Mural partially restored – and original Love Over Gold graffiti artists 'fess up

Our neighbour John alerted us on the weekend to the fact that work has finally taken place on the partial restoration of the Love Over Gold mural.

When Cockpit Arts replaced the doors in the middle of the mural, this blog campaigned for the central part of the mural to be reinstated. Money was subsequently found by Lewisham Arts Service and Cockpit Arts to pay for the mural's original artist Gary Drostle to do the work required (see our post from January). Due to other commitments and some terrible weather, it has taken Gary a while to get around to it, but now the mural's centrepiece is back – the evil Countess has returned to remind us how the gulf between rich and poor has only increased since the time Love Over Gold was first painted in 1989.

The London Mural Preservation Society took an interest in the renovation of the mural (see their page on it here), and in late summer they forwarded us an interesting email they had received from an ex-Crossfields resident, who owns up to writing the original words 'Love Over Gold' on a brick wall which went on to inspire Dire Straits and then Gary's mural:

One night in '75 (I think) four naughty art students from Goldsmiths College went out with a pot of white emulsion to paint graffiti. I was one of them. Three of us lived in Wilshaw House on Crossfields Estate, near the site of the graffiti/then mural. We can't remember which of us was responsible for Love Over Gold (but it was definitely one of us, I remember the night well!). We didn't tell anyone it was us, but have always been proud of it.

If anyone has a photo of the original graffiti, we would love to have it.

So would Crosswhatfields – so if any readers have a photo of the original graffiti, please let us (or the London Mural Preservation Society) know! Also write to us if you think you know the name of the ex-Wilshaw House resident(s) which for now we're keeping a secret. There may be a prize....

Meanwhile, last week, Gary also touched up the reds in the picture, brightening it considerably, and did his best to get rid of the damaging tagging that appeared earlier this year. Our neighbour John is very happy about the reinstatement of the mural's centrepiece, but is worried that the tagger who sprayed in white all over the mural will return to vandalise it again. He's insisted we publish his description of this pesky individual...(imagine Ray Winston doing the voiceover)...

White. Short to medium height. Very weedy. Furtive/nervous movements. Spotty or red complexion but face mostly obscured by light grey hoodie...It looks like he lives in the hoodie i.e. stained and bedraggled. Aged somewhere in his twenties. 'A really skint looking no-hoper' is my summing up of this cretin.

(Not a Goldsmiths student, then...)

A complete renovation still awaits the funding initiative promised by Lewisham Arts Service back in January (in which they would put together a funding package that could be used by us locals to approach potential funders) and, of course, it also requires concerted effort and support from local people. Anyone fancy taking this on?

Cockpit remove part of Love Over Gold mural

We posted back in August that Cockpit Arts had contacted Crossfields Tenants & Residents Association (TRA) to tell them that they intended to replace the doors in the centre of the Love Over Gold mural.

The TRA Chair said he would write to Cockpit's Studio Manager, Beckie Kingman, to request that the mural be reinstated on the new metal doors in whatever way possible. He was also going to provide Cockpit Arts with the contact details of the artist responsible for the mural, Gary Drostle.

The doors were removed prior to Deptford X and replaced with a metal grill, as part of artist Adrian Lee's piece Survival Instinct (which wasn't part of the official festival). Now that Deptford X has finished, the grill has been replaced with new powder coated grey doors.

We spoke to Beckie today and she said she had not received any communication at all from Crossfields TRA.

We asked her what research had been done to find out the history of the mural, for instance, had the artist been contacted? Although his name is painted on the mural, Beckie said she had contacted Lewisham Council to find out who to get in touch with about her plans, and Lewisham had directed her to Crossfields TRA.

The old doors are presently standing outside in the wilderness garden behind the new doors, unprotected from the elements. We stressed the heritage of the doors to her, and she offered to bring them inside. We also talked about the possibility of reinstating the missing part of the mural on the new doors, rather than worry about preserving the old doors. We've now spoken to Gary Drostle and he'd like to do this, but ideally as part of a project that restores the entire mural to its previous splendour.

We wonder if Lewisham can find some funding for this? Or perhaps the London Mural Preservation Society can help us...If you feel strongly about this, please write to the londonmuralpreservationsociety@yahoo.com and drop a line to Lewisham Arts Service.