Summer 2018
Something a bit different.
What with this place and Goodmayes, East London seems to have an affection with murals in their hospitals. I can't recall another hospital I've seen with this much wall art.
St George's (1939 - 2012) is essentially a massive and sprawling labyrinth that looks rather asylum-like from the air, but it's all completely stripped, inside and doesn't much resemble a hospital room to room. It's entirity has been documented very nicely by Pigeonboy and Landie_Man already.
As a bit of a Battle of Britain fanatic myself, I was first alerted and allured to this hospital very recently after seeing a picture by @Landie_Man of a beautiful B of B mural somewhere inside. The other day I was visiting a friend in Ilford, so I popped over to Havering for a very brief solo mission to find this one particular mural and have a closer look at it in my own time.
Surprised I was to see so many other paintings going down this super long corridor. It was really nice. I'm the first to take a crap on art, particularly modern art - the type to go round the Tate Modern in 15 minutes and call everything a load of pretentious and pointless bollocks - but when it's in the context of the local community creating these paintings for the morale of patients and staff in a fairly godforsaken looking hospital in a relatively deprived borough, it's something I can really appreciate. My kind of art gallery. Seeing as the site is about to be redeveloped or demolished, I thought I'd take some time getting a lot of the interesting murals on my trust point-and-shoot to share.
Starting with the main event, the RAF mural. Painted by Ralph Mason in 2003. Just a stone's throw away is the former site of RAF Hornchurch, one of the key WW2 airfields used by No. 11 Group to intercept German bombers on their flightpath to London.
These two on the left, marked KL-R and RM-I, are fictional codes. KL and RM are affiliated with 269th and 54th, 26th and 140th squadrons respectively. None of these were part of 11 Group.
Good stuff chaps, that's what we like to see. "The Good Intent" is the local just down the road.
Believe it or not, there was a rather severe winter in 39-40. The snow is pretty accurate.
KL-R and RM-I in action.
Another mural paying tribute to the local RAF heritage, this time painted by some local schoolkids.
Other murals I found noteworthy started with this zodiac wheel. At first I thought what on earth? Turns out they are native american astrology signs. Looks like I'm a beaver. Painted by Fiona Mannion in 1995.
Done by a local primary school.
Damn right.
Scrabble anyone?
There are many as @pigeonboy descibred 'creepy' murals of people and animals interacting with the outside world with a consistent kinda seasonal cycle theme. Most seemed to have been done by a lady called Elena Brebner throughout the 90s.
That mostly concludes a look at some of the interesting ones. There are many many more. It's a nice little take on an 'art gallery' for derpers and I would recommend a visit. It might not be here by the ________ !
O
Something a bit different.
What with this place and Goodmayes, East London seems to have an affection with murals in their hospitals. I can't recall another hospital I've seen with this much wall art.
St George's (1939 - 2012) is essentially a massive and sprawling labyrinth that looks rather asylum-like from the air, but it's all completely stripped, inside and doesn't much resemble a hospital room to room. It's entirity has been documented very nicely by Pigeonboy and Landie_Man already.
As a bit of a Battle of Britain fanatic myself, I was first alerted and allured to this hospital very recently after seeing a picture by @Landie_Man of a beautiful B of B mural somewhere inside. The other day I was visiting a friend in Ilford, so I popped over to Havering for a very brief solo mission to find this one particular mural and have a closer look at it in my own time.
Surprised I was to see so many other paintings going down this super long corridor. It was really nice. I'm the first to take a crap on art, particularly modern art - the type to go round the Tate Modern in 15 minutes and call everything a load of pretentious and pointless bollocks - but when it's in the context of the local community creating these paintings for the morale of patients and staff in a fairly godforsaken looking hospital in a relatively deprived borough, it's something I can really appreciate. My kind of art gallery. Seeing as the site is about to be redeveloped or demolished, I thought I'd take some time getting a lot of the interesting murals on my trust point-and-shoot to share.
Starting with the main event, the RAF mural. Painted by Ralph Mason in 2003. Just a stone's throw away is the former site of RAF Hornchurch, one of the key WW2 airfields used by No. 11 Group to intercept German bombers on their flightpath to London.
These two on the left, marked KL-R and RM-I, are fictional codes. KL and RM are affiliated with 269th and 54th, 26th and 140th squadrons respectively. None of these were part of 11 Group.
Good stuff chaps, that's what we like to see. "The Good Intent" is the local just down the road.
Believe it or not, there was a rather severe winter in 39-40. The snow is pretty accurate.
KL-R and RM-I in action.
Another mural paying tribute to the local RAF heritage, this time painted by some local schoolkids.
Other murals I found noteworthy started with this zodiac wheel. At first I thought what on earth? Turns out they are native american astrology signs. Looks like I'm a beaver. Painted by Fiona Mannion in 1995.
Done by a local primary school.
Damn right.
Scrabble anyone?
There are many as @pigeonboy descibred 'creepy' murals of people and animals interacting with the outside world with a consistent kinda seasonal cycle theme. Most seemed to have been done by a lady called Elena Brebner throughout the 90s.
That mostly concludes a look at some of the interesting ones. There are many many more. It's a nice little take on an 'art gallery' for derpers and I would recommend a visit. It might not be here by the ________ !
O
