Park strife: ‘jobsworths’ scrub out Blur graffiti

Royal Parks “jobsworths” have been criticised for scrubbing out a graffiti tribute to Britpop band Blur on a Primrose Hill footpath.

The lyrics from the band’s 1993 song For Tomorrow became a landmark after being written on the path leading to the summit in 2000.

The words, “And the view’s so nice”, are from the track on 1993 album Modern Life Is Rubbish, which refers to Primrose Hill.

Blur drummer Dave Rowntree said: “It is a jobsworth attitude in Olympic year when we’re meant to be celebrating British culture, and Blur did contribute to British culture. It’s part of the Blur story.”

He told the Camden New Journal: “I can understand the decision but I lived in the area for about 15 years and even I got used to it being there. It’s a shame, it was in one of our videos, we felt deeply about the lyric and about the hill.”

He said the band would meet there, and in the lyric paid homage to the “beautiful view from the top”.

Jeff Nottingham from Finchley Road, who was part of a group who spruced up the paint in March, said: “It is a nice tribute to the band and London. The song is a celebration of Primrose Hill.”

Royal Parks said the plan had been to let the letters fade but people had been repainting them.

Manager Nick Biddle said: “The last attempt took place in wet weather resulting in paint running down and spoiling the path. It was necessary for us to clean the area.”