The Mary Poppins Mural:
For those living in the ‘Smoke’ or its ‘burbs’ – then last week you may have viewed a piece on the local News that related to a mural of the legendary fictional character “MARY POPPINS” – that had appeared on a rooftop down in Earls Court – an occurrence that has resulted in a big kerfuffle involving the resident, (who commissioned the mural) and the local council.
The rooftop mural depicts dear old Mary Poppins, with her umbrella and bag – flying through a heart shape and towards the chimney pots.
The mural has been painted high up on a rooftop wall of a property in Earls Court Square, and the guy who is responsible for it, says that the terrible recent tragedies of the Moroccan earthquake and the Libyan flood disaster, inspired him to produce the mural as a ‘symbol of hope in a world of despair’.
However – the local Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea council, along with some of the residents of Earls Court Square – haven’t been so keen on it being where it is – and action has been taken to get it removed.
The council (& some of the residents) beef about it is that, because Earls Court Square is a listed conservation area, they view the mural as a breach of planning control and (I quote) as demonstrable/ harmful graffiti to the preservation of the environment. The council also stated that the buildings of Earls Court Square, and its surrounding streets, are not a canvass for graffiti artists.
They feel that there are:- many different ways that expression of joy/levity and goodness – all of which we need at times – can be portrayed via many other different initiatives that don’t involve permanent changes to their conservation area.
As I say, this topic was featured on the local New on tv last week – and because enforcement action has now been served upon the guy responsible for putting it up there – I felt it was only right for my London Shoes to head off down to jolly old Earls Court -London SW5 to ‘capture’ the mural in question before it gets scrubbed off the wall and lost for ever.
For this trek out, I was accompanied by my old mate Pete – and having exited Earls Court tube station, we turned right down the Earls Court Road, then after a couple of hundred yards, turned right into Earls Court Square.
Obviously, I had no idea on what building this Mary Poppins mural was on – only that it was somewhere in Earls Court Square – on a roof – and close to a chimney stack.
So – I walked clockwise around the ‘Square’, looking up high onto the roofs of its magnificent late 1870’s built houses (more like mansions) – but I couldn’t see the mural anywhere. So – my London Shoes turned around to face the other way and did an anti-clockwise lap of Earls Court Square – but again, I couldn’t see this mural anywhere.
My mate Pete then suggested that we should ask ‘workmen’ who were renovating one of the massive houses on the Square – because they would surely have seen all the tv camera crews and reporters etc that had been down there during the week, and so they would know exactly where the mural was…..what a good idea, or so I thought!!!
However – when making my enquiry, clearly explaining my predicament in terms of what I was in the Square for and, with my hands, demonstrating what I was searching for – it does help if the people you address your enquiry to – can actually understand and speak English – these pleasant bunch of Eastern European builders/labourers – didn’t have the slightest clue what I was on about – they just looked at me as if I were a right nutter !!!
Anyway – as we were ‘chatting’ to the builders, a gentleman of more senior years approached Shoes and guessed that I was looking for the mural and pointed up towards the skyline in front of where I was standing – and there far in the distance, right up under a chimney stack – an image of Mary Poppins could just about be seen – if you didn’t know of its exact location, you could easily walk past it without seeing it or knowing of its existence.
The gentleman (who was a resident of the Square) who had kindly pointed us in the right direction, then mentioned about the council’s action – and eloquently described the councils stance as ‘a load of old b****cks’. !!!
So – having now finally located the mural, London Shoes took a few photos of poor old Mary Poppins for posterity purposes – which I hope you enjoy seeing.
Now – I absolutely get the council’s point of view of this issue, as technically their stance on the matter is absolutely right – because, we can’t just have people spraying graffiti willy nilly everywhere on walls of residential houses – especially on ‘posh’ houses located in a conservation area.
However – just think, what if a mural of say (for example) a dancing rhinoceros wearing a tutu, had appeared overnight on the Earls Court Square skyline……and that mural just happened to have had been done by “Banksy” – I just wonder if that scenario would have prompted the same condemning negative responses??? – I somehow feel that maybe, the matter would be viewed as a completely different kettle of fish!!!
In my opinion – this particular mural is pleasant on the eye (when you actually know where its located) as it depicts a character that almost everyone (of a certain age anyway) will probably know – its inoffensive, its tucked far away from anyone’s immediate visual eyeline and it’s not doing any harm to anyone…….and so let it remain as a one-off, and promote it as something positive – why not!!!.
Having finished my tasks in Earls Court Square – my London Shoes were feeling in a very Mary Poppins’ie mood – and so decided to leg it over to the Kings Road in Chelsea, to try and track down 2 houses that the Mary Poppins renowned author “P.L.Travers” had lived in when she wrote some of her 8 Mary Poppins books.
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**UPDATE** Jan 2026 –
Dear London Shoes:– I thought you might like to know that the Secretary of State and National Planning inspectorate have upheld my appeal against the removal notice from RBK&C councillors and quashed it. So – Mary will be up there forever. You may wish to inform your audience. Best Wishes Patrick
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50 Smith Street – London SW3
Pamela Lyndon Travers was born Helen Lyndon Goff in 1899 in Queensland Australia.
She went to boarding school – did a bit of Shakespearean acting – and had her first piece of work published whilst still in her teens.
She emigrated to England at the age of 24 – took on the name Pamela Lyndon Travers – and as P.L Travers aged 33, she began writing the very first of her Mary Poppins books. The first of the 8 was simply entitled ‘Mary Poppins’ and was published in London in 1934. The last of her 8 Mary Poppins books was entitled ‘Mary Poppins and the house next door’ and was published in 1988 when Travers was aged 88.
For most of the time, P.L. Travers lived in 2 houses that were situated in streets off the Kings Road in Chelsea.
Between the years 1946 to 1962 she lived at 50 Smith Street – a lovely late Georgian terraced house built around the early 1800’s – and it is there in Smith Street that she wrote and published ‘Mary Poppins in the Park’ and ‘Mary Poppins opens the door’.
Although she was single – she never married – she adopted a baby boy from Ireland who she named Camillus Travers – and Camillus spent his formative years being brought up by Travers at 50 Smith Street.
It was whilst living at 50 Smith Street that Travers finally gave in to Walt Disney’s 20 year pursuit to get her to agree to have her Mary Poppins stories made into a Disney film.
P L Travers was a stubborn hard task master who insisted on overseeing all the meetings about characterisation of Mary Poppins and the sorts of things she got up to in the film – apparently, she gave Walt Disney and all the Disney people, a hard time – as she was adamant that Poppins be portrayed correctly, as she had been written.
In later life Travers admitted that she regretted selling the rights to Disney – as she felt the film sugar-coated the character and the stories that she had written – and omitted to portray the darker undertones of Mary and the stories.
The entire Walt Disney / P L Travers story and the making of the film Mary Poppins – is excellently captured in the 2013 released film “Saving Mr. Banks” starring Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and Emma Thompson as P.L. Travers…..check it out, it’s a really good film in my opinion.
Today – a blue plaque is on display at 50 Smith Street – commemorating the fact that P.L Travers once lived there.
29 Shawfield Street – London SW3
Just a couple of turnings further down the Kings Road from Smith Street, is Shawfield Street where P.L Travers lived at no.29 from 1962 until she died in 1996.
Again – her adopted son Camillus lived there with her for most of the time.
Shawfield Street is very much like her previous Smith Street home – with lovely old terraced houses built around the late 1700’s / early 1800’s.
It is whilst living at 29 Shawfield Street that P.L.Travers wrote and published the books:- ‘Mary Poppins from A to Z’ / ‘Mary Poppins in the Kitchen’ / ‘Mary Poppins in Cherry Tree Lane’ & ‘Mary Poppins and the house next door’ which was published 8 years before her death in 1996.
Apparently – 29 Shawfield Street appears briefly on occasions in the ‘Saving Mr. Banks’ film.
Just to give you some idea of how prestigious these particular Chelsea addresses are – the terraced houses in Shawfield Street and Smith Street, currently go for a snip at £4.5 million.
Strangely though – there is no blue commemorative plaque at 29 Shawfield Street – maybe a person can’t have 2 plaques, I don’t know – but I think it’s a shame that the history of the property in respect of its previous owner – is not commemorated there.
The Admirals House:
So – having explored the Kings Road-Chelsea to establish the location of Mary Poppins author P.L. Travers London homes – my London Shoes were still in a bit of a Poppins’ie mood and so decided to jump on a few tube trains and head off northwards to leafy/wealthy Hampstead-London NW3.
The reason for trekking up to Hampstead was to search for a building called the ‘Admirals House’.
If you’ve seen the legendary 1964 released Mary Poppins film, you will recall that Admiral Boom and Mr. Binnacle, both retired ex-Navy men – live next door to Mr. & Mrs Banks in Cherry Tree Lane.
The roof of Admiral Boom’s house is converted into a quarterdeck of ship – and twice a day, from the roof of their home – Mr. Binnacle, under the firm orders of Admiral Boom, fires a cannon.
The noise of the firing cannon has the effect of waking/shaking up the neighbourhood – particularly the Banks household next door.
The Admirals House at no.5 Admirals Walk – Hampstead, is a Grade II Listed building and its main claim to fame is that it was the inspiration for Admiral Boom’s house in Disney’s Mary Poppins.
Admirals House was built in 1700 and used to be known as Golden Spikes, and later The Grove.
Between 1713 to 1745 it was a Masonic Lodge – but between 1775 to 1811 the house was owned by a man named Fountain North an alleged former naval captain. Fountain North added a ship quarter deck to the roof of his house. He also went a bit more naval and added bulwarks and portholes throughout the structure.
Now – this is the quirky thing about Hampstead’s Admiral House………an Admiral has NEVER ever lived in it !!!!
An Admiral Matthew Barton (1715-1795) DID once live in Hampstead, but nowhere near the current Admirals House location – and funnily enough, this Admiral Barton was famously known locally for firing a cannon from his rooftop. So, at that time, everyone simply assumed that this cannon was being fired from the quarter deck on the roof of Admiral House……but of course, it wasn’t.
In the 19th Century the famous artist John Constable knocked out some impressive paintings of Admirals House – and today two of those paintings hang in the V&A Museum and the National Gallery.
Throughout the decades several notable people have lived in Admiral House-Hampstead– and of course, I think it’s a pretty fair bet to say that quite possibly, the Admiral Barton story must have been a huge influence on a certain 1964 Disney film, and its scenes involving Admiral Boom & Mr. Binnacle firing cannons from the roof of their house.
So – by now I was feeling all Poppins’ed out – and with my London Shoes having pounded quite a few miles of pavement – it was most definitely time for a little liquid refreshment and a bag of pork scratchings – and whilst walking through the narrow ups and downs of Hampstead’s back streets, my London Shoes (accompanied by my mate Pete) eventually stumbled upon The Wells Tavern.
The Wells Tavern:
Located on the corner of Well Walk and Christchurch Hill – spitting distance from the vast greenery of Hampstead Heath – the Wells Tavern building dates back to 1850 – it was previously the site of The Green Man pub which in itself dated back to the 1700’s.
The Grade II Listed Wells Tavern appeared to me to be very much a ‘gastro’ type pub – and from speaking to a few of the locals, apparently its very popular with diners – anyway, me and my mate Pete certainly enjoyed a couple of ‘cheeky’ ones in there.
In Summary
Now – whilst putting this blog article together, out of the blue, Mrs Shoes (Angela) suddenly confessed that she actually had a copy of the 1934 published “Mary Poppins” book – that was re-published in the early 1960’s following the success of the now all time classic 1964 released Disney film – a book that she says she read around 1965 when she was about 10yrs old.
So – all in all a very enjoyable Mary Poppins themed day – one in which my London Shoes pounded over 7 miles of pavement (according to my step-counter app) – mullered the old Freedom Pass, travelling from Earls Court to the Kings Road in Chelsea – then travelled on to the leafy ‘burb’ of Hampstead, and then all the way back home of course.
So – I hope you enjoyed London Shoes adventures seeking out the Mary Poppins mural and some of the lesser-known aspects of P.L. Travers – ‘London’ – and hope the accompanying photos help bring the days exploits to life a bit for you.
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See below the entire gallery of photos taken to support this blog article
For those living in the ‘Smoke’ or its ‘burbs’ – then last week you may have viewed a piece on the local News that related to a mural of the legendary fictional character “MARY POPPINS” – that had appeared on a rooftop down in Earls Court – an occurrence that has resulted in a big kerfuffle involving the resident, (who commissioned the mural) and the local council.
The mural has been painted high up on a rooftop wall of a property in Earls Court Square, and the guy who is responsible for it, says that the terrible recent tragedies of the Moroccan earthquake and the Libyan flood disaster, inspired him to produce the mural as a ‘symbol of hope in a world of despair’.
The local council (& some of the Earls Court Sq residents) are not happy about the appearance of the Mary Poppins mural – because Earls Court Square is a listed conservation area
A close-up of the Mary Poppins mural in Earls Court Square
Me – and a pavement view of the Mary Poppins mural – in Earls Court Square London SW5
Another close up view of the controversial Mary Poppins mural in Earls Court Square – London SW5
Pamela Lyndon Travers the author of the Mary Poppins books – was born Helen Lyndon Goff in 1899 in Queensland Australia. She emigrated to England at the age of 24 – took on the name Pamela Lyndon Travers. Between the years 1946 to 1962 P L Travers lived at 50 Smith Street –off the Kings Road-Chelsea.
50 Smith Street – is a lovely late Georgian terraced house built around the early 1800’s
It is whilst living at 50 Smith Street that P L Travers wrote and published ‘Mary Poppins in the Park’ and ‘Mary Poppins opens the door’.
Although P L Travers never married – she adopted a baby boy from Ireland who she named Camillus Travers – and Camillus spent his formative years being brought up by Travers at 50 Smith Street.
Today – a blue plaque is on display at 50 Smith Street – commemorating the fact that P.L Travers once lived there.
Me – outside P L Travers former home at 50 Smith Street – a turning off the Kings Road-Chelsea-London SW3
Just a couple of turnings further down the Kings Road from Smith Street, is Shawfield Street where P.L Travers lived at no.29 from 1962 until she died in 1996.
Shawfield Street is very much like her previous Smith Street home – with lovely old terraced houses built around the late 1700’s / early 1800’s.
It is whilst living at 29 Shawfield Street that P.L.Travers wrote and published the books:- ‘Mary Poppins from A to Z’ / ‘Mary Poppins in the Kitchen’ / ‘Mary Poppins in Cherry Tree Lane’ & ‘Mary Poppins and the house next door’ which was published 8 years before her death in 1996.
The entire Walt Disney / P L Travers story and the making of the film Mary Poppins – is excellently captured in the 2013 released film “Saving Mr. Banks” starring Tom Hanks as Walt Disney and Emma Thompson as P.L. Travers
Apparently – 29 Shawfield Street appears on occasions in the ‘Saving Mr. Banks’ film.
Me – outside 29 Shawfield Street – Chelsea – where Mary Poppins author lived from 1962 to her death in 1996
So – having explored the Kings Road-Chelsea to establish the location of Mary Poppins author P.L. Travers London homes – my London Shoes were still in a bit of a Poppins’ie mood and so decided to jump on a few tube trains and head off northwards to leafy/wealthy Hampstead-London NW3.
Me – outside Hampstead tube station (on the Northern Line-the black one on a standard tube map) – on the 3rd leg of London Shoes Mary Poppins themed day
The reason for trekking up to Hampstead was to search for a building called the ‘Admirals House’.
In the 19th Century the famous artist John Constable knocked out some impressive paintings of Admirals House – and today two of those paintings hang in the V&A Museum and the National Gallery.
If you’ve seen the all time classic 1964 released Mary Poppins film, you will recall that Admiral Boom and Mr. Binnacle, both retired ex-Navy men – live next door to Mr. & Mrs Banks in Cherry Tree Lane.
The roof of Admiral Boom’s house is converted into a quarterdeck of ship – and twice a day, from the roof of their home – Mr. Binnacle, under the firm orders of Admiral Boom, fires a cannon. The noise of the firing cannon has the effect of waking/shaking up the neighbourhood – particularly the Banks household next door.
The Admirals House at no.5 Admirals Walk – Hampstead, is a Grade II Listed building and its main claim to fame is that it was the inspiration for Admiral Boom’s house in Disney’s Mary Poppins.
‘Admirals House’ Hampstead was built in 1700. Between 1713 to 1745 it was a Masonic Lodge – but between 1775 to 1811 the house was owned by a man named Fountain North an alleged former naval captain. Fountain North added a ship quarter deck to the roof of his house. He also went a bit more naval and added bulwarks and portholes throughout the structure.
Me – outside the front door of Admirals House-Hampstead
Now – here’s the weird thing about Hampstead’s ‘Admiral House’………an Admiral has NEVER ever lived in it !!!!
Me – & my accomplice for the day, my old mate Pete – outside ‘Admiral House’ Hampstead-London NW3
Feeling all Poppins’ed out – with my London Shoes having pounded quite a few miles of pavement – it was time for a little liquid refreshment and a bag of pork scratchings. So my London Shoes wandered the narrow Hampstead’s back streets in search of a quite little pub – to rest me trotters.
An rather unusual sight to see these days on a London street……but perhaps not so unusual for Hampstead NW3
Now – whilst putting this blog article together, out of the blue, Mrs Shoes (Angela) suddenly confessed that she actually had a copy of the 1934 published “Mary Poppins” book
‘P L Travers first ‘Mary Poppins’ book was re-published in the early 1960’s following the success of the now all time classic 1964 released Disney film. Mrs Shoes (Angela) says she read this book when she was 10yrs old – and thoroughly enjoyed it
A page & illustration from Mrs Shoes copy of ‘Mary Poppins’
A page & illustration from Mrs Shoes copy of ‘Mary Poppins’
Located on the corner of Well Walk and Christchurch Hill – spitting distance from the vast greenery of Hampstead Heath – The Wells Tavern building dates back to 1850
The Wells Tavern-Hampstead site was previously the site of The Green Man pub which in itself dated back to the 1700’s.
Inside The Wells Tavern – Hampstead – London NW3
Me – knocking back the first ‘cheeky’ one inside The Wells Tavern – Hampstead-London NW3
Inside The Wells Tavern – Hampstead – London NW3
A couple of ‘cheeky’ ones in The Welsl Tavern-Hampstead – just waiting for me and my mate Pete
Me – & my old mate Pete – seeing off a couple of ‘quick ones’ in the Wells Tavern-Hampstead – following quite an exhausting day travelling all over the ‘Smoke’ doing this ‘Mary Poppins themed London Shoes blog.
Excellent again Geoff. I could show the council mountains of offensive graffiti- that certainly isn’t one of them
Fabulous stuff once again – also the mural isn’t exactly offensive imho but If I lived there I’d probably want it painting over eventually.
Definitely worth the effort you’ve put in to produce this blog but it was worth it though as I loved it,
I love the whackyness (if there is such a word) of the whole concept, from painting high on the wall, to half a ship being built on a rooftop and all the in-between, plus a lot of interesting facts about the author.
I’m with you, if the mural was a ‘Banksey’, then would there be a fuss being made to remove it…. I think not!!
Another great read Geoff, thank you. I completely agree Mary Poppins should be allowed to stay. I really do enjoy reading about your trips and always look out for things and places you mention when up in town.
Thanks Janice – I thoroughly enjoy doing my Shoes stuff, and the fact that I receive positive feedback such as yours, I will continue to get out there and search for unusual London related topics to publish -so keep following.
Best wishes
GEOFF (www.londonshoes.blog)
Nice read Geoff . Did you feed the birds for tuppence ?
Love this. The picture is hardly intrusive. As your own experience proves, it is easily missed unless you are looking for it. Could cold have always been rather find of their red tape and lack of common sense but hey…..it’s what they’re good at! 😉. I’m sure I had a copy of the same book that Angela dug out but I’m afraid mine is long gone. I also enjoyed “Saving Mr Banks” and, dare I say it, Julie Andrews’ immortalisation of Mary Poppins on film? We enjoyed the stage musical version when it toured about 8 years ago and have our tickets for when the new tour visits the “frozen north” this coming October when it will no doubt knock the socks off a new generation of theatregoers
They find the mural inoffensive!!!! , the council must have higher priorities?!!!
Shoes, I’m the curator of the Mary Poppins mural. Thank you for your coverage. I have appealed the enforcement decision so it will remain up whilst the Secretary of Sate’s National Planning Inspectorate deliberate the merits of my appeal i.e. not RBK&C councillors. Fingers crossed. Patrick
Hi Patrick – thank you for taking the time and trouble to contact me via my London Shoes website – really appreciate it.
I can assure you, I will continue to keep banging the drum re: your Mary Poppins mural via my minor on-line mediums, so do not hesitate to share any updates with me and I will add them to my London Shoes postings (website / facebook / twitter / instagram) – and let’s hope that common sense prevails with the Government ‘Suits’, although I suspect it will be a long drawn out process before a decision is made !!!
Anyway – here’s wishing you the best of luck.
kind regards
GEOFF (www.londonshoes.blog)
Shoes, thought you might like to know that the Secretary of State and National Planning inspectorate have upheld my appeal against the removal notice from RBK&C councillors and quashed it. Mary will be up there forever. You may wish to inform your audience. Best, Patrick
Hi Patrick,
Thank you so much for updating me – what fantastic news – and its only right that ‘Mary’ should remain in situ for all to see – for once, common sense has prevailed – even though you’ve clearly had to fight a few battles to win the war, so to speak.
Well done Patrick – I will add an update paragraph about this to my blog narrative.
Kind regards
GEOFF (www.londonshoes.blog)