Names and faces
■ Banksy’s latest mural has delayed a homeowner’s plans to sell in England after it recently appeared on the house’s exterior wall. The elusive British street artist’s piece — titled “Aachoo!!” — depicts an elderly woman sneezing, sending her dentures flying out of her mouth. It’s painted on the side of the house on a steep street in the southwestern city of Bristol. The resulting effect is that her sneeze appears to be knocking down buildings. The creation was discovered on the wall of the semidetached house Thursday. British media reported that the owners, who had previously put a “sold” sign outside, were pulling out of the sale because Banksy’s art could send the property’s value soaring. However, Nick Makin told the BBC on Saturday that it wasn’t true that his mother, Aileen Makin, had taken the house off the market. “It does increase the value, and you have to take a moment to think about it, but it’s not changing anything in terms of the house sale for us,” Makin said. He said the sale has been put on hold for 48 hours, and the family was trying to ensure the artwork would be protected. Banksy has posted the piece on his website and Instagram page, and his publicist confirmed that he created the artwork. He began his career spray-painting buildings in Bristol and has become one of the world’s best-known artists. Some of his art sells in the millions.
■ Britain’s Prince William and his family attended a Christmas show in London on Friday night, where he paid tribute to medical staff members and other frontline workers for their efforts during the pandemic. William, his wife Kate, and their three children, Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis, watched a traditional British pantomime performance at the Palladium organized to thank the city’s essential workers and their families. It was the first time the family of five has appeared together at a “red carpet” event. William noted the contributions of health service staff members, teachers, emergency services workers and researchers, among others. “You have given your absolute all this year, and made remarkable sacrifices,” he told the audience before the show began. Last week, the couple took a three-day train tour of Wales and Scotland to spread Christmas cheer and thank frontline workers there for their hard and dangerous work. However, they received a frosty welcome from leaders in those regions, with one Welsh official saying he would rather “no one was having unnecessary visits” during the coronavirus pandemic. Britain has Europe’s deadliest covid-19 outbreak, with more than 61,000 reported dead.