Written on the Walls


New Cycling on the Pavement. This one is the first draft of my intro to the grafitti and signage ebook I’m working on.

In relation to that project, there are two images from the early to mid 90s that I’m trying to find. One I passed almost every day in my first year- the “Madchester” building. What is now Industry (I think), formerly the Paradise Factory and offices of Factory Records, was for a while one big billboard plastered with hundreds of a particular Happy Mondays poster. The other picture- on Deansgate, painted on the side of a large building set back from the road (behind a car park?) was a huge arrow pointing toward Castlefield. I don’t remember there being any context for this arrow. It just….. pointed.

Both these images are lodged so firmly in my memory that, until I scoured my picture albums for them, I was convinced I had photos. If anyone does, can I borrow them for the collection? I promise a (small but honoured) payment for each copy of the collection I sell.