‘Grove Park? No, we’re Lee!’
BY CALUM FRASER
calum@slpmedia.com
When a poster advertising Deliveroo appeared under the Lee railway bridge claiming it was Grove Park, residents knew it was time to act to put Lee on the map.
Silvia Marciante had wanted a mural under the bridge for a long time. Silvia and her friend Cheryl Armitage, both from Lee, set up a crowdfunding page to fund a painting for the wall opposite the advertisement hoarding.
In three days, they had raised nearly £1,200 through the JustGiving website. Thousands viewed the appeal on the local Facebook page, Lee Green London, and more than 60 donated.
Network Rail provided the lion’s share of the cost and is planning more murals around South London.
The Hither Green Murals community group brought in artist Lionel Stanhope, who has painted a number of railway bridge murals in South London, including ones in neighbouring Hither Green, Forest Hill and Brockley.
He came up with a design which incorporated a heron to represent the birds which nest in nearby Manor House Gardens.
He transferred the design to the wall in a day and topped it with anti-graffiti coating to preserve it, with the help of his assistant, Owain Nicholls.
Silvia said: “I’m so thrilled to see the mural finished. It’s exactly what I was hoping for and I love the heron.”
Cheryl added: “We’re all delighted that this has been such an inspiring project – and I’m glad no bill poster will get the name of the place wrong again.”
Janet Daby, the newly-elected MP for Lewisham East, who used to live very close to where the mural is painted, visited on the day of its unveiling.
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