Protesting Professor revealed as Clerkenwell’s ‘Banksy’ hoaxer.
Earlier this year some ‘street art’ appeared on some wooden hoardings in Clerkenwell Green in Islington, London. (It was very early on April 1st - a clue, surely?…). Despite the date, local and national newspapers heralded it as a possible new Banksy.
It was soon ripped down and stolen.
This week a local resident, Chris Walker, confessed that he had created the artwork as part of an ongoing effort to get an answer from Islington Council regarding the ugly wooden hoardings that have surrounded some disused lavatories since 2019.
“I’ve contacted the council many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many, many times through the proper channels over the last 6 years but have never received a response” said Mr Walker, a Clerkenwell resident and lecturer at the University of Westminster. “Every April 1st since 2019, I’ve had fun teasing the Council about the eyesore. Usually it’s just local newspapers that pick up the story, but this year the Daily Mail sent a reporter who fell for the hoax, despite heavy hints on an accompanying notice.”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-14576965/Banksy-Locals-suspect-graffitiLondon-latest-masterpiece.html
The notice said verification of authenticity was being sought and that ‘The public are reminded that it is illegal to deface all public property, including these historic hoardings.’ The notice was clearly dated 01.04.2025.
Clerkenwell Green cafe owner Al Scott, who is in on Mr Walker’s annual pranks, told the Mail reporter he served a customer very early on the morning of April 1st who was in a hurry to get back to Bristol. He said his name was Barclay, like the bank. “The prankster is locally known as ‘Shanksy’,” said Mr Scott, “ as a reference to the famous toilet manufacturer Armitage Shanks. But I’ve known it was Chris all along.”
The previous year, Mr Walker put up a fake planning notice, showing an artist’s impression of an enormous bust of Jeremy Corbyn that was to be erected on the site. Most locals were furious, but according to cafe owner Al Scott, staff from the nearby Marx Memorial Museum were tremendously excited.
https://www.islingtontribune.co.uk/article/fake-planning-notice-for-giant-bust-stirs-up-clerkenwell-green-frenzy
Several authentic looking planning notices were put up around the site on Clerkenwell Green.
The notice on the right was directly outside the Marx Memorial Library, which is where Lenin wrote his famous ‘Iskra’ newspaper. The staff got terribly, terribly excited.
Mr Walker explained, “I’ve contacted around twenty different members of Islington Council, and recently thought I was making progress when I actually managed to speak to someone. They said they couldn’t put anything in writing and could only speak off-the-record, but that the hoardings should be down before Christmas. However, that’s exactly what a site manager told me during a £2 million make-over of Clerkenwell Green in 2021.” The expensive makeover showed plans for removing the hoardings. This never happened.
Mr Walker is hoping for something to happen before next April 1st. “To be honest, I’m not sure I can top this year’s Banksy April Fool”. Any suggestions would be most welcome.
Further info regarding the above, and of all 5 April Fool’s Day silliness (including some actual sensible suggestions) can be found on ‘Shanksy’s’ website:
2021 - Art Installation by ‘Izzy Lington’
2022 - The Clerkenwell Mound
2023 - The £2 million overhaul (this one backfired a bit…)
https://clerkenwellgreenhoardingscompetition.wordpress.com/
(Mr Walker would like to point out that he is merely a lecturer, rather than an actual professor. But he feels the headline to this post has a nicer ring.)