Sandhurst: ‘Iconic’ bridge has Christmas graffiti repainted

It might seem too early to be kicking off the festive season but a beloved local landmark has had a makeover and is once again wishing people “Happy Christmas”. College students first painted those two words on the crossing between Yorktown Road and High Street in Sandown in 1967. In February, hundreds of residents called for the fading piece of graffiti to be repainted – with people coming forward to share what the sign meant to them. Sandhurst Town Council and Network Rail have now collaborated to redo the graffiti in its original form. Harriet Fraser, who lives in Sandhurst, told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that her uncle Martin Malorie was one of the seven college students who painted the bridge in the 60s after leaving a Christmas party nearby. She said: “They went to the Rose & Crown pub and then to a house for a party. “My grandad was painting something in the garage and the boys took it with the piano. “They wheeled the grand piano to the bridge and then dangled down and painted it.” Mrs Fraser said the landmark is often used when giving directions in the town and she was “really pleased” to...