lot of messages
LOVE IT ;-)
Thanks!
You are really welcome :D
Going out for a walk is good but I also won't go to the beach now.
Ours were so crowded and a minister hinted may have closed again.
People cannot travel out and I think they finding all sorts of things to do locally.
That's tough, and it Singapore its so crowded everywhere. Take care.
There are still places less crowded but usually not that accessible.
You take care too.
Oh yeah, I would murder for a sausage roll at the moment.
Digging JPS, a little too Banksy at times but great work and nice story.
I know what it's like ti crave for a Greggs when you're not in the country 😉
He's sort of covered himself by saying inspired by Banksy, guess a lot of new street artist say the same nowadays!
Mmmm you got me thinking sausage rolls again, the way things are here we may come back to the UK in a couple of months.
Banksy has without made street art a accepted norm, it's great to see others inspired by his success.
It's a long way to come back just for a sausage roll 😄
Things that bad in Philippines now? You have plenty of open space and outdoor activities, I thought it should be pretty virus free? Being stuck on a long haul flight might be even more dangerous ...
Just nothing happening, at least in the UK I can earn some dollar. Things here are getting a bit weird the government are making a mess of things so to step out for a while may make more sense. Even if that puts me back in the UK for the winter which I don't look forward to.
Although i'll be able to get a pastie and a doner kebab.
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Stumbled on your post yesterday evening and it really did inspired me to create a #haveyoubeenhere post. I must confess all paintings are amazing and artistic. I find that "only painted because it bugs the owner " extremely funny and cool to me, I'd give it a 9/10 rating, the rabbit running with a brush on its hand with the words written there totally describes how fast the artist ran after painting it 😂. To answer your question, No! I haven't been there I'm far from your continent 😂, but I hope to visit these amazing streets someday. Please endeavour to keep safe always 😊. Nice engaging with you, I really enjoyed this post.
Upvoted and Reblogged
That one was one of my favourite as well! JPS has just been back into town these few days and added more murals, I need to hunt them down amd share later. Thanks for dropping by
Thanks for keep sharing such amazing art works. Do you know the painter? You Could invite him to #hive