An enormous mural paying tribute to the perseverance of the people of Leith throughout the coronavirus pandemic has been officially unveiled.
The giant artwork, which reads ‘You’re worth your room on this earth,’ appeared over the last week after being commissioned by local creative group Studio Something to celebrate the country’s slow emergence from lockdown.
The colourful message, which pays homage to The Proclaimers anthem Sunshine on Leith, replaces the Tim Chalk scene that previously occupied space on Tolbooth Wynd opposite the towering Links View House.
Lyrics from the 1988 hit, quickly adopted by fans of Hibernian FC, declare: 'While I'm worth, my room on this earth, I will be with you.'
Studio Something director Ian Greenhill, whose family lived in the area for three generations, commissioned the piece and admitted he was overwhelmed by the positive response to the design.
“We just love it,” Ian told Edinburgh Live.
“The last year has been pretty bad. Many people have been forgotten about and inequality and isolation have been multiplied by the pandemic.
“We really liked Tim Chalk’s old mural that had been in the space, but it had been graffitied and we thought ‘can we maybe restore it?’ but it was beyond that point.
“Leith’s motto is persevere and we all have kind of got through this together over the past year. It is just remembering that we are all human.
“It is as simple as that, and that message, coming from Sunshine on Leith, it is so powerful, it is what we all need.
“If one person passes by and gets a lift from it, that’s all we can really ask for.”
Chalk is more famous for his depiction 'The Leithers,' produced on a gable end on Lomond Street in 1986 as part of a joint project with Paul Grime and David Wilkinson.
The street artwork celebrated the Leith's maritime and industrial history during a period in which the area had become one of the city's most deprived communities.
His Tolbooth Wynd piece, which previously depicted a seaside scene, was less well known and had become badly weathered by time before the new imagery was produced by Studio Something director of design Ken Clark.
Artist Thomas Paints, who previously worked with the firm on a range of Hearts-inspired murals at Tynecastle, created the eye-catching composition over several days.
"It's been fantastic to be a part of this project and a genuine joy to speak to the community whilst painting the mural," he said.
"People are just happy to see something positive happening in their area, after what has been a challenging year for so many."
