Surbiton

The nature of many of the concrete murals of Henry and Joyce Collins is that there are located on what would otherwise be blank walls in towns centres (which is obviously the reason why they were commissioned). The result is that they can often only be seen as you walk past them. At ground level on busy streets it is difficult to spot them from a distance. And it is partially a case of you see what you are looking for - this is certainly the case for me in Surbiton, where I have been on a couple of previous occasions but never caught sight of the mural. But then again, at the time I was not on the hunt for them.

The Surbiton mural is another commission by Sainsbury's, and is on a town centre store that is still open. It can be found on Victoria Avenue. It dates from 1980, and I think that it is the last one of Henry and Joyce Collins' concrete murals.

Smaller than the others we have looked at to date, it is a two panel mural with a clear transport theme.

The left-hand panel begins with a simple cart and old variations on the name Surbiton (which started to be used from the 16th century).

Below that we have the start of the detailed transport innovations, together with the coat of arms. 1906 was when the tram system was extended to Surbiton, and I am assuming that 1830 marked the beginning of regular stage coach services.

Surbiton's coat of arms was granted on 17 July 1936. It includes an elm tree against a rising sun, and the motto Consilio et Animis - by wisdom and courage.

The bottom of the panel continues the transport theme, highlighting motor bus services and the coming of the railways. The dates appear to relate to the types of locomotives used, as the line opened in 1838, and the station in its current location was built in 1845.

The second panel provides more of the same.

At the top are the riverboat services and a trolleybus.

Next is the crest of the London and Southwestern Railway, and a collection of buildings.

In the foreground is the current Surbiton station, built in the art deco style complete with clock tower. The second clock tower on the right is one that was erected in 1902 to celebrate the coronation of King Edward VII. Seething Wells was the site of a major waterworks, so I assume that the buildings and the initials TWA refer to it.

At the bottom of the panel we have more trains, including third rail electric services, and what was then the latest bus (Leyland Atlatean?).

Photographs taken on 6 April 2019.

Gloucester - Sainsburys

Gloucester provides two-for-the-price-of-one in terms of Henry and Joyce Collins concrete murals. We have already looked at the BHS in Eastgate Street, and now it is the turn of Sainsbury's in Hare Lane.

The Sainsbury's mural is formed as one continuous piece, unlike the separate panels approach that we have seen at BHS in both Gloucester and Stockport.

However, this does make viewing the artwork in its totality as rather difficult, as the view from further away is obscured by parked cars (and a green wheelie bin).

We are, however, back to the historical theme, which means that I have more work in trying to decode it. Although actually in this case no, as the wonderful Gloucester Civic Trust (https://www.gloucestercivictrust.org/) have a guide to the mural which can be downloaded.

So, from the Gloucester Civic Trust source, we have from the left:

Dobunni - the name of tribe in Gloucestershire at the time of the Roman invasion.

And around this name we have a Dobunnic coin, a coin of Allectus (Emperor of Britain AD 293 - 296), and a Roman head found locally.

The characters to the right are described as figures of a Roman legionary soldier and an early British chieftain.

Below these two figures are more coins, that of Eisu, who was a Dobunnic chieftain c AD 30 - 43, and Nerva, who founded the colonia of Glevum.

Next we have the wheel-like pattern, which is a feature common to many of the Sainsbury's murals. And below that is the tombstone of Rufus Sita, a Roman cavalryman, and the eagle standard of the Roman legion.

The name Bodvoc belongs to a Dobunnic chieftain. The squiggly odd-shaped things below are the Birdlip Mirror (AD 25) and shaft of an Anglo-Saxon cross (c. AD 900). Both items are in the City Museum (or at least were at the time the guide was written (1976) - and may still be as I haven't checked).

Two further coins are those of Henry III and William the Conqueror.

The next two figures set against their orange backgrounds are Osric, a chieftain of the Hwicce tribe and founder of St Peter's Abbey, and Ethelflaeda, daughter of Alfred the Great and Lady of the Mercians.

An Old Gloucester heifer and a Cotswold ram lamb lurk below them.

Glevum is the Roman name for Gloucester. More coins again, and also the terminal of a ceremonial sceptre which was found on the Sainsbury's site.

The two figures below COLONIA are a Roman votive tablet to Mercury (god of shopkeepers and merchants, travelers and transporters of goods, and thieves and tricksters) and Rosmerta (goddess of fertility and abundance)

The coats of arms are those presented to the city by Henry VIII (1538) and Cromwell (1652), the latter also included on the BHS mural.

The Abbot of Gloucester and a Norman soldier now put in an appearance.

Gleaweceastre is the Saxon name for Gloucester (thank goodness it was changed). The features below that are a Severn coracle and paddle, and a token commemorating the start of work on the Gloucester and Berkeley canal.

The last section includes a cup from a Roman mosaic and the City Guild Merchant seal from 1200. Finally,  hidden by the wheelie bin , we have the Gloucestershire Old Spot pig "Chedworth Pansy the 22nd".

We have certainly learnt a lot about Gloucester's history today.

The Civic Trust guide also notes that the mural measures 14.20 m x 2.25 m, and was cast in 1970 (by Hutton (Builders) Limited, Birch - as were all of Henry and Joyce Collins' concrete murals).

Photographs taken on 27 March 2019.

Gloucester - BHS

Gloucester is blessed with having two concrete murals by Henry and Joyce Collins - the usual suspects (but bless them both) of BHS and Sainsburys. today's posting covers the former.

The British Home Stores mural is on Eastgate Street, opposite the entrance to the Eastgate Shopping Centre. There is a potential threat to this mural as the BHS store is now closed, and is currently unoccupied.

At the moment I have no date for when this mural was installed.

The mural is made up of three large panels, which are protected by the overhang of the building.

It is probably the fate of most public artworks that most people were walking past oblivious to what was there. I got plenty of quizzical looks when I was taking the photographs. But maybe, just maybe, one of those people went back to have a proper look at the mural. And perhaps people enjoy it when they are sheltering from the rain.

And so to a bit about the individual panels. Going from left to right:

Panel 1

The BHS Gloucester mural is mainly about the products to buy, and hence there is not the historical decoding that was required for the Stockport mural.

There is some lovely detail on toys...

...and on baskets of goods, which are repeated on Panel 3.

The only research required is for the coats of arm. The one below is included on both the first and third panels, and is that for the City of Gloucester. It was granted in 1652, and for those of you who speak the arcane language of heraldry, is three Chrevonrels between ten Torteaux Gules three three three and one.

Panel 2 seems to be about things to eat, such as pyramids of fruit.

Livestock in various different forms is also represented.

The coat of arms on panel 2 is that of Gloucestershire, granted in 1935. Quite obviously it is per chevron Gules and Or in chief two Fleeces and in base three Chevronels countercharged on a Chief of the second a Billet azure between two Billets Vert each charged with a Horseshoe Gold (with thanks to www.heraldry-wiki.com).

Panel 3 majors on items of clothing, but also has a cornucopia of hardware and other goods. the sheer number of individual items on the mural is amazing.

The way in which the clothing is portrayed is both comical and charming, and to me brings to mind Mr Benn. Alas, with BHS now closed the shopkeeper is unlikely to appear.

 

 

Photographs were taken on 27 March 2019.