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Fundraising campaign to restore poem to Waterloo subway

London SE1 website team

Poetry-lovers have so far donated more than £600 towards the £4,000 cost of reinstating a poem which was painted on the walls of a Waterloo subway until it was removed by Network Rail this autumn.

Fundraising campaign to restore poem to Waterloo subway
The subway after the poem has been painted out
Fundraising campaign to restore poem to Waterloo subway
Ellie Porter captured this image of the poem as it was being obliterated

The poem Eurydice by Sue Hubbard adorned the pedestrian subway between Waterloo Station's Victory Arch and the BFI IMAX for nine years until it was painted out in October.

The original installation was funded by the Arts Council but Network Rail painted over the poem when they spruced up the tunnel.

"Permission to install the poem was originally given by Railtrack almost ten years ago, however no agreement was ever made around how long it would be there for or its ongoing maintenance," says a Network Rail spokesman.

"The underpass between Waterloo and the IMAX had become shabby so we re-painted it in October to make it a more pleasant environment for the public and bring it into line with other subways around the IMAX which have recently been refreshed.

"We have agreed in principle with the poet that Eurydice can be reinstated on the wall in the subway if the money can be raised to fund the work."

Salt Publishing have launched a fundraising drive to find the £4,000 it will cost to have the poem reinstated.

By 21 December the appeal had raised just over £600.

Donations can be sent via PayPal to restoringwaterloopoem@saltpublishing.com

A Facebook group devoted to the cause now has more than 1100 members.

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