A LONG-STANDING empty shop in the heart of Evesham has been transformed into a stunning piece of artwork paying tribute to the town’s heritage.
Evesham Place Board has installed the mural at 41 to 43 High Street – the former home of Argos – to help enhance the appearance of the town centre for visitors.
The artwork is in the style of two 19th century shops. The first is named ‘Mabel’s Fancy Dress’ in honour of Mabel Suffield, who was born in Evesham in 1870 and is the mother of JRR Tolkien of Lord of the Rings fame.
The other unit is called ‘George and Sons’ and is named after John George, a fruiterer and greengrocer who owned a grocery shop on Evesham High Street in the mid-1800s.
Those who take a closer look will also see references to Edward the Confessor granting Evesham market town status, the legend of St Egwin founding Evesham Abbey, the Battle of Evesham, a nod to the Vale of Evesham’s importance as a fruit and vegetable growing region and much more.
Artist Milan Topalovic produced the work, which has been funded through Wychavon District Council’s share of the Government’s UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The project is just one of many Evesham Place Board is involved with as part of efforts to revitalise Evesham Town Centre. The board was formed out of Wychavon’s town centre investment prospectuses which were launched last year.
They set out a long-term vision for supporting the high street to adapt to the challenges of the 21st century.
The board is made up of representatives from various sections of Evesham’s community, including event organisers, local businesses, Evesham Civic Society, Wychavon and Evesham Town Council.
It has already supported the revival of Evesham’s brass bands in the park programme, distributed a promotional ‘What’s on in the Vale 2023’ guide to more than 22,000 households and ran a social media campaign to encourage people to visit the town’s restaurants to try Vale of Evesham asparagus.
Major projects are in the pipeline including improving the appearance and accessibility of the town centre and improving the way Evesham markets itself as a visitor destination.
Announcements are expected later in the year.
Tom Tarver, director of Johnsons Property Consultants and chair of Evesham Place Board, said: “The mural has already created a tremendous buzz around the town since it was installed with lots of positive feedback about it.
“It’s the start of a series of projects we are working on which will help support the long-term vision in the investment prospectus.
“There are challenges and change ahead but we have some tremendous assets we can build on in Evesham, including a beautiful riverside setting,” he added.
