Futures Past and Present
- ArtBomb
- Jan 8, 2022
- 2 min read
Updated: 4 days ago
Futures Past and Present is a mural by Hayley Garner (Aylo) and Jay Gilleard (Cbloxx) who form the Nomad Clan.
It has been supported by the Art of Protest Gallery and assisted by Natasha Clark and Street Art Atlas. The mural can be found opposite the train station on Trafford Way along the side of the Frenchgate centre. The mural in Doncaster contains lots of references to the town. The name ‘Futures Past and Present’ also reflects this sense of history whilst also using it as a launch pad to see the future.
“Our intention with this mural was to celebrate Doncaster’s remarkable historic past in industry whilst manifesting a future of creativity and diversity” says the Nomad Clan’s Cbloxx.
Both artists are proudly northern. Indeed their murals can be found across the north of England.
“Many a Northern town contributed to the shape of the world as we know it” says Cbloxx. “Be it through coal, steel, steam, canals. These industries that were once a sturdy backbone to Britain are not crumbling columns of eras gone by”.
Mining History
Much of Doncaster's development lays particularly within its coal mining past. Cbloxx’s own Grandfather was a miner. Working at the nearby Bentley Colliery, the Futures Past and Present mural pays a particular homage to him and his beloved pit pony ‘Winter’. Travelling down to work each day he would descend 1750ft into the pitch darkness of the pit. The pit ponies would spend their lives down there. Hauling coal in tubs from the coal face to the haulage road and then back again. It’s a relationship which is now immortalised on the giant wall.
Windrush
Other imagery Futures Past and Present pays tribute to is the Windrush Generation. A Caribbean nurse features prominently. A nod to the important role this generation played in building the NHS and supporting the development of the region after the Second World War. Between the miner and the nurse, galloping horses reference Doncaster’s equestrian history. The towns racecourse is of course one of the most famous in the UK.
Flying Scotsman
Representing the rail industry on the mural is the Flying Scotsman. Perhaps one of the most famous steam trains of all time it was built at the Doncaster Works in 1923. The train with it’s number 4472 became the standard bearer in terms of what modern day locomotion looked like at the time. Running mainly along the east coast line from London to Edinburgh it become a famous sight. Even now, albeit much restored it is still running and is part of the National Railway Museum in York. Doncaster’s history with rail was a key factor in the areas growth and in the powering of the industrial revolution.
