What a lot of bollards!
Hat Fair, the UK's longest-running Festival of Street Arts, and Winchester City Council have commissioned the local award-winning artists' studio Colour Factory to give a facelift to some of the city's most unsung street furniture - bollards!Traders and passers-by in The Square are delighted with the resulting unique and colourful works of art. Michael Hewitt from St Cross told the artists, "These are better than the boring black and white ones!"
Tony Langridge, the City Council Chief Estates Officer, was alerted to the plight of the sad bollards by the keen-eyed artists and Hat Fair's Jonathan Kay and Sian Thomas - and it was agreed that something just had to be done.
Look out for Dr Kakestand and The Bollard Awareness Clinic amongst the pink balloons during the Festival. They will be alerting the people of Winchester and visitors to the annual Hat Fair Festival this weekend to the beauty of the unappreciated bollards.
Dr Kakestand, Prof. Iterol, Matron Struckoff and Nurse Cherie Trifel - artists Jenny Muncaster, Linda Miller, Rachel Alexander and Lyndsey Mann of The Colour Factory in Gordon Road - will also be organising bollard competitions, including a chance to design your own, which will then be painted by the artists.
Cllr Therese Evans, the City Council's Portfolio Holder for Culture, Heritage and Sport, said, "This is a brilliant idea from the Colour Factory. The Hat Fair always contributes much to the street scene in Winchester with its sense of fun and colourful entertainers, and this year these bollards will provide the perfect backdrop."
Brian O'Sullivan of Harrow Council was spotted taking photos of the bollards and said 'This is just what we need in Harrow'.
Dr Kakestand is available for enquiries from members of the public or businesses wishing to sponsor future bollards - call her at The Colour Factory on 01962 870789.