Bright idea Bollards get colourful makeover in tribute to Marcus

A BRISTOL man dying of leukaemia in hospital had one last wish - that a long line of new stark black bollards installed on a road near his home should be colourfully painted, so that his wife and two sons, and all his neighbours, will have a brighter place to walk.

- Tristan CORK

The painted bollards and, inset, Marcus Willcocks

And the idea, proposed by Marcus Willcocks as he was in hospital for the final time, has now been fulfilled, after an extraordinary collaborative effort involving a top university in London, local street artists and councillors, got the job done.

Marcus Willcocks lived with his wife Marta and two sons Joel and Ruben in Windmill Hill. He was an internationally-renowned urban designer, researcher and worked at the Design Council in London and most recently as the lead urban designer at the Bristol-based Sustrans, coming up with new ways to make better public spaces, with a passion for street art and an expert knowledge in how to design places that reduced crime.

Tragically, he was struck down with leukaemia and passed away in June at the age of just 47. In his final weeks, friends and family said even when he was entering the final stages of the battle, he was thinking of ideas of how to improve the area around where he knew his family would continue to live.

Earlier this year, Bristol City Council began installing hundreds of bollards along Whitehouse Lane, as part of a long-term regeneration project which initially includes installing a new cycle road connecting Windmill Hill and Bedminster Green with the city centre.