Those of us who go boating on the inland waterways are well accustomed to seeing bridges ‘decorated’ with the odd bit of graffiti - but how about one clad in wallpaper?

Bridge decorated with wallpaper

Matt Taylor (in blue shirt) from the Canal and River Trust and Ian Brown of Graham and Brown wallpaper manufacturers, pose in front of the wallpapered Sour Milk Hall Bridge on the Leeds and Liverpool Canal in Blackburn. (Photo: Mike Poloway)



 

Well apparently, a road bridge over the Leeds & Liverpool Canal in Blackburn has become the first in the UK to receive a wallpaper makeover courtesy of local manufacturer, Graham and Brown. According to the Canal and River Trust, they commissioned London designer Lizzie Mary Cullen to create a giant Blackburn canalscape for their company foyer, before turning that into the wallpaper that now adorns the underside of Sour Milk Hall Bridge (number 104).

 

Artistic endeavour is not unusual in connection with the UK's inland waterways. See also news stories such as: Musical work inspired by the Grand Union Canal and First ever Canal Laureate Appointed.

 

Ian Brown, a director at Graham and Brown, explains: “Decorating the bridge was a natural step. As a business, we are inspired by creative design and the bridge supplied us with a large blank canvas to work on. From feedback we have received from passers-by, the project has added to the beauty of this waterway and many more projects are planned for the future.”

 

And it’s not just Graham and Brown. Staff and customers from local branches of B&Q, Asda and New Ground have also got involved in a bid to keep the city centre canal tidy and litter-free. And Matt Taylor, volunteer coordinator for The Canal and River Trust, is particularly impressed by the drive of the local community to take the canal revival forward: “Blackburn’s community spirit is fantastic. These local companies want to help put Blackburn on the map. We are all proud of our wonderful waterway and by working together, we can maintain the Leeds & Liverpool Canal as a relaxing and inspirational space for walkers, cyclists, boaters and anglers.”

 

Now you might suggest that this all just a rather gratuitous means for local firms to win some cheap publicity, but if it helps promote and protect our canals (which after all were originally created not as preening museum pieces but as the lifeblood of the industrial revolution) what better way than with sustainable, business-savvy schemes like this?

Wallpaper close-up

Sour Milk Hall Bridge wallpaper close-up. (Photo Mike Poloway)

Written by: Alex Smith
Alex Smith is a journalist, copywriter and magazine editor with a long history in boating and a happy addiction to the water. He’s worked on boats, lived on boats, bought boats, sold boats and – when he’s not actually on board a boat – he can generally be found in his Folkestone office, tapping away at the computer and gazing out to sea.