Effort put into town’s Banksy mural replica is not to be sneezed at
A BANKSY-STYLE artwork has mysteriously appeared on a wall in a Derbyshire town.
Blood Brothers Stoves, on Dale Road, Matlock, has become home to what looks like a homage to Britain’s most famous graffiti artist.
It appears to be a copy of Banksy’s most recent work ‘Aachoo!!’ which appeared in the artist’s hometown of Bristol, depicting a pensioner sneezing out her dentures while appearing to knock down a row of houses.
Sam Blood discovered the copy at the store he runs with his brother Tom. He said: “I pulled into the car park and immediately thought ‘Wow, we’ve got our own Banksy!?’ It was instantly recognisable, his style is so distinct.
“I had a google and found the original, which Banksy announced on Instagram in December, with the caption ‘Aachoo!!’, which is very fitting.”
Unlike a real Banksy, this mural is not graffiti but actually a wooden structure attached to the wall.
Tom said: “We’ve no idea where it came from, but someone has gone to quite a lot of effort. It’s pretty well done, and was definitely a surprise.”
Sam and Tom were not the first to see the artwork, according to Catherine Haynes, owner of Hide and Thread on the same road. She said her husband first spotted it over the weekend. “I wish he’d told me sooner,” Catherine reflects, “because it’s really interesting!”
The artwork’s fate has yet to be decided, with the brothers saying they would be happy for this homage to the elusive artist to stay.
“Dale Road has got that quirky, independent character which means a Banksy mural fits right in. I rather like it! “It will give people something to stroll past and smile about as we go into another lockdown. I hope it stays.”
The final decision remains with the landlord, who has yet to make up their mind on whether or not the wooden creation will continue to be a fixture of Dale Road.
Catherine is a huge fan of the mural and hopes that it will stay. She said: “It’s quite mysterious and ingenious. It’s added a bit of excitement on the road, it’s got everybody talking. I hope this one stays around because it’s an interesting thing to walk past, especially in lockdown when there’s nothing to do.”