Latest news with #TheArches
Metro
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
Banksy's manager reveals the central London building hiding his 'unseen' artwork
A girl holding a balloon, the House of Commons filled with chimpanzees and two police officers kissing. Banky's artworks are famous and adored across the world. But now his former manager and 'right-hand man' has revealed the street artist's pieces which the public know nothing about – including one in the heart of London. Steve Lazarides, who was Banksy's manager from 1997 to 2008, told Metro about an unknown treasure trove of graffiti in the Swiss Embassy. Asked whether there is a Banksy that no one has ever seen, Lazarides said: 'Yes, the Swiss Embassy car park. 'The old Swiss ambassador put on a rave in the car park. He invited Banksyand [graffiti artist] Chu. And they smashed it.' The party was held in 2001 by ambassador Bruno Spinner as part of a bid to shake-up their image. According to Lazarides, the car park – which is between Regent's Park and Hyde Park – houses '10 to 15′ separate Banksy artworks. These includes pictures of Lenin, the Mona Lisa, and monkeys. 'It was all a bit mad,' Lazarides said of the little-known event. That is not the only work by the Bristol artist which has gone unnoticed, with a show in the same year turning out to be a complete flop. Lazarides told Metro: 'We did an exhibition in Glasgow and nobody turned up. 'It show his graffiti and it got badly promoted.' The display at The Arches, which showcased his art alongside artist Jamie Reid, was called 'Peace Is Tough'. Furious at the no shows, Banksy had a daring response in mind. Lazarides explained: 'He went out the next day and he punished Glasgow.' The graffitist and left drawings 'everywhere' across the city. According to an unofficial website chronically Banksy, the exhibition featured images of monkeys firing pistols, a monkey imitating the Queen and more Mona Lisas. Lazarides spoke to Metro as he unveiled his collection of photographs and artwork, many from their time together, to collectors at an event hosted by the Grove Gallery. The pair, who are both from Bristol, met in the 1990s when Banksy was doing a feature for the magazine Sleazenation. Photographer Lazarides then took Banksy's portrait and a few weeks later got the call to photograph another piece by the now famous graffitist. The pair then worked together for a decade as Banksy's fame skyrocketed, with Lazarides snapping everything he did. The photographer has also told Metro about the moment Banksy was seconds away from being arrested and exposed by police, while spraying the word 'boring' onto the side of the National Theatre on the South Bank. Banky's art now sells for millions, but Lazarides said some of his stunts have also faded into oblivion. An example of this is actually one of his most audacious spectacles yet. In 2004, Banksy secretly planted a 20-foot statue in the middle of Clerkenwell Green in central London. The statue depicted the figure of justice as a prostitute with leather boots and a thong The work, called 'Our Lady of Justice' had a plinth which read: 'Trust no-one'. The photographer said despite the success of the event, it faded out of public memory. He explained: 'It was well attended, there were thousands of people. 'But then it just went away. No one ever really talks about it. It never caught people's imagination. More Trending 'But I thought it was one of his best things.' The secretive artist has called commercial success 'a mark of failure' and encouraged people not to buy his work. But with an estimated net worth of more than £15 million, according to MailOnline, Banksy must make his bucks somehow. And it's not from selling his most famous artworks found on outside walls. When those are up for auction, it's usually landlords and art dealers who take the profits. The artist's piece Love is in the Bin – which consists of his painting Girl with Balloon partially shredded – sold for £18.5 million at auction in 2021. Banksy instead makes money from selling prints of his iconic pieces, rather than the originals themselves. These range from unsigned, unnumbered pieces costing £400 to £800, to £40,000 or even £130,000 limited runs, according to Bristol-based artdealer Huw Lougher, industry publication Artspace reported. Celebrities like Christine Aguilera, Kate Moss and Bono have bought Banksypieces over the years. Just five years later, Jolie spent another £200,000 on a Banksy piece at his exhibition in Los Angeles, the Evening Standard reported. Such exhibitions, which have taken place from LA to London, are another key source of Banksy's income. Huge crowds flocked to his hometown for the Banksy v Bristol Museum show in 2009. Banksy's most recent artwork got far more attention. It featured a mural of a lighthouse shining with the words, 'I want to be what you saw in me' printed on it. Last summer, London went wild when Banksy unveiled nine animal-inspired works across the capital. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: Coward who murdered ex's 'gentle' dad in 'revenge' for break-up jailed for life MORE: 5 areas within commuting distance of London with prices under £400,000 MORE: Experts warn London to Berlin trains 'might not happen'
Metro
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
When is EastEnders on this week? BBC schedule twist confirmed
EastEnders fans may be very confused by this week's BBC schedules. Once again, the hit soap has been shunted to one side for sports coverage – with tonight's episode replaced by Wimbledon. Tomorrow, Match of the Day Live will follow Poland v Sweden in the Women's Euro 2025 tournament. It's something that enrages viewers each and every year, who call for the soap genre to be given special priority on the networks. After all, this isn't just something that effects EastEnders – both Coronation Street and Emmerdale are all over the place too. This week becomes even more confusing, as episodes will air on their usual days, albeit not on television. If you watch on BBC One, the next episode of EastEnders will air on Wednesday, July 9. A double bill will air from 8pm. If you can't wait until then, the first of these instalments is available to view now on iPlayer, and will continue to drop daily at 6am until Thursday. On Thursday and Friday, the show will broadcast at the earlier time of 7pm. Confusing, right?! If you're tuning in this week, you'll see Ravi Gulati (Aaron Thiara) try and navigate his monetary woes in the wake of Bernie Taylor's (Clair Norris) departure. After she fled with cash from his business accounts, he's forced to return to drug dealing in order to keep afloat. More Trending Storing the stash in The Arches, it's not long until it goes missing! Harry Mitchell (Elijah Holloway) reckons he knows who is responsible, and takes some drastic action. Want to be the first to hear shocking EastEnders spoilers? Who's leaving Coronation Street? The latest gossip from Emmerdale? Join 10,000 soaps fans on Metro's WhatsApp Soaps community and get access to spoiler galleries, must-watch videos, and exclusive interviews. Simply click on this link, select 'Join Chat' and you're in! Don't forget to turn on notifications so you can see when we've just dropped the latest spoilers! Elsewhere, Cindy Beale (Michelle Collins) meddles with son Peter's (Thomas Law) love life once again, suggesting that his fiancée Lauren Branning (Jacqueline Jossa) is cheating with Zack Hudson (James Farrar). Guilt-ridden, she's forced to confess that they kissed. View More » Plus, there's fears for Elaine Knight (Harriet Thorpe) when she overexerts herself in the wake of her heart attacks, and Callum Highway (Tony Clay) can't keep his hands off Johnny Carter (Charlie Suff) – despite being married! If you've got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@ – we'd love to hear from you. Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage. MORE: Andrew Castle snaps back at John McEnroe over controversial Wimbledon decision MORE: Wayne Rooney 'lands £800,000 Match of the Day deal' after Gary Lineker's exit MORE: It's been 16 years since the most 'disturbing' Doctor Who story ever
Metro
06-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Metro
EastEnders' Kojo makes a huge admission as Harry is rocked to the core
EastEnders' Kojo Asare (Dayo Koleosho) takes drastic action after finding himself caught in the middle of a dangerous situation next week. The much-loved character, who recently started working at The Arches, makes an admission that rocks his co-worker and Harry Mitchell (Elijah Holloway) to the core, after they become embroiled in Ravi Gulati's (Aaron Thiara) latest scheme. After finding out Bernie Taylor (Clair Norris) embezzled his family's businesses out of thousands of pounds, Ravi is feeling the pressure to fix the financial damage in forthcoming scenes. Desperate to also keep his promises to daughter Avani Nandra-Hart (Aaliyah James) about her 16th birthday party, Ravi returns to the world of drugs to bring in some much-needed cash. He calls on his former associate and local club owner Nicola Mitchell (Laura Doddington), who links him up with a dealer called Okie. After the two men meet to discuss 'business', Ravi is forced to hide his car when the police arrive. But after Harry agrees to let him keep it at The Arches, he and Kojo are later stunned when they find a huge stash of drugs in the boot. While Harry frantically tries to contact Ravi, Kojo refuses to return to work, unwilling to get tied up in the mess they've dragged them into. Things spiral further when Harry lies to Arches owner Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden) about the car's presence, only for Harry's mum Nicola to notice the rising tension and sneak into the garage in search of answers. More Trending Harry then makes the shock discovery that the drugs are gone and quickly accuses Nicola of stealing them. But Harry is then horrified when Kojo makes a startling admission… Whatever Kojo's bombshell may be, Harry is determined to protect his friend – and there are tense scenes when Ravi and Okie later come in search of the missing drugs. What has Kojo done? View More » EastEnders airs these scenes from Wednesday 9 July at 7.30pm on BBC Two or stream on iPlayer. If you've got a soap or TV story, video or pictures get in touch by emailing us soaps@ – we'd love to hear from you. Join the community by leaving a comment below and stay updated on all things soaps on our homepage. MORE: All 53 EastEnders pictures for next week as parents fear for missing children MORE: EastEnders star confirms Harry's 'love' for Kojo as major new storyline kicks off MORE: All EastEnders spoilers for next week as cheating scandal explodes
BBC News
04-07-2025
- General
- BBC News
Piccadilly line: Harrow railway arches fire causes Tube closures
A fire in four railway arches in north London which led to gas cylinder explosions has caused part of the London Underground network to fire near Roxeth Green Avenue in South Harrow broke out at about 01:20 BST and took 100 firefighters to bring under control by 04:00, London Fire Brigade (LFB) four railway arches, which host businesses including vehicle workshops, were "completely damaged" but no injuries have been are no Piccadilly line trains between Uxbridge and South Harrow with severe delays westbound stretching to Acton Town. Roxeth Green Avenue, near the junction of The Arches, remains closed. LFB station commander Graham Beers said crews were faced with a "substantial fire" when they arrived at the said: "Crews worked extremely hard to bring that fire under control and protect surrounding properties."Unfortunately, four units have been completely damaged by fire."
Yahoo
09-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Skateboarding ‘Mecca' under Brooklyn Bridge reopens after 15 years
Skaters are kickflipping with joy. A massive section of public space under the Manhattan side of the Brooklyn Bridge has reopened after 15 years with a spate of new amenities – including a site once known as the 'mecca of New York skateboarding.' Two acres of 'The Arches,' named for the 53 arches under the historic bridge, reopened Thursday with the legendary 'Brooklyn Banks' skateboarding site, which was shuttered in 2010 to serve as a contractor staging area during the restoration of the Brooklyn Bridge. 'In the shade of the iconic Brooklyn Bridge, this project delivers many things — an architectural marvel, a proper home for skating in one of the sport's global hubs, and a place to relax in a neighborhood with too few,' Deputy Mayor for Operations Jeff Roth said in a statement. Mayor Eric Adams' administration began revitalizing the area near Chinatown in 2023 with space for shuffleboard, basketball, pickleball and seating in one of the city's most crowded neighborhoods. The project also gave access to the space under the Brooklyn Bridge's landmarked vaulted archways. Tony Hawk's nonprofit Skatepark Project had also advocated for years for the Brooklyn Banks to return to its roots as part of the renovation, with project CEO Benjamin Anderson Bashein calling Brooklyn Banks an 'icon of skating around the world. 'To have it reopened is absolutely profound,' Bashein said. 'This historic skate spot is a special place where people from across the world have come to skate and to find community, and we're thrilled to see it open to the public once again.' Another $50 million for public seating, plantings, lighting and more at The Arches is earmarked from the Adams administration's 2026 budget, part of the mayor's 'We Outside Summer' investment and programming initiative. Thursday's reopening serves as the largest plaza portion to reopen under the phased renovation, which includes Gotham Park – a planned 9-acre urban community space around the iconic bridge. The incoming multi-million investment is expected to 'bring this space back to life, and transform it into a lively, inclusive space for friends and neighbors to come together,' Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement, 'welcoming New Yorkers from all walks of life. 'Right in time for our 'We Outside Summer,' The Arches brings us closer to creating a more equitable, livable, and prosperous New York.'
