Oh the excitement! A Banksy mural (now confirmed) in Finsbury Park. Of course I rushed down there.
Jeremy Corbyn, pictured at the scene, commmented, "What wonderful artwork, proving there is hope for our natural world everywhere." Which is a strange thing to say.
A local resident said "It feels like a personal message to us residents, we just feel so proud". Which is also a strange thing to say.
I suppose it's meant as some kind of comment on, as it were, the crude urbanisation of nature. Councils brutalising lovely trees, perhaps. That shade of green is the same as used in standard Islington Council signs.
But then:
The council believes the cherry tree in the foreground of the artwork is around 40-50 years old and is in declining health, with decay and fungi damage.
It says it has been maintaining and pruning the tree for some time - both for safety, and to help prolong its lifespan - and will continue working to keep the tree alive.
So the council's doing its best. The tree wasn't brutalised; it just needed cutting back. There are plenty of lovely street trees round Islington.
Oh well.
“… we just feel so proud".
Time to give Banksy the Constable treatment.
Posted by: Dom | March 19, 2024 at 03:48 PM