A STOURBRIDGE artist has been doing his bit to brighten up a run-down, vandal-plagued changing facility in a local park.

Experimental artist CAL, who lives in Norton, has jazzed up the bright green changing rooms in Swan Pool Park that were often daubed with graffiti.

Marlene Cauldwell, a resident in South Road, was delighted with the work, which CAL has undertaken at his own expense, and she said: "It's been covered in awful graffiti.

"He's made a beautiful job of this installation. It really is lovely. I'm so pleased to look out the window and not see all that scrawl. He's taken responsibility."

Cal said he decided to give the changing rooms a makeover after being approached by Labour campaigner Cat Eccles.

He said he understood conversations had taken place with the council's parks department in 2019 and that permission to give the building a revamp had been granted so he "just paid for it and did it".

Cal, who regularly visits the park off South Road with his son, also painted the youth shelter "as it was an eyesore" and he told the News: "The council don't seem to care about the park and have neglected it for years. All the money gets spent on Mary Stevens Park."

He said the paint had cost him around £200 and he added: "The public have been thanking me lots for doing it and one came over and brought me cups of tea.

"The response off the local public has been excellent. For a couple hundred quid, it's cheered a lot of people up."

Stourbridge News: The finished changing rooms - painted by Stourbridge artist CAL. Pic - Facebook

And he said if vandals continue to graffiti the walls in future, he will just retouch the artwork - adding: "I think they'll get bored before I do. I've got more paint and time on my hands."

Councillor Karen Shakespeare, Dudley Council's cabinet member for public realm, said of the work: “We welcome any opportunity to work with local groups and people to improve and enhance parks.

"In this case we would very much like to speak to the artist and find out more about the inspiration for their work and involve volunteers at Swan Pool Park."

But she added: "People should get permission from the council before starting projects like this to ensure they meet with the vision of the authority and Friends groups to create vibrant, welcoming parks and open spaces.”

Cal, whose other work can be seen online at www.calsartwork.com, said he hopes to finish off the building and paint the other side with a swan-related mural, in honour's of the park's name, and he said: "I'd like it if the council funded it but we might look at crowdfunding."

He said the inspiration for the artwork done on the changing rooms came from dazzle camouflage used on ships during world war I and II to make it difficult to estimate a target's range, speed, and heading.

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