Generally graffiti is pretty horrible but every now and then you see a bit that has something special about it.

Here's some that made me smile

"Cut short daily life" - side of Hyde Park cinema Leeds.

Around the time of "Hit the North", somebody painted "Hit the North" on one of the bridges over the M1 between the South and the Midlands

A local public toilet had an ever-growing series on this theme "Sex is boring" "necrophilia is dead boring" "incest is relatively boring" - I wish I could remember more there were loads of these

Once visited Shugborough Hall in Staffordshire and there was a mural done in felt pens of David Bowie as Ziggy with the Spiders on stage over a whole wall in one of the traps.

Anybody else got any favourites?

I've seen quite a few Hit the Norths. I did have a photo of one, but I don't know where it is....

I have got this picture, which I think was in Lyme Regis or somewhere close, taken in the early 90's:-

That reminds me of another one, in a pub toilet this time, (OK my local, early 1980s) and someone (cough) had written "The Fall" in a nice clear bit. Bit by bit people put stuff by it like "The Rise" "The Perpendicular" "Hypotenuse" and so on. Bastards.

I saw that too.

I generally prefer the old style graffiti, prefably executed with a paintbrush, along those high level pipes you get spanning rivers with spiked railings on each end to prevent entry, or some other similar daring location.

I used to like 'urban' style graffiti when it first hit the scene 20 odd years ago but it's so passe now. The fact is that most of this graffiti is actually done by some middle class kid 'slumming it' and probaly has some kind of sponsorship deal with the local redevelopement agency to inflict this juvenile crap on the inner city enviroment.

Still, it was a sad day when councils started to surface the subway walls graffiti-proof.

I remember being both enthralled & appalled by the sectarian graffiti on a visit to Belfast in the early 80's.
2 huge pieces that stick in my mind were;
"Jimmy Sands we will remember you" and in conjunction with Paisley's "Ulster Says No" campaign, the dialogue ran..
"Ulster says no...
but the Man from Del Monte says yes... and he's should know cos he's an orangeman"

There's an old hand-painted "The Who" which has been there since the 60s, just where Scrubbs Lane becomes Wood Lane by the Westway. Always give me a bit of a tremor..

I always remember with affection a bus shelter in Old Shoreham Road Brighton emblazoned with the legend "Punk's not fucking dead! Exploited!! You wankers"

I just found these two lovely examples down my street.....





:whistle:

And this one just appeared too. They don't mess about these graffiti artists you know.....

Who is the person standing next to it?

It's my ex-wife....!

Is that a spray can in her pocket?

There's also a Hit the North on a bridge at the top of the M5 where it meets the M6. Or was last time I looked - 5 years ago

Funnily enough I have been there in the last hour! It's not there now, sorry.

No, she's just pleased to see you....

:lol:

Sorry....very poor. Wrong sex and all that....

On the side of a carry-out next to where my friend used to live: "Chipotle Nick Nolte"

On an underpass that I used to drive under: "Love ya goat"

On a house that someone was still living in, and presumably written by the occupant: "Dis My Mother Fuckin' House"

I remember that one too.

My own fave used to be painted in yellow paint on the outside wall at Old Trafford cricket ground - it just said "Chipbalm" :applaud:

Here's a sample of the genius of Banksy.

Sorry if you're on dial-up and those pictures have made the page take ages to load. I hope you'll agree they're worth it.

Here's a couple of his indoor pieces:-

Banksy is pretty much in the mainstream these days, but some of his stunts in the past have been brilliant in their audacity.

He did of course do the cover of the last Blur album.

There is also a wonderful piece of his over the bar at the Rescue Rooms in Nottingham. It's a policeman giving the finger, but I can't find a picture of it at the moment.

And here are some amazing subway cars done by New York graffiti artist Seen in the 80s:-

Thanks, they are great!!

Near my house: POLICES ARE SCUME
I hate those adolescent, simplistic anti-capitalist slogans: near me there’s some unfortunate small business owner’s shop daubed with THEY LIE WE DIE. Really want to add a T at the end of that...
I like really stupid obscenities such as these: when there were posters up for the Manic Street Preachers’ Everything Must Go album, in the empty brackets under the title some guy had added “except tits and fannies”.
On a similar level, a public toilet with the “MEN” sign added to to read “woMEN are sexy”.
No breathtaking murals springing up overnight round my way...

One of my favourites:

A few of my favourites-

In Queens Park- "The Rolling Stones" (in pre-aerosol paint) improved by the word "Stones" crossed out and replaced to read "The Rolling Twerps"

In Borough, the immortal "Dave's Big Gusset"

Near my house- "5,000 sacked by Murdoch, Don't buy The Sun"

Crappest- a fake dead body chalk outline, with "democracy" written in the head. Yawn.

At one time the only bit of graffiti in the toilet of my local was:

'Show me your toes'

Fantastic.

Those words were painted in big letters on the side of the Fine Fare in Dennistoun years ago!

Good one on the shutters of a 'poodle parlour' in the Gallowgate up from the Barrowland: PET KILLER.

do it!

in one of the library bathrooms at bryn mawr college, someone has written "read between the lines" in the grout between the wall tiles. this covers an entire wall of the bathroom, and the tiles are maybe 3" x 3". can't imagine how long it took her to do that - it seems to be the work of one artist. i'm doing a poor job of explaining this...

As far as Fall graffitos go, I've seen two. One was visible through a window in Probe in Liverpool; don't know if it's still there, but I doubt it. Another was on the rail bridge over Chants Ave in Hull, but this one read "The Fal", which lead me to believe that the author was either illiterate or interrupted in his/her task. It's been painted over long since.

This is very cool!!

:applaud:

This should be used in future Fall album artwork.

Fiery Jack in one of his trademark fits of enthusiasm perhaps?

What's the significance of the "Pies" thing, and where was that photo taken? There's a graffito on the M62 or M57 near Liverpool that reads "The Pies! The Pies!" - any connection?

Seen on a wall from a train, somewhere in Co. Wicklow I think: COLUMBIA 3: WELCOME HOME :grrr: :banghead: :zzzz:

Saw this rather nice piece of graffiti in Nottingham city centre at the weekend:-

i loved this one too - but it's now gone... part of the clean up for liverpool's city of culture thingie?????

this was one of my favs... ah, the cultural/linguistic analysis that could be performed.....

More M1 bridge 'Hit The North' action..
Just as you join the motorway southbound from Leeds and as you leave the motorway northbound to Leeds, 'Hit the North' is spray painted on both sides of the M1.
There is also some graffiti dedicated to the now demised Wakefield band Play Dead daubed in this vicinity.
OK, own up, who had nowt better to do than cover the entire length of the M1 with a spray can in their car one night?
And who is at a loose end on Friday and fancies promoting FHR?
:devil: