Banksy (or a wannabe) spotted in East Croydon

Now, this is in a place I’ve passed nearly every day for the past two months I’ve been living in London, and I would swear on a stack of Douglas Adams novels that it had not been there before... but I’m willing to concede that it’s possible I simply had never noticed it before.

I really don’t think that’s the case, though.

What changed in the last few days? Other than the (possible) appearance of this new work of stenciled spraypainted art? Well, the (empty) building on which this graffito appears was suddenly and without warning slapped with a notice stating that it was under demolition, and apologizing for any inconvenience. The only inconvenience I could see involved the blocking off of a very minor shortcut between Cherry Orchard Road and access to the East Croydon rail station, so minor that the blocking off of it adds not a single step to the journey. Still... the demolition of this building -- the Amy Johnson House, a block of offices -- as well as other nearby structures are part of something ominously called the East Croydon Masterplan. Which sounds like something fatcats would get up to...