Stunning Beatles mural unveiled in New Brighton

The mural, celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Tower Ballroom and the original Beatles poster artist Tony Booth, was unveiled this weekend as part of a wide-ranging regeneration programme.

The former music venue, where The Beatles performed on 27 occasions, was iconic until it closed due to fire damage in 1969.

The mural also honours the 100th anniversary of the dismantling of the New Brighton Tower, which was Britain’s tallest building when it was completed in 1898.

In front of hundreds of local residents, and some that had travelled from afar, the mural on Hope Street, New Brighton, was unveiled to cheers and applause.

By honouring the town’s association with The Beatles and its lively cultural scene in the 1960s, the event’s organisers hoped to remind the people of New Brighton of their proud past and show them that the area has a bright future.

The brand new mural honouring The Beatles and the late artist Tony Booth

Daniel Davies is the Chief Executive of Rockpoint Leisure, which is working on a variety of retail and hospitality concepts to regenerate New Brighton’s Victoria Quarter, the town’s original high street.

Speaking at the event, Mr Davies said: “This is just the start of a lot more stuff in New Brighton (including several more murals).

“I grew up here and I care about New Brighton. I want to do my bit to improve the town.

“In the 80s there were a lot of issues with heroin and the area has been neglected.

“I’ve seen the way a lot of these developers work, it’s all five years cycles and double your money. I want to create something sustainable for the community.”

In April, Rockpoint Leisure worked with pub owners Punch Taverns to open The James Atherton, formerly The Railway, in a dedication to Mr Atherton, the developer who turned New Brighton into a popular tourist destination in the mid-19th century.

Shortly after, the Middle-Eastern and North African restaurant Habibi opened across the road.

Beatles tribute band Paperback Writers perform on HABIBI's rooftop

Combining western graffiti with Arabic calligraphy, the venue seeks to create a vibrant, diverse atmosphere along New Brighton’s former centre.

Alex Marra, the mural project’s Art Director, said: “The mural is a tribute to Tony Booth.

“As a team, we wanted to look at the visuals behind The Beatles and I found out that Tony Booth did all the artwork behind the promotion of the 27 performances (at The Tower Ballroom).

“I got in touch with his family. They’d never given the image rights to anyone, but because they understood the significance of our project they signed the image rights to us for this mural.”

The painting of the mural was not an easy process.

On the third day of the week approaching the mural’s unveiling, the team woke up to see that the mural had been sprayed over.

They had no choice but to start painting it all over again.

Mr Marra continued: “We did have difficulties, but we knew we had a deadline to hit and with a good team we hit it.

“My friend Bill from VIP graffiti paint drove nearly six hours from Tottenham, London, to deliver some cans of paint this morning. That is a massive effort.

“I really want this regeneration to be about bringing people together and I know how art can unify people.

“All the different generations are out today, from the youth to the elderly people. The local kids went out and gave flyers to some of the elderly people. They also finished off the artwork.

“I thought this was really important, because they are the next generation and they will pick up from us and carry on our work.”

Beatles tribute band Paperback Writers perform on HABIBI's rooftop

In a testament to the mural’s quality, Yvonne Booth (Tony’s son) said: “It’s almost like he (Tony) painted it himself.”

Felix Stochaj, of Ultrakolor, the artist behind the mural, painted a group of people running to the Tower Ballroom to see The Beatles play, recreating one of Tony Booth’s classic works.

The potential of the New Brighton plan was acknowledged in a House of Lords report on regeneration published in April, which said “the project’s characteristics are worthy of amplification” and that the project’s aims “chime with many of the elements of successful regeneration.”

Among the hundreds of people who had come to see the mural, many wanted to share their thoughts.

Dave Bird, who lives nearby, said: “This investment is great for the area. There hasn’t been a lot here for years now, no investment really.”

Linda Heywood has lived in the area her entire life, she said: “I remember the ballroom. It was a great place to go.

“A lot of people don’t know this place (the streets and murals around Victoria Quarter) is here, so I really appreciate this effort today.”

If you want to keep track with the progress of the mural project in New Brighton, follow @artfromalexander on Instagram.

A Wirral Council spokesperson said: “Wirral Council staff are working closely with Rockpoint Leisure, providing advice and support on their development plans in Victoria Road.

“Rockpoint Leisure attend the New Brighton Coastal Community Team who are working with local businesses and community organisations to continue to build on the successes of New Brighton and ensuring the creative developments in Victoria Road are embedded in the wider plans for the area.

“Building on some of the major arts projects and cultural events that have taken place in the last year alone, including the Giants, Pirate Fest and River of Light, this is a really exciting time for New Brighton.”