"Wow! What a commission -? 100 feet of dark empty cellar walls in the basement of a pub in Kings Cross. No brief, no guidelines, just a general instruction to cheer it all up - bright colours and strong images! Oh yes, and there's a grand opening in 9 days so its got to be finished by then!?
And what fun we had - just to be let loose to do our own thing was both stimulating and challenging.?Crumbling lumpy surfaces, strange holes and grilles in the wall and knackered ancient doors and wiring, all became as much inspiration as obstacles! Each day was a fresh challenge never quite knowing if we were going to create something wonderful or simply make a mess! Our answer came 9 days later. We finished on time and that same night our ugly old basement became an ultra-cool ass-kicking London venue - a 5 piece band playing rockin' Gypsy Swing, mellow lighting, a fast flowing bar and a room full of happy appreciative people.

It was a great feeling to be part of the miracle and we want to do more!

Check out the real thing in The Jester Bar at The Cross Kings pub, 126 York Way, Kings Cross, London N1 OAX"

"This looks like a sex dungeon designed by the Beano!" - Stephen Merchant

We've re-painted the Jester Bar at The Cross Kings again! (see at the bottom for how it used to be)

Hell!

One of the great themes in Art! (At least until we got our hands on it and generally ridiculed it!)

Steven Merchant (the Office) was in recently and described it as "A sex dungeon designed by The Beano!" (No, really! He was and he did! And he had his BAfTA with him!)

The management are still discussing what to re-name it - 'King Hell is favourite, though it may be Dante's or possibly The Hell Fire Club, but you get the idea!

Next project - the outside of the pub! Watch this space..