Local Artist's Floral Murals Bring High Street Back to Life!

Juliet Townsend is a talented artist from Colne Engaine, Essex, who paints murals on shop windows for a living. Earlier this year, the High Street in Earl's Colne was closed for six weeks so that workers could repair the gas pipes. This closure happened during important shopping days like Valentine's Day and Mother's Day. Because of the roadworks, many people stopped coming to the shops, and the shop owners lost a lot of business. Some said it was even worse than during the covid lockdowns.

Juliet noticed that her friends who own shops were struggling. She felt frustrated and upset about the situation. Wanting to help, she decided to use her artistic skills to bring attention back to the High Street. After the roadworks finished, Juliet spent three days painting beautiful white, floral murals on the shop windows. She did this for free, hoping to cheer up the shop owners and attract more customers.

The murals made a big difference. Suzi Bull, who owns a lifestyle shop, said the street looked much more lively and inviting. She said, 'I don't have enough superlatives to describe her Juliet, we are all very grateful. ' The murals helped bring people back to the shops, and business started to improve. The gas company, Cadent, said they understood the disruption but had to do the repairs to keep the gas supply safe and reliable. Thanks to Juliet's creativity and kindness, the High Street is now full of life again, and the shop owners are feeling hopeful.