Kevin is going back to his roots
New Lady Lane mural reflects birth and rebirth
Paisley artist Kevin Cantwell has been lined up to put his own stamp on the town’s popular mural trail.
Kevin will make his mark on a gable end in Lady Lane through business regeneration group Paisley First’s project.
The Paisley First Walls Series has been bringing a splash of colour to drab buildings across town and Kevin’s piece is on the wall at the side of the Co-op Funeralcare.
His concept incorporates a tree with roots, the Paisley pattern and butterflies – all signifying birth and roots and rebirth – and includes a nod to the famous Slug In A Bottle court case.
The legal case stemmed from May Donoghue bringing – in 1929 – a claim for damages against David Stevenson after she found a rotting snail in a bottle of ginger beer made by him.
She had gone to the Wellmeadow Café, in Paisley’s West End, with a friend who bought the drink.
After drinking some of the ginger beer, Mrs Donoghue topped up her glass with what was left in the bottle and a stinking, decomposing snail fell into her glass.
The resulting legal case set out the principle of the law of negligence.
As Mrs Donoghue had not actually bought the drink herself, she had no direct claim against Mr Stevenson, so she sought damages from him for the nervous shock and gastroenteritis she claimed were caused by her encounter with the dead snail.
After going through a number of courts, and even to Parliament, eventually, in May 1932, the Law Lords issued a judgement, saying she was owed a duty of care under the “neighbour principle” and could bring an action against Mr Stevenson.
He died before the case could be brought before the court, and his executors settled out of court for a sum of £200 – but the precedent was set that it was illegal to act in a way that another person could be directly harmed, leading to our modern law of consumerism.
Kevin, who recently started the piece, said: “It feels great to be selected to complete the artwork for this mural. It’s been fantastic to see the murals appear, they really add to the vibrancy of the town.”
Paisley First chairman Ian Henderson added: “We are all looking forward to seeing Kevin’s winning design come to life at Lady Lane.”
The Paisley First Walls Series is part-funded with a grant through Renfrewshire’s Culture, Heritage and Events Fund.
This will be the fourth mural in the Paisley First Walls Series, with the town’s Johnston Street, Storie Street and Lawn Street already boasting artworks which are attracting visitors to the town.