New mural to welcome visitors to Harrogate’s Great Yorkshire Show

A new mural has been painted to welcome visitors to the Great Yorkshire Show.

Sam Porter, from Mural Minded, created the canvas which is aimed at capturing the best of the Harrogate show by blending countryside and agriculture.

The mural can be found on the former fashion show building and will be on display for visitors when they arrive on July 12.

Mr Porter, is from a fine art, sculpture printmaking and graffiti background and uses walls as huge canvasses, said:

“It’s been amazing to do a mural in such beautiful surroundings with nature all round.

“I like to try and represent endangered species in murals I do and to highlight that wherever I can, it was challenging to incorporate as many animals as I did within the mural but I am really happy with the end result and I hope all the visitors to the show can enjoy the mural for many more years to come.”

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The Great Yorkshire Show has become a four-day event after a raft of changes were implemented at the 2021 show due to covid regulations. 

Tickets are on sale now for the show, which will run from Tuesday 12 July to Friday 15 July, 2022. 

Starbeck shows support for Ukraine with giant painted flag

A group of Prince of Wales pub regulars have shown their support for Ukraine by painting the country’s flag on the side of a derelict supermarket in Starbeck.

The idea came from Starbeck Community Group’s Lucky Hubbard and pub landlady Alyson Griffiths. They wanted to show Starbeck is behind the war-torn country whilst at the same time tidying up the former McColl’s supermarket that was ravaged by fire in 2018.

Within hours, a group of drinkers at The Prince of Wales had volunteered their time and they have been there from 5am to 7am for the last few mornings painting the blue and yellow flag before they go to work.

The group of painters included John Kean, David Stead, Colin Shiel, Nick Mills and John Read.

It still has doves of peace and sunflowers that will be added next week as well as six new planters and hanging baskets donated by Starbeck Post Office.

Farball Coatings donated £500 worth of paint and Jewson donated the timber.

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Ms Hubbard said:

“The difference is unbelievable. It looks a lot cleaner and tidier.”

Andrew Hart, who set up Starbeck Community Group and owns the post office, said he has been in contact with the landlord of the building who was very supportive of the flag being painted.

He added:

“We wanted to show solidarity with the Ukrainian people during this terrible situation.”

A Starbeck knitting group has decorated this post box with the Ukraine flag.

CCTV to tackle anti-social behaviour on Bilton’s mural bridge

CCTV will be installed on Bilton’s Iron Bridge to tackle anti-social behaviour and vandalism on a recently painted mural.

Conservative HBC and NYCC councillors for Bilton, Matt Scott and Paul Haslam, are behind the initiative which will be trialled for a month beginning in early September.

In March, a colourful mural featuring flowers and foxes was painted by artist Emma Garness to become a beacon of positivity in the area.

The mural has been well received by local residents but has been the subject of vandalism, despite being daubed with anti-graffiti paint.

The CCTV camera was recently used in Ripon to tackle anti-social behaviour. It has a wide-angle lens so can also capture nearby areas such as the garage block on Woodfield Close.

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Cllr Scott said:

“I am grateful to Paul, Cllr Tim Myatt on the other side of the bridge, Julia and Helen in Community Safety and our fantastic local PCSOs for their support with this.

“Paul and I take antisocial behaviour seriously and we will not let a minority of individuals spoil our wonderful community and make people feel unsafe.

“We have seen recently how residents’ own CCTV can help tackle this issue. I hope this camera will provide reassurance and also act as a deterrent.”

Gallery: Eye-catching mural brings joy to Harrogate street

An artist has brought joy and a splash of colour to a town centre street with a huge mural dedicated to Harrogate as a gateway to the Yorkshire Dales.

Harrogate Business Improvement District (BID) is behind the eye-catching project on Cross James Street, between James Street and Market Place.

The painting is the work of Harrogate artist Sam Porter from Mural Minded. This latest piece features blue tits, fields and Crimple Valley Viaduct.

Last month, Sam created a ‘joyous’ wall mural on the side of a house in Cheapside, Knaresborough – featuring swallows and butterflies.

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Harrogate BID chair Sara Ferguson said:

“We are absolutely delighted with the results of Sam’s eye-catching and ambitious mural.

“Cross James Street between James Street and Market Place is a very busy snicket, but for many years has been one of the drabbest streets in the town centre.

“This mural has added a real splash of colour. We have received plenty of comments about Sam’s work and it’s certainly been getting a lot of mentions on social media.

“For an organisation that’s here to improve the town centre environment, this mural certainly ticks that box.”

It’s not the only giant artwork set to give a Harrogate street a makeover. Last month Harrogate residents and businesses were asked to submit ideas to help give Cambridge Place a colourful makeover.

More pictures from Cross James Street:

Harrogate town centre mural starts to take shape

Work has begun on a new mural in the centre of Harrogate. The huge artwork on the alley between James Street and Market Place has been funded by Harrogate Business Improvement District (BID).

The length of the alley will replicate the gateway to the Dales. In preparation for being painted, the wall has been completely repointed. It’s expected the mural will be completed by early August. So far it’s still in the early stages, with just the base coat on the wall – but soon lots more will be added to it.

The painting is the work of Harrogate artist Sam Porter from Mural Minded. Last month, Sam created a ‘joyous’ wall mural on the side of a house in Cheapside, Knaresborough – featuring swallows and butterflies.

BID Manager Matthew Chapman said:

“The artwork is going to improve an area of Harrogate that’s been needing a bit of attention. We’ve been working with a local artist to improve the area through a vision of the gateway to the Dales.”

It’s not the only giant artwork set to give a Harrogate street a makeover. Last month Harrogate residents and businesses were asked to submit ideas to help give Cambridge Place a colourful makeover. 

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‘Quirky’ Starbeck mural could see Marc Almond floating on a teabag

A “quirky” mural has been proposed for a wall in Starbeck that could see famous former residents, such as the 14th-century Duke of Lancaster John of Gaunt and Soft Cell singer Marc Almond, painted as if they are floating on teabags.

Mark Leicester, who owns a block of buildings on Starbeck High Street, said such a mural would liven up a wall that was formerly the side of a launderette and joins Camwal Road.

Mr Leicester told the Stray Ferret his vision for the mural includes making the windows look like car windscreens and underneath depicting famous ex-residents flying on teabags as if they are magic carpets.

He said he wants the artwork to offer something different from the norm.

“We’re proud of Starbeck. A lot of unsung heroes have lived here.”

“We’re trying to do something that isn’t just a landscape, we want it to be quirky and interesting too.”

The mural would be painted on this wall.

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Mr Leicester has asked local residents to suggest famous people who lived in Starbeck that could be included on the mural.

Suggestions so far include John of Gaunt, William Slingsby, pub owner Sam Smith, Marc Almond and Henry Peacock.

Colourful murals have become increasingly popular in the area.

Local artist Sam Porter recently finished working on a nature mural at Cheapside in Knaresborough and a fox-themed mural was painted on the iron bridge at Bilton this month.

Mr Leicester said his son, who is an animator, has volunteered to help with the design and he is in discussions with local mural artists that might be able to do the work.

He added:

“I want it to make people smile when they see it. And for them to see Starbeck as a nice place.”

Work could begin on the mural this summer.

‘Joyous’ Knaresborough mural aims to lift spirits

A “joyous” mural inspired by nature is being painted on the side of a house in Cheapside, Knaresborough.

When complete, the artwork will include swallows, butterflies, bumblebees and flowers.

Lindsay Bradley, whose family has owned the property since the 1960s, hopes the mural will cheer people up as they enter the town.

She said:

“It’s all the things I love in nature.”

After seeing Harrogate artist Sam Porter’s work on Facebook, she commissioned him to paint the mural, which will take over a week to finish.

Sam is using spray paint and says he wants it to have a positive impact:

“It’s such a public spot so I want it to be really joyous.”

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Sam is a full-time artist and has worked in sculpture, fine art and print making. He said murals have become more popular over the past few years and hopes to paint more of them in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

He added:

“Everyone is crying out for something that will jolly up their day.”

Whilst the mural is a paean to the natural world, it almost took a left-field turn after sci-fi fan Lindsay suggested to Sam that he adds the famous movie alien ET to the mural.

But Sam talked her out of it for artistic reasons.