We HATE our neighbours’ extremely colourful houses – they’ll look horrendous in a few years time
LOCALS living next door to a row of brightly coloured houses say they hate them and they’ll look horrendous in a few years time.
Residents on a street in Gloucester think the 63 rainbow-coloured homes are too intense.
It comes after artist Tash Frootko, 44, gave the street a splash of colour.
She transformed the properties on Hopewell Street in a bid to cheer people up as Brits continue to face tough times.
However, it seems to have had the opposite effect with some.
Neighbours have said opening their curtains in the morning and seeing the painted homes is not a sight they want.
Carer Steve Chamberlain, 59, said he’d hate to live in the street.
He said: “I can’t imagine waking up having had a few beers the night before and flinging my curtains open to all those colours.
“I’d have to go around wearing sunglasses all the time it is so colourful.
“It might brighten up some people’s lives and it may have given Hopewell Street a bit of notoriety locally, but it’s not my cup of tea thank you.”
Another local resident, Niamh Donnelly, 49, agreed that the street did look better than what it had looked life before.
She said: “Although Hopewell Street was a bit run-down before they started painting, I’m not sure what it will look like in a few years’ time.
“It’s OK now while it’s all still fresh but what happens when the money runs out and the paint starts to peel.
“People aren’t going to be interested in living in a place that was once an art project but has been neglected.
“I think there would be better ways of bringing the community together than giving homes a lick of paint.”
But other residents welcomed the transformation, which had become a dumping place for fly-tippers.
People aren’t going to be interested in living in a place that was once an art project but has been neglected
Niamh Donnelly
Rob Wilks, who has lived on the street for 63 years, said: “It was like Tash appeared from nowhere and turned our street into a work of art.
“The tireless work she does behind the scenes to fix the street’s issues before adding her signature colours is admirable.
“She has bought love, fun, colour and laughter to the street and we can’t thank her enough for that.”
Brigitte Wurfel-Mathurin said: “There is no end to this lady’s ability to improve the look of our city.
“Her remarkable vision and drive is phenomenal and she takes the community on the adventure with her.
“Having Tash come to our street and do what she has done has been life-changing and makes me feel so proud to say that I live in Barton and Tredworth.
“She has created a kaleidoscopic masterpiece here and another landmark for Gloucester.”
Tash said the response she’s had from the community has been “overwhelmingly positive” despite a few people not being fans.
She said: “It shows what an individual with a vision can achieve.”
Her project began in 2018 with painting the houses on a small street.
She is now set on transforming entire parts of Gloucester with the hope of transforming them into huge outdoor art galleries.
Since the artist began her mission to turn Gloucester into the Rainbow City five years ago, 134 houses have been painted.