It almost goes without saying* that ever since I left Warminster the town has enjoyed a mini Renaissance. Though Covid has hit Warminster pretty hard, lovely new gift shops and cafes now abound and as a whole the town feels friendlier than a decade ago, with a lot more fresh energy than I remember. My only sadness is the closure of record shop Raves from the Grave, though there’s still a branch in nearby Frome.

Even the boarded up shops have a buoyancy about them, thanks to paintings of birds appearing on them. Unlike the county’s crop circles, there is no mystery about the creation of these: they’re by local artist Tanya Hinton.

Self-taught Hinton, 51, works from her studio in Crockerton and has a love for Warminster. Feeling sad about all the boarded up shops she started creeping into town early in the morning and painted birds on the hoardings. Hinton guesses she’s painted about fifty birds since she started in September, including blackbirds, blue tits, robins, parrots and swallows.

The artist has become a local celebrity, and businesses have started requesting birds on their shop fronts, which she paints free of charge.

The paintings have certainly cheered the locals up, with one person declaring Hinton Warminster’s very own Banksy. Now shouldn’t that be Birdsy?

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*Though I will say it: I’ve had a similar effect on places from Brighton to Brixton – as soon as I move out, house prices hit the roof and the place becomes trendy. Property developers should pay me to leave.

Coming soon
Warminster wreaths

Previously on Barnflakes
Warminster Folk
Top 10 Warminster disasters
POPBITCH: Warminster Special
Putting the war in Warminster