Mural

The Island mural

Erection date: /11/1978

Inscription

{In the leaves at the top left of the tree:}
The Island

{On the side of the wheelbarrow:}
Clearing the Rubbish November '78.

{On an implement in the hands of the workman filling the wheelbarrow:}
FF '80.

{On a similar implement in the hands of one of the other workers:}
FF '06.

{On the right-most house, on a banner:}
Victory in Europe 1945

{On the left-most house, on banners either side of a Union Jack:}
Silver Jubilee

This mural repays some examination. Firstly, looking at the buildings in the background at the top: those at the right, with the 'Victory in Europe' banner, these are the two-up, two-down style of housing in The Island. The buildings in the middle are slightly grander, three storey houses, which we don't think existed in The Island. Those at the left, with the 'Silver Jubilee' banners, are in a c.1930s style, again, foreign to the Island we think.

In the middle ground is a street party illustrating what happened all over the country, and presumably in The Island, in both 1945 and in 1977. The photographer looks like a portrait, but of whom? Possible the mural artist?

In the foreground are 8 men 'clearing the rubbish'.  We don't know whether this refers to the rubble left from the demolition of the houses in The Island in the 1970s, or to the preparation of this space so that the garden could be created.  Some of the men are tending a sort of big flexible pipe. They seem to be pushing the contents of the wheelbarrow into its 'mouth' while out its 'tail' end (outside our photo, to the right) billow flames and smoke. We can't explain this.

At the left are two figures who are not working. Possibly the person in the bobble hat is photographing the woman who is striking an uncomfortable pose, or is pregnant, we are not sure.

The two 'FF's with dates - we wonder if these refer to times when the mural has been repaired, and that F. F. are the initials of the artist/restorer.

With all these unanswered questions we've put this mural in our Puzzle Corner, and hope someone will come forward with some explanations.

Site: The Island mural (1 memorial)

N16, Benthal Road, Heatherley Court, 45 - 48

The bushes and the railings rather spoil the view of this mural. The mirror fragments used for the upper leaves of the willow tree capture the sense of shimmering sunshine very well, even on the overcast day on which we visited.

Comments are provided by Facebook, please ensure you are signed in here to see them

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
The Island mural

Subjects commemorated i

Silver Jubilee of Queen Elizabeth II

The twenty-fifth anniversary of the accession of Queen Elizabeth II.  This wa...

Read More

VE Day

"Victory in Europe Day" actually lasted 2 days. Throughout Britain street par...

Read More

The Island

This 1870 map shows that the land between Stoke Newington Common and Hackney ...

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
The Island mural

Created by i

Freeform Arts Trust

Free Form is unique in providing the full range of arts and creative services...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Treatment Rooms 2 - Ernesto Guevara

Treatment Rooms 2 - Ernesto Guevara

W5, 199 Acton Lane

Cuba Libre Social Club is restaurant in Poland but we doubt it has donated this plaque.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Somers Town Mural

Somers Town Mural

NW1, Polygon Road, School

This mural was commissioned by the GLC in 1980 and moved to this site by St Pancras Housing after its original site was redeveloped for h...

19 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Will Crooks

Will Crooks

E14, Poplar High Street, Will Crooks Estate

2021: We were contacted by Sarwar Ahmed who wrote "The information you hold is incorrect as the artwork was not designed by Tower Hamlets...

1 subject commemorated, 7 creators
Treatment Rooms 2 - Henry Ford

Treatment Rooms 2 - Henry Ford

W5, 199 Acton Lane

Motor Industry Pension fund existed, in 2005, at least. It was previously known as Auto Workers’ Pension Fund and is closed to new member...

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
Charles Square mural - Catherwood

Charles Square mural - Catherwood

N1, Old Street

One of the tiles near the right hand end reads: "Mural designed by Neil Irons with help from the residents of Charles Square.  Made at Ha...

1 subject commemorated, 2 creators

Previously viewed

Rotary Armillary

Rotary Armillary

SM1, Trinity Square

An armillary (or astrolabe) is a model comprising rings showing the positions of astronomical objects. See Simon Wolff for others in London.

8 subjects commemorated, 8 creators