New Becontree mural to be unveiled this afternoon

A colourful new mural depicting the history of the Becontree estate will be unveiled at Valence House this afternoon.

Its designer, Chad McCail, will be on hand to meet the public between 2pm and 5pm as part of an afternoon of family-friendly activities and free refreshments.

The mural, located on a wall of the visitor centre, charts the estate’s heritage through a winding street, beginning with the first cottages built for the government’s “Homes fit for Heroes” scheme for returning First World War soldiers.

Continuing through almost a century of change, it also depicts Mahatma Ghandi’s 1931 trip to Kingsley Hall and a seldom-known visit of the Hitler Youth in 1938, along with the Blitz, Dagenham carnivals and strikes of the ‘70s.

Entering the 21st Century, the mural paints a picture of the borough’s diverse community uniting to oust the British National Party in 2010, before finishing with children playing together in one of the estate’s open spaces.

Supported by the council, Creative Barking and Dagenham and Valence House, the project is a collaboration between Historypin, the Barbican and Create London.

Read more:

From Hitler to Gandhi: An arty history of Becontree