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Botanical Borough

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Here are the pieces painted for the Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council’s ‘Botanical Borough’ project (BelTel), co-orindated by Daisy Chain (web). There are seven pieces by Hixxy (ig), one of a flower chosen by each of the seven different electoral areas of the Borough, in the towns of Randalstown, Antrim, Crumlin, Ballyclare, Whiteabbey, Monkstown, and Glengormley, with an additional piece in four of the towns by other aritsts.

Above is a flax flower by Hixxy in John St, Randalstown. Immediately below are bluebells by Hixxy and Andy Council at the library in Railway St, Antrim. The others follow.

Wild Roses by Hixxy and Woskerski on Main St, Crumlin

Flax flowers by Hixxy and Holly Pereira (with horses) in Ballyclare

Cherry Blossom by Hixxy next to the Six Three One Cafe in Whiteabbey

Flax by Hixxy at The Butchers & Deli in Monkstown

Forget-Me-Nots by both Hixxy, at the Lilian Bland Community Park, and Kitsune, on the Antrim Rd, Glengormley

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Copyright © 2023 Paddy Duffy
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The Only Constant Is Change

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Here are the pieces from the recent Celebrating Autumn jam on the side of the Artcetera alley next to the First Presbyterian church, off Rosemary Street, in Belfast city centre, with art from left to right/top to bottom by ?, @adajacooper, @contemplatingthestars, @codoartni, @tulgalkh, @hmconstance, and @joha_mune.

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Belfast Has The Reason

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“When it comes to punk, New York has the haircuts, London has the trousers, but Belfast has the reason.” – Terri Hooley in 2012’s Good Vibrations (IMDb).

The final incarnation of Hooley’s Good Vibrations record shop (Fb) closed in North Street in 2015 (BelTel). It began in October 1976 at 102 Great Victoria Street (Spit Records | Louder Than War | Spit Records) — the shop and Hooley are included, along with footage of the Undertones, Outcasts, Stiff Little Fingers, and many others — in the 1979 documentary Shellshock Rock (UK viewers can watch at BFI | Spit Records has a great write-up of events surrounding the flm’s launch).

The new murals are on and adjacent to the shop’s second location (from roughly 1984-1993), on the other side of the road, at 121 Great Victoria Street, which itself has had “Good Vibrations” signage reinstated by Zippy (ig).

In order, from left to right/top to bottom in this post: in Stroud Street we have “Big-time punk” Terri Hooley by Peaball (RAZER (ig) and NOYS (ig)); on 127 Great Victoria Street we have tartan by Rob Hilken (ig), on 125, “Alternative Ulster” by Alana McDowell (ig) — for the ‘Alternative Ulster’ fanzine, see Fountain Street Spirits; on 123, designs by NotPop (ig); on 121, “Belfast Has The Reason” and “Good Vibrations” signage by Zippy (ig). With support from Linen Quarter BID (web), Belfast City Council (BCC press release) and Daisy Chain (web).

Update 2024-10: The Terri Hooley piece has been paint-bombed

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Squirrelled Away

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This squirrel is the third piece of wildlife to grace a Cavehill Road wall in recent weeks, following the swan in Marsden Gardens (Fowl Play) and fox at Charnwood Avenue (Outfoxed). This piece is in Sunningdale Park (also known to Line Of Duty fans as Platemere St) and was painted by Mr Fenz (ig) and Danni Simpson (ig). A fourth piece is planned for the top of the road, at the North Circular.

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Focused Intervention

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The Executive Office’s Communities In Transition programme aims to tackle “residual paramilitary activity and associated criminality” in eight areas of Northern Ireland, including the Northland/Sunnylands area of Carrickfergus, which until now has not had any street art. (It does have some community art, also sponsored by Communities In Transition.) They have sponsored this piece of street art by Aches (ig) — reproducing in overlapping triplicate a photograph of a local girl (Fb) taken by Derry photographer Megan Doherty (web) — in Drumhoy Drive, next to the ‘residual paramilitarism’ shown below: a Red Hand Commando board.

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Floss And Stretch

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The words here are attributed to director Baz Luhrmann, who put the words (spoken by Lee Perry) against music by Rozalla, “Everybody’s Free (To Feel Good)”; the track (youtube) went to number one in the charts in the UK and Ireland in 1999. They are in fact part of a hypothetical commencement address entitled “Wear Sunscreen” written by journalist Mary Schmich. (WP)

India Street, south Belfast, replacing a speech from Chaplin’s The Great Dictator.

Don’t worry about the future,/or worry, but know that worrying/is as effective as trying to solve an/ algebra equation by chewing bubble gum./The real troubles in your life are apt to/be things that never crossed your worried/mind. The kind that blindsides you at/4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday. Do one thing/ every day that scares you./Saying, don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts/[Don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours] … Floss

Don’t waste your time on jealousy./Sometimes you’re ahead,/sometimes you’re behind. The/race is long and in the end,/it’s only with yourself/Remember compliments you/receive, forget the insults. If you/succeed in doing this, tell me how./Keep your old love letters, throw/away your old bank statements … Stretch

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