Furious punters have threatened to boycott their local pub after owners painted over a mural of Captain Tom.
An image of the late veteran had been daubed on the side of the Malt Shovel in Pontefract, West Yorkshire, by artist Rachel List in tribute to the national treasure. But locals were left fuming last week after noticing it had been painted over, blaming daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore for sullying his legacy.
Mrs Ingram-Moore and her husband were ordered to tear down an illegally-built luxury pool and spa complex at their home in Marston Moretaine, Buckinghamshire, last year after it transpired they'd extended it without proper planning permission. The £200,000 C-shaped outbuilding was pictured being pulled apart earlier this year after their appeal was rejected.
Now Pontefract locals have voiced their anger over the mural being painted over - which artist Rachel says was part of a refurb - saying the centenarian who rose to fame during the 2020 lockdown shouldn't be forgotten. The pub appeared to respond on social media to the outrage and said they never 'intended to upset anyone with the renovations' and 'personally had no say in the developments'.
The sweet mural was originally painted by Rachel back in 2020 during Captain Tom's meteoric rise to fame (Kennedy News/Rachel List)Local artist Rachel defended the pub's decision to remove her work, commenting that the mural was peeling away and was painted over to tidy up the area. She created the mural for free to boost locals' morale, but said it was never meant to be a permanent fixture.
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Rachel, 33, said: "From day one that wall wasn't in very good condition so it's been four years now and the mural has been peeling off. It couldn't last forever and I think people need to remember it brought a lot of joy while it was there and the memories don't just go away because the mural is gone.
"I see why people would want it to stay but it's definitely not a malicious thing and the fact it was there for so long shows that they were preserving it. None of the murals were intended to be permanent. I'm not saying any of us wanted it gone but there were reasons for it. Others have been painted over elsewhere and they've not received that sort of backlash. People are too quick to turn to negativity."
Captain Sir Tom became an overnight icon back in 2020 when his 100 laps of his garden ahead of his 100th birthday helped raised £38million for NHS charities. But since his death the following year, his family have been the source of controversy over the charity set up in his name.
Meanwhile Rachel also rose to local fame during lockdown as she painted angel murals in her local area, prompting the pub to donate their wall for the painting of Captain Tom. After it was removed on Good Friday, many were quick to leap to the assumption it was painted over.
Local artist Rachel List defended the pub's decision to paint over the mural (Kennedy News/Rachel List)Many users were quick to assume the decision was made due to Tom's daughter's finance controversies and her spa that was demolished in February. Calls have been made for the mural to be reinstated, with one disappointed local claiming: "His legacy should continue regardless of his daughter's actions. His heart was in the right place so put him back!"
Artist Rachel responded, and said: "I know I painted the original image but that does not give me any ownership on the building. The covid paintings were only ever meant to be temporary. A lot of them including this one are on walls where the paint peels and this one particularly was looking worse for wear.
"I think it's almost fitting for them to fade away and this is what has happened then rightly so it has been painted over to tidy up the area. We all want to forget Covid and times have fittingly moved on. I'm good friends with the [people who run the pub] and will only ever support their decisions when it comes to their pub."
The 33-year-old artists said the mural was never meant to be permanent (Kennedy News and Media)The boozer's landlady reiterated Rachels' calls. "We never as management intended to upset anyone with the renovations and personally had no say in the developments," she said. "We are consistently trying to support the community be that helping a customer who can't afford their weekly shop get through, or running various charity events and have raised thousands for the Prince of Wales hospice!
"We loved the mural too! You have supported us perfectly and we will continue to support you! Our community efforts I hope are enough for our regular and loyal customers who know the malt shovel to see past this. Time will tell but we will continue regardless. We have managed the malt shovel for five years on Monday and hope to continue for many more to come. We look forward to welcoming everyone."
A spokesperson for Stonegate, who own The Malt Shovel, said: "Our operators at The Maltshovel in Pontefract are delighted to welcome guests back to the pub following an exciting and transformational refurbishment. The much-loved High Street local operates as part of Craft Union, the fastest growing operator-led pub company, which prides itself in placing pubs at the heart of the local community. We hope that locals and tourists alike love the new look and feel. For further information, please visit the pubs website."
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