Arts / banksy
Alan Partridge, Banksy and CCTV surveillance
It has been exactly seven days since Banksy unveiled his latest piece in Totterdown, and in that time the residents of Vale Street have experienced numerous visitors, a pop-up bar and groups of children on school trips.
There is also one surprising celebrity onlooker, Alan Partridge, whose smiling face looking at the new street art from a neighbouring downstairs window is now probably within hundreds of photos.
Enterprising salespeople at pop-up shop, Wonderland, at Knowle Constitutional Club on Wells Road until Sunday, have also changed the tag line of the shop to “a bit like Dismaland” in order to attract some of the Banksy crowd into their humble emporium.
is needed now More than ever
Even before the arrival of Atchoo, Vale Street’s 22-degree incline attracted curious visitors eager to see the UK’s steepest residential street.
But it is now the new Banksy, not the slope, that is getting most of the attention.
“It’s quite entertaining. It encapsulates this year,” 25-year-old data analyst Charlie Low, who lives on Vale Street, told Bristol24/7.
Charlie Low says that her partner might have spotted Banksy at work. Photo: Caitlin Bowring
Fine arts student Benji Appleby-Tyler is a big fan of the new piece. Photo: Caitlin Bowring
“I walked past at seven in the morning with my husband and there was a trellis up against the wall, a big green covering and a sign saying no parking,” said Benji Appleby-Tyler, 43, a fine arts student from the Bristol School of Art.
“But because of the building work going on, I just assumed it was something to do with that.”
Charlie also realised retrospectively that Banksy had in fact been spotted in action: “My partner saw someone at the bottom of the street in the morning, but didn’t really think anything of it.”
“Then he kind of realised it was probably Banksy waiting for it to dry or something.”
Number one, Vale Street, the house on which the mural is painted, is currently up for sale.
“I know they’ve had a bit of hassle. People saying they’ve taken it off the market but they haven’t actually,” said Benji.
Since the piece was painted, the owners have installed some security measures to protect the property and the valuable work of art on its wall.
“People were climbing over the roof and stuff. They could hear people in the night,” said Charlie.
“It’s kind of surreal,” said Nick Horton. Photo: Caitlin Bowring
“Because I just sitting there doing work everyday I see a lot of people,” said Nick Horton, 21, a paleo-biology student at the University of Bristol, pointing to the first-floor bay window of his house.
“Last week it was hectic, there was so many people every day. This week it’s not been so bad.”
Nick added: “I think it’s kinda cool, I’m not super into art but my mum is really excited – she wants a picture of me next to it.”
Main photo: Caitlin Bowring.
Read more: Banksy confirmed to be behind artwork on side of Totterdown house
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