Banksy? Bench plaques? Plagiarism? There’s a lot to unpack here, so let’s start where every good story should. At the beginning. It all started three days ago (March 24) when a Bristol author shared an image on X (Twitter) of a commemorative bench plaque she’d spotted on Royal York Crescent in Bristol. It read:
For My Love
06.09.69 – 25.12.23
Husband, Father, Adulterer
Yes, Roger, I Knew
“Can’t stop thinking about this plaque which has appeared on a bench on Royal York Crescent in Clifton. My best guess is that the other person lives close by,” said Jill Mansell. “Just had a thought – maybe Roger’s still alive and the dates refer to the length of the marriage. Maybe he walked out on her on Christmas day. (God, I’m brilliant. I should be a writer.)”
From the ridiculous birthdate (Google it) to the scandalous call-out of a (presumably) deceased husband, it obviously had the whole internet laughing. Many went as far as to even suggest it was the work of Bristol’s only artist Banksy – but seeing as he was busy in London making a political statement about trees or something, we doubted it. The story caused such a hoo-ha, however, that even The Guardian and other publications picked it up.
So who was behind this hilarious plack? That’s when UK artist, Themisfortuneteller, stepped forward. Not as the culprit behind the plaque on a bench on Royal York Crescent. But as the ORIGINAL artist, who had the idea back in 2020. Apart from some slight changes, it appears the commemorative plaque is a complete rip-off.
“It’s not Banksy’s; it’s fucking mine! So apparently some utter, utter twat in Bristol has stolen one of my plaques ideas and put it on a bench,” said Themisfortuneteller on Instagram. “If anyone knows someone at the Guardian (and the Daily Mail, who’ve also featured it), can you please set the record straight. The audacity…”
While it certainly made many laugh this week, we don’t condone plagiarism. We doubt the person behind Royal Crescent York’s bench plaque will ever step forward now, but you can support the real artist by heading to their website here.