York walks: 2004

On my various walks I've encountered a lot of graffiti – just recently I've even found it on the side of our house. (And I recommend "Graffiti go!" – water-based, environmentally-friendly, available from Barnitts.)

I could have a long essay here about graffiti, but maybe another time (see Graffiti, revisited (2011)). I realise it's a pain when you have to clean it up, and I get angry when I see it on the bar walls, or other historic monuments. But whether you see it as artwork or vandalism, graffiti is a part of every city, and I'm including it because I'm recording the "real York", as I see it on my wanderings.

Text-speak affectionate graffiti:
"Hello u iz ma main mushy pea chloe!"

– Love Lane Bridge, Holgate, 27 July 2004

Very polite graffiti:
"hello there, How are you! x"
"Fine Thanx"

– Love Lane Bridge, Holgate, 27 July 2004

I've called the bridge above "Love Lane Bridge", but have recently been reminded that locally we used to call it "Dicky Bridge". And I didn't need to be reminded of the fact that 20 years ago when I was at school Dicky Bridge was decorated in graffiti, just the same. Like the examples above show, it served, then as now, as a kind of public message board, where people wrote inconsequential messages together while hanging around there in groups. A pain for the council, who have to keep painting over it.

Hopefully all these young people will learn to build websites and then they won't have to write on bridges to express themselves to the world . . .

Questioning graffiti:
"I LOVE YOU?"
– Cinder Lane, Leeman Road, 27 July 2004

Badly-placed protest graffiti:
"SAVE HUNTS"
– former INL club, Speculation Street, 25 January 2004
(miles away from fields, foxes or hounds)

Political graffiti, part 1:
(Statue of Liberty illustration, with text) –
" . . . liberty?"
– Alleyway by Bootham Terrace, 29 July 2004

Political graffiti, part 2:
"TORIES LIE"
– riverside path, near Leeman Road, 5 August 2004

Burglar-deterring graffiti:
"DO NOT ENTER – Wild animal on the luse – BEWAER!"

– on a wooden door at the back
of St Philip and St James church,
7 August 2004

Philosophical graffiti:
" ART IS DEAD"
– Coney Street, 8 August 2004

Traditional "we woz ere" graffiti:
"Sarah, Louise + Kayleigh woz ere 2003 Jigging!" – on an inspection chamber cover, Clifton Ings, 10 May 2004 ["jigging" = "bunking off" or missing school]

Related pages

Graffiti, revisited (2011), Graffiti (2004), Wall art – part 2 (2004) and Changes: Clifton graffiti art (2006)