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Metro
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Metro
What do Banksy's art pieces across London mean? We take a look
Last year, Banksy fans were left gripped after a series of animal-themed murals mysteriously appeared across London over a number of days. The graffiti artworks – depicting the likes of a goat precariously balancing on a pillar with rocks falling below it, two elephants are poking their heads out of blocked windows and three monkeys swinging on a bridge – first cropped up on August 5. The goat, which appeared on a building in Kew Road, west London, was the first piece to be created. Over the following eight days, a wolf, pelicans, a big cat, a rhino, piranhas and a gorilla were all stenciled on buildings in the capital. While some have since been removed, some of the pieces still remain in the city. But what was the reason behind the elusive Banksy's spurt of creative talent? Earlier this year, the covert street artist also added two new pieces to the capital's streets. One was a lighthouse, with the words 'I want to be what you saw in me' written across it. Another was a little girl holding gold balloons in Clerkenwell Green, Farringdon, painted on top of boarded-up toilets. Paul Gough is an expert on Banksy and is a professor and vice chancellor at the Arts University Bournemouth. He previously told Metro that the mysterious artist's stretch of artworks could be pointing towards something significant. What the significance was, however, has yet to be revealed. 'What's different is that Banksy usually leaves it a bit of time, keeps people guessing whether a piece of work is authentically his,' Gough said. While Banksy hosted a month-long residency in New York City in 2013, in which he produced one street art piece in a different part of the city each day in October, this was advertised beforehand. The difference with the artworks in London is that Banksy confirmed he had created them almost immediately after Londoners spotted them. The artist, whose identity has never been officially confirmed, usually waits several weeks or months to confirm that he has created certain pieces, leading to speculation and mock Banksys to appear. The mountain goat artwork was removed in early 2025, leaving local residents 'heartbroken', while owners of the building described it as 'essential'. The second piece showed two elephants poking their heads out of blocked-out windows on Esther Terrace, Chelsea, west London and the third showed three monkeys swinging along a bridge on Brick Lane in east London, which were then removed in February of this year. A lone wolf appeared on Rye Lane in Peckham, south east London, the day after, before being stolen just an hour later. A fifth appeared in Walthamstow, showing two pelicans eating fish above Bonners Fish Bar on Northcote Road. Then a cat on a dilapidated billboard, overgrown with leaves, popped up on Edgware Road in Cricklewood, northwest London, the following day. In a break from silhouettes, Banksy then decorated the windows of a City of London Police box with a swimming school of piranhas on Ludgate Hill. The City of London Corporation removed the box for safekeeping. It has yet to decide on a permanent home for the artwork. The following week saw the arrival of a rhinoceros mounting a parked car on Westmoor Street in Charlton, south east London. That one didn't last long – someone was filmed in a balaclava spray painting over it days after it was created. Then a painting of a gorilla freeing animals at London Zoo appeared, the final piece of the puzzle. As was the case every day in early August last year, Banksy confirmed the artwork's legitimacy on his official Instagram just after 1pm each day. Gaugon added: 'A pattern emerged underneath all this. Banksy certainly has used animals in his work in the past, but the difference is these have often been creatures like rats or chimps. 'The animals used so far seem rather benign, quite innocent to the world bar the wolf, certainly a change from his previous work.' Desperate for an explanation, at least one person has speculated the artworks may be a commentary on immigration and refugees. Another claimed it was about Brexit, pointing to the cat painted on a billboard, because billboards carried the '£350million for the NHS promise during the Brexit campaign'. Writing under Banksy's Instagram post of the piece, they said: 'The cat out of the bag meaning the truth about Brexit. The cats symbolised the scratching of a billboard that's gone to wrack and ruin, with the messages on it long gone.' Sadly, just days after it was put up, the stretching cat piece was removed. Its whereabouts are unknown. Gaugon told Metro he believes Banksy was inspired to create the animal series because of the state of the world. He said: 'Although there is so much going on, it is hard to pinpoint what he is specifically referring to at the moment.' However, people may be overthinking the meaning, Banksy's support organisation, Pest Control Office, suggested. Instead, Banksy's aim might be to cheer people up with 'unexpected amusement' amid bleak news headlines, The Observer reported. It doesn't seem that Banksy chose these specific locations for a reason, but then again, we just don't know. More Trending Banksy has been known to create other art series and campaigns in August in specific geographical areas of the UK in the past. One of the most famous was his Spraycation series across areas on the east coast of England in August 2021. But it took Banksy a while to officially verify these ten pieces of work across towns including Cromer, Great Yarmouth, Lowestoft and Oulton Broad. 'One thing is certain, Banksy works by his own rules and we are all dancing to his tune,' Gaugon said. Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@ For more stories like this, check our news page. MORE: From a 'Surveillance society' to a 'papers please' society, readers discuss the Online Safety Act MORE: England defeat to India shows finishing touches are missing ahead of the Ashes MORE: The Metro daily cartoon by Guy Venables
Scottish Sun
29-06-2025
- Automotive
- Scottish Sun
Huge chunk of metal fired through my windscreen as I drove at 70mph on the motorway… it missed my head by INCHES
FINAL DESTINATION Huge chunk of metal fired through my windscreen as I drove at 70mph on the motorway… it missed my head by INCHES Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A STUDENT narrowly avoided being impaled after a huge strip of metal fell off a car and lodged in her windscreen. Alannah was driving on the M3 from Bournemouth to her parents' home in Addlestone, Surrey, on Tuesday, June 24. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 8 The metal chunk splintered when it hit the windscreen, possibly saving Alannah's life Credit: Supplied 8 Alannah holds the metal shard that almost killed her when it hit her Fiat 500 Credit: Supplied 8 The 22-year-old student burst into tears - but was able to retain control of the vehicle Credit: Supplied The terrifying incident occurred at 2.25pm, around a mile before junction four, which Alannah compared to film series Final Destination. The 22 year-old, a graphic design student at Arts University Bournemouth, had no time to react as the huge metallic pole smashed into her windscreen - leaving her inches from death. She told The Sun: "It looks like a step from the side of a car. It hit me when I was going about 70 miles per hour. "I tried to swerve a bit but I was in the fast lane and there were cars to my side, so I couldn't move lanes. "When I saw the item blow off the car, I put my hand on the horn and I didn't let go, because my first instinct was to make everyone aware something's happened. "Then it hit. In that initial shock, I burst out crying because it was the biggest bang, everything sounded like it smashed. "I thought the whole thing came through the windscreen, it was really confusing, I was just in shock that there was this massive thing in my car." Alannah initially pulled over to the hard shoulder to ring her dad, but was terrified that her tiny Fiat 500 would be flattened by a passing lorry. She said: "I called my dad, and he knew that I was terrified of being on the side of the motorway. When a lorry goes past, it really shakes, it was petrifying." After less than a minute she pulled back on to the motorway with the intention of reaching the next service station. Moment driver leaves woman for dead in crushed car to pick up his £20 notes Alannah's plan was to stay behind a lorry to avoid any stones flying up and shattering what remained of her windscreen. However, she was flagged by a fellow driver, who forced her to pull over and then called the emergency services. Alannah said: "He came straight up and helped me get out of the car and over the barrier to make sure I was okay. "It's so annoying that I don't remember his name, but I'm so grateful for him because he helped calm me down, he helped get everything sorted. He was the one who called everyone to help me. "He stayed with me until the emergency services arrived before leaving." Fire services and police attended the scene while Alannah spoke to an ambulance team over the phone, but miraculously she sustained no physical injuries. Firemen told Alannah that a 'guardian angel' must have been watching over her because the metal object split when it hit the windscreen, stopping it from passing all the way through and potentially killing her. Alannah said: "The firemen actually did say the windshield actually helped the metal split. 8 An interior shot of the car shows just how close the metal shard came to Alannah Credit: Supplied 8 Alannah said fireighters told her she must have a 'guardian angel' Credit: Supplied 8 Police put duct tape over the whole so Alannah could drive on to the next services Credit: Supplied 8 Alannah holds the gigantic metal strip, which she said may be a step from a car Credit: Supplied 8 Alannah's friends joked that her ordeal was like the log scene from Final Destination 2 "They said if it didn't split, it would have come all the way through and hit me. "It could have ended up being really, really serious, I'm incredibly lucky that I kept control of the car after it hit and carried on driving until I could pull over. "The firemen, my friends and family all said that it was a guardian angel watching over me, which was lovely to hear." And shockingly, despite the huge gaping hole in the windscreen, Alannah's car - her first ever vehicle, that she acquired in January 2020 - sustained no damage to the bodywork whatsoever. She said: "The policeman laughed, actually, when I had finally calmed down, because he said, 'I can't believe there is not one single scratch on your car'." Police removed the metal chunk and put duct tape over the hole, then closed off part of a lane of the motorway in order to escort Alannah to the next services. They conducted a short investigation at the scene but determined that the incident was entirely accidental, Alannah said. The emergency services also commended the young student's driving and said without keeping a cool head and remaining in control of her car, things could have been much worse. Alannah's friends joked that her ordeal was like the famous scene from the action film Final Destination 2 in which logs fall off the back of a truck. She said: "A lot of people keep saying it reminds them of that scene. That's been kind of the laughing joke today about it." She added: "I just feel very lucky with how it turned out. I feel very unlucky it happened, but very lucky I survived. "Luckily, it's only the windshield which is damaged, but it could have gone so seriously wrong. "All my friends that I've told, they were like, you honestly could have died, you could have been seriously injured. "I've walked out of it intact though, I haven't even got a scratch on me. "My parents were very grateful that I was okay. My mum said it was my granddad who was watching over me, and looking after me." Alannah is soon heading back to university but shared her advice for other drivers in similar situations. She said: "I know it sounds stupid, but try and keep control of the car, and just try not to suddenly slam your brakes on. "Just try and stay in contact and get yourself somewhere safe."
The Irish Sun
29-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Irish Sun
Huge chunk of metal fired through my windscreen as I drove at 70mph on the motorway… it missed my head by INCHES
A STUDENT narrowly avoided being impaled after a huge strip of metal fell off a car and lodged in her windscreen. Alannah was driving on the M3 from Bournemouth to her parents' home in Addlestone, Surrey, on Tuesday, June 24. Advertisement 8 The metal chunk splintered when it hit the windscreen, possibly saving Alannah's life Credit: Supplied 8 Alannah holds the metal shard that almost killed her when it hit her Fiat 500 Credit: Supplied 8 The 22-year-old student burst into tears - but was able to retain control of the vehicle Credit: Supplied The terrifying incident occurred at 2.25pm, around a mile before junction four, which Alannah compared to film series Final Destination. The 22 year-old, a graphic design student at Arts University Bournemouth, had no time to react as the huge metallic pole smashed into her windscreen - leaving her inches from death. She told The Sun: "It looks like a step from the side of a car. It hit me when I was going about 70 miles per hour. "I tried to swerve a bit but I was in the fast lane and there were cars to my side, so I couldn't move lanes. Advertisement Read more on Motors "When I saw the item blow off the car, I put my hand on the horn and I didn't let go, because my first instinct was to make everyone aware something's happened. "Then it hit. In that initial shock, I burst out crying because it was the biggest bang, everything sounded like it smashed. "I thought the whole thing came through the windscreen, it was really confusing, I was just in shock that there was this massive thing in my car." Alannah initially pulled over to the hard shoulder to ring her dad, but was terrified that her tiny Advertisement Most read in Motors She said: "I called my dad, and he knew that I was terrified of being on the side of After less than a minute she pulled back on to the motorway with the intention of reaching the next service station. Moment driver leaves woman for dead in crushed car to pick up his £20 notes Alannah's plan was to stay behind a lorry to avoid any stones flying up and shattering what remained of her windscreen. However, she was flagged by a fellow driver, who forced her to pull over and then called the emergency services. Advertisement Alannah said: "He came straight up and helped me get out of the car and over the barrier to make sure I was okay. "It's so annoying that I don't remember his name, but I'm so grateful for him because he helped calm me down, he helped get everything sorted. He was the one who called everyone to help me. "He stayed with me until the emergency services arrived before leaving." Advertisement Firemen told Alannah that a 'guardian angel' must have been watching over her because the metal object split when it hit the windscreen, stopping it from passing all the way through and potentially killing her. Alannah said: "The firemen actually did say the windshield actually helped the metal split. 8 An interior shot of the car shows just how close the metal shard came to Alannah Credit: Supplied 8 Alannah said fireighters told her she must have a 'guardian angel' Credit: Supplied Advertisement 8 Police put duct tape over the whole so Alannah could drive on to the next services Credit: Supplied 8 Alannah holds the gigantic metal strip, which she said may be a step from a car Credit: Supplied 8 Alannah's friends joked that her ordeal was like the log scene from Final Destination 2 "They said if it didn't split, it would have come all the way through and hit me. Advertisement "It could have ended up being really, really serious, I'm incredibly lucky that I kept control of the car after it hit and carried on driving until I could pull over. "The firemen, my friends and family all said that it was a guardian angel watching over me, which was lovely to hear." And shockingly, despite the huge gaping hole in the windscreen, Alannah's car - her first ever vehicle, that she acquired in January 2020 - sustained no damage to the bodywork whatsoever. She said: "The policeman laughed, actually, when I had finally calmed down, because he said, 'I can't believe there is not one single scratch on your car'." Advertisement Police removed the metal chunk and put They conducted a short investigation at the scene but determined that the incident was entirely accidental, Alannah said. The emergency services also commended the young student's driving and said without keeping a cool head and remaining in control of her car, things could have been much worse. Alannah's friends joked that her ordeal was like the famous scene from the action film Final Destination 2 in which logs fall off the back of a truck. Advertisement She said: "A lot of people keep saying it reminds them of that scene. That's been kind of the laughing joke today about it." She added: "I just feel very lucky with how it turned out. I feel very unlucky it happened, but very lucky I survived. "Luckily, it's only the windshield which is damaged, but it could have gone so seriously wrong. "All my friends that I've told, they were like, you honestly could have died, you could have been seriously injured. Advertisement "I've walked out of it intact though, I haven't even got a scratch on me. "My parents were very grateful that I was okay. My mum said it was my granddad who was watching over me, and looking after me." Alannah is soon heading back to university but shared her advice for other drivers in similar situations. She said: "I know it sounds stupid, but try and keep control of the car, and just try not to suddenly slam your brakes on. Advertisement "Just try and stay in contact and get yourself somewhere safe."
The Sun
29-06-2025
- Automotive
- The Sun
Huge chunk of metal fired through my windscreen as I drove at 70mph on the motorway… it missed my head by INCHES
A STUDENT narrowly avoided being impaled after a huge strip of metal fell off a car and lodged in her windscreen. Alannah was driving on the M3 from Bournemouth to her parents' home in Addlestone, Surrey, on Tuesday, June 24. 8 8 The terrifying incident occurred at 2.25pm, around a mile before junction four, which Alannah compared to film series Final Destination. The 22 year-old, a graphic design student at Arts University Bournemouth, had no time to react as the huge metallic pole smashed into her windscreen - leaving her inches from death. She told The Sun: "It looks like a step from the side of a car. It hit me when I was going about 70 miles per hour. "I tried to swerve a bit but I was in the fast lane and there were cars to my side, so I couldn't move lanes. "When I saw the item blow off the car, I put my hand on the horn and I didn't let go, because my first instinct was to make everyone aware something's happened. "Then it hit. In that initial shock, I burst out crying because it was the biggest bang, everything sounded like it smashed. "I thought the whole thing came through the windscreen, it was really confusing, I was just in shock that there was this massive thing in my car." Alannah initially pulled over to the hard shoulder to ring her dad, but was terrified that her tiny Fiat 500 would be flattened by a passing lorry. She said: "I called my dad, and he knew that I was terrified of being on the side of the motorway. When a lorry goes past, it really shakes, it was petrifying." After less than a minute she pulled back on to the motorway with the intention of reaching the next service station. Alannah's plan was to stay behind a lorry to avoid any stones flying up and shattering what remained of her windscreen. However, she was flagged by a fellow driver, who forced her to pull over and then called the emergency services. Alannah said: "He came straight up and helped me get out of the car and over the barrier to make sure I was okay. "It's so annoying that I don't remember his name, but I'm so grateful for him because he helped calm me down, he helped get everything sorted. He was the one who called everyone to help me. "He stayed with me until the emergency services arrived before leaving." Fire services and police attended the scene while Alannah spoke to an ambulance team over the phone, but miraculously she sustained no physical injuries. Firemen told Alannah that a 'guardian angel' must have been watching over her because the metal object split when it hit the windscreen, stopping it from passing all the way through and potentially killing her. Alannah said: "The firemen actually did say the windshield actually helped the metal split. 8 8 8 8 8 "They said if it didn't split, it would have come all the way through and hit me. "It could have ended up being really, really serious, I'm incredibly lucky that I kept control of the car after it hit and carried on driving until I could pull over. "The firemen, my friends and family all said that it was a guardian angel watching over me, which was lovely to hear." And shockingly, despite the huge gaping hole in the windscreen, Alannah's car - her first ever vehicle, that she acquired in January 2020 - sustained no damage to the bodywork whatsoever. She said: "The policeman laughed, actually, when I had finally calmed down, because he said, 'I can't believe there is not one single scratch on your car'." Police removed the metal chunk and put duct tape over the hole, then closed off part of a lane of the motorway in order to escort Alannah to the next services. They conducted a short investigation at the scene but determined that the incident was entirely accidental, Alannah said. The emergency services also commended the young student's driving and said without keeping a cool head and remaining in control of her car, things could have been much worse. Alannah's friends joked that her ordeal was like the famous scene from the action film Final Destination 2 in which logs fall off the back of a truck. She said: "A lot of people keep saying it reminds them of that scene. That's been kind of the laughing joke today about it." She added: "I just feel very lucky with how it turned out. I feel very unlucky it happened, but very lucky I survived. "Luckily, it's only the windshield which is damaged, but it could have gone so seriously wrong. "All my friends that I've told, they were like, you honestly could have died, you could have been seriously injured. "I've walked out of it intact though, I haven't even got a scratch on me. "My parents were very grateful that I was okay. My mum said it was my granddad who was watching over me, and looking after me." Alannah is soon heading back to university but shared her advice for other drivers in similar situations. She said: "I know it sounds stupid, but try and keep control of the car, and just try not to suddenly slam your brakes on. "Just try and stay in contact and get yourself somewhere safe."
Straits Times
31-05-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
Record 121 graduate from Duke-NUS Medical School; some had jobs in law, public relations, accounting
This was the largest number of graduates for a class in the school's 20-year history. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI Record 121 graduate from Duke-NUS Medical School; some had jobs in law, public relations, accounting SINGAPORE – With no background in science, Dr Faith Wong pursued her calling of becoming a doctor at the age of 40. The mother of one previously graduated with a degree in modelmaking from Arts University Bournemouth and then worked in the animation industry. She had suffered depression as a teenager, which was subsequently diagnosed as bipolar disorder, and the experience led her to want to become a doctor. On May 31, the now 44-year-old fulfilled that wish and was among 121 graduates from Duke-NUS Medical School at the Ngee Ann Kongsi Auditorium at Academia located at the Singapore General Hospital Campus. This was the largest number of graduates for a class in its 20-year history. Dr Wong was among the 41 per cent of the 72 doctor of medicine graduates who made mid-career switches from fields such as law, public relations, accounting and mental health support. The other 49 of the 121 graduated with PhDs or master's degrees. When she was 16, Dr Wong suffered from depression, but it was subsequently diagnosed as bipolar disorder. What kept her going was her Catholic faith, therapies and healthcare workers who never gave up on her. She was a senior peer support specialist at the Institute of Mental Health and left in 2021 to attend medical school. She said: 'I found myself deeply reflecting and praying about how best to serve others with this second lease of life. The answer that came to me, very clearly and consistently, was to become a doctor.' One major hurdle was taking the Medical College Admissions Test before entry into the Duke-NUS medicine programme after not taking a major science exam for about two decades. She said: 'For the first three months, biochemistry felt like reading a foreign language.' She spent most weekday nights and weekends studying while juggling her family responsibilities. Clinical rotations were also physically gruelling for her at first, but her stamina improved. 'There were times it felt almost impossible. But what made the difference was the unwavering support I received,' she said. She found hands-on assignments such as dissection work engaging. Her creative thinking skills also helped her approach clinical problems from fresh angles, sometimes offering perspectives that differed from those with more trad itional science train ing . Her ultimate goal is to establish an emergency mental health respite care centre in Singapore, a place where people can walk in and seek help, said Dr Wong. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung, who was guest of honour at the event, congratulated the graduates and acknowledged that they had taken a longer path to become medical doctors, with some whose first degrees were unrelated to medicine or science. He encouraged them to be resilient and optimistic. Health Minister Ong Ye Kung taking a picture with Duke-NUS Medical School graduates on May 31. ST PHOTO: AZMI ATHNI Mr Ong said patient load is high in hospitals, night calls are long, and demanding patients may even file complaints against them with the Singapore Medical Council. He added: 'I want to assure you, this is normal and par for the course. These are the inherent challenges of the profession that you have chosen, and you can overcome (them).' He said Singapore is responding proactively to an ageing world population, medical technological advancements and a global shortage of healthcare workers, which demand healthcare transformation. Besides investing in community care systems and infrastructure, among other things, Singapore is also using more digital and artificial intelligence (AI) technology in healthcare, he said. Mr Ong added: 'They will not replace healthcare workers and the judgment of doctors, but they will remove tedious tasks, augment capabilities and create new opportunities.' He was joined by Duke-NUS dean Thomas C offman and Dr Amy Abernethy, co-founder of healthcare start-up Highlander Health. Another graduate, Dr Loh De Rong, 28, hopes to combine his engineering background and medical knowledge to improve healthcare systems and patient outcomes. He is among the first batch of graduates from a special programme where Duke-NUS offers conditional admissions to pre-university students from other fields to pursue medical studies. Under the programme, which was launched in 2017, interested students can first apply to take undergraduate studies at one of Duke-NUS' partner universities before going on to Duke-NUS Medical School to study medicine at a postgraduate le vel. They undergo undergraduate studies for three or four years, then spend four more years at the postgraduate medical sch ool. A graduate from the Singapore University of Technology and Design, Dr Loh studied computer science, focusing on machine learning and software engineering. He said: 'As medicine continues to evolve in the AI era, I hope to contribute to clinical AI projects and be well positioned to critically evaluate how such tools are applied in healthcare.' Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.
