New life for Swindon masterpiece 

Ken White restores mural that made him famous

 

Life has been brought back to one of Swindon's best known pieces of public art.

The Golden Lion Bridge mural in Fleming Way has been restored by its original artist Ken White - 33 years after he first painted it as part of a job creation scheme for Thamesdown Arts.

 

Then Ken White's mural

and now: on Fleming Way

 

The re-paint took just over 2 weeks, slightly shorter than the original project in 1976 - one that changed Ken's life overnight.

 

Paint and pharmaceutical company Bayer featured the first mural in a poster advertising campaign - and then Richard Branson got in contact to offer Ken more work, starting a relationship that's included Ken designing the flying lady logo for Virgin Atlantic.

 

"I became a mural painter overnight - albeit a poor one!" Ken said, who went on to create many other murals around Town, most now sadly painted over.

 

"You could say it was the best £25 quid I ever earned."