IMAGES of Great Yarmouth’s maritime and holiday heritage are brightening hoardings put up this week around the �4m St George’s Chapel renovation.

The mural was commissioned for the town through a grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund and was designed and created by street artist Silent Hobo, who specialises in working on large-scale street murals.

It depicts a time-line of characters representing key points in Yarmouth’s heritage and cultural life, including the town’s maritime and tourist heritage up to its focus in 1960s youth culture with the Mods and Rockers. “My main idea for the piece was to represent the people through this period of history right up to the present day with elements of history passing by in the background,” he said.

“To manage such a large mural, I broke the periods of history into sections and I’d originally sketched out a design for approval and pretty much stuck with it. There are many misconceptions when it comes to spray painting, It can have a negative effect on an area, but it also can have a positive effect too when done with ideas and consideration.”

He has worked on the 30m mural during four visits to the town over the past few months. He was last in Yarmouth to run a paint by numbers spray art workshop for young people to finish the mural in November.

Michael Blank, chairman of Comeunity, the local neighbourhood management organisation, is also featured on the mural after winning a public vote to be included in recognition of his work to improve the lives of people from South and Central Yarmouth.

Borough conservation officer Darren Barker said contractors had already made an “incredible difference”, stripping the inside of the chapel, re-creating what the original architect intended.

It is expected the decorative hoardings will stay in place around St Georges until major works are completed during its renovation into a multi-purpose arts centre, probably around April next year.