THEY’RE BRIGHT, they’re colourful and they’re certainly a lot better than the graffiti strewn boxes that preceded them.
During lockdown, residents of Newtown started seeing their junction boxes receive a special lick of paint.
An anonymous street artist has made it a mission to decorate each one with a unique take.
Some have inspirational messages, some have bright patterns on, and some have playful images linked to their surroundings.
There is a small junction box on London Road that has been bashed, and this one has been decorated with a face to suggest it has suffered in a fatal incident.
Another, near a pharmacy, has an NHS-adorned ‘Pac-Man’ character chomping up some ghosts hiding on the telephone box next to it.
Other designs include one decorated to look like a cow, another in the style of tiles used in Victorian Reading buildings, and one on Manchester Road that encourages people to listen out for bird song.
One Newtown resident, who didn’t want to be named, said: “They’re brilliant. They really brighten up the area.
“Whoever is thinking these up is doing a fantastic job. Everyone loves them.
“When they first appeared during lockdown, we used to look out for new ones when taking our daily exercise. Whoever is behind them should take a bow.”
