In early 2023, I was very saddened to see that the original ‘Love Over Gold’ mural on the wall just outside Cockpit Arts on Creekside had been removed. I knew this was coming as part of the transformation of Cockpit Arts Deptford. They needed to make a more accessible entrance and the wall was crumbling. The mural had been badly graffitied as well in the year before. But I felt sad anyway to see it go. I have always loved looking at this mural, stopping in front of it hundreds of times, admiring the wonderful details depicting important and still very relevant issues. The mural came about after Dire Straits, the rock band who lived and performed on the Crossfields Estate opposite, named their 1982 album after graffiti on that same wall which read ‘Love Over Gold’. When this graffiti was removed, Dire Straits part-commissioned a mural in its place. The creation of the mural was led by local mural artist Gary Drostle and involved other mural painters such as Ruth Priestly and local primary school children. It depicted issues relating to wealth distribution, disability, equality of opportunity, and the environment. It was completed in 1989.
I am really pleased to know though that Deptford-based artist duo Daisy Allen and Ellen Rose, both of whom studied at the Lewisham School of Muralism, are planning to recreate the mural with a new design in a new location (as close to the original wall as possible). They say that “Income inequality has only increased since the mural was first painted in 1989, and we feel the words ‘Love Over Gold’ are more relevant now than ever.”
Daisy has a close connection to the mural. She is the daughter of Ruth Priestly, who was Gary Drostle’s creative partner and painted the original ‘Love Over Gold’ mural with him. Now Gary, who wholeheartedly supports the efforts to recreate the mural, will be working with Daisy and Ellen on the new mural. Daisy also made a film with director Sasha Denny about Daisy following in their mum’s footsteps and which features the original mural. The film made the top 8 in the Straight 8 filmmaking competition and was screened at Cannes Film Festival in May 2023.
Daisy and Ellen are now crowdfunding to make the new mural happen so if you want to chip in, please go to their page: https://www.gofundme.com/f/31818jes4o
I was also really pleased to learn that the removal of the original mural seems to have taken place in a very considered way. On their website, Cockpit Arts promised to carefully dismantle the original mural and that “Pieces of the mural wall will be retained so that they can be displayed and incorporated into the new Craft Garden that is being created on the site — a new public space for all to enjoy.” Furthermore, they selected (following a public art brief) Cockpit- and Deptford-based artist Amber Khokhar to create a new artwork for Creekside, involving local communities in the art-making process and celebrating the sentiment of ‘Love Over Gold’. All these decisions seem to have been made in close dialogue with Gary Drostle, the original artist.
So, I’m really looking forward to seeing those changes in Deptford: Daisy and Ellen’s new mural with a new interpretation of the original, Amber Khokhar’s new artwork inspired by the sentiment of ‘Love Over Gold’ and by her work with local people, and the new public garden featuring remaining pieces of the original mural.
Deptford is changing 