Final chance to see Bowie / Ziggy Stardust and Toby Jug mural

Ch…Ch…Changes are coming to the A3 Tolworth pedestrian underpass so you only have a few days left to enjoy our impressive David Bowie / Ziggy Stardust and Toby Jug music heritage mural before it's gone for good.

TfL engineers are expected to move in by the end of the month and permanently close the underpass where the popular mural was painted last year.

It’s all part of a massive redesign of the A3 Tolworth Junction, which will see the underpass filled in and a new slip road added to accommodate the Signal Park development located on the site of the former Toby Jug pub.

Our huge mural was created as part of our Celebrate 72 / Ziggy Returns event which celebrated 50 years since David Bowie first performed as his iconic Ziggy Stardust persona at the former Toby Jug pub, Tolworth, in 1972. Last year's unveiling of the mural grabbed headlines and helped to put Tolworth on the map, with coverage of mural in national newspapers and even making on Italian national TV!

MAKING HEADLINES: News of the mural made it into the Lancashire Telegraph

The pub stood next to the A3 Tolworth Junction from 1934 to the early 2000s, when it was demolished and the site cleared. Work eventually started on Signal Park in 2021.

Along with a giant portrait of Bowie, the mural’s design features the band posters of many of the then upcoming musicians that performed at the venue during the 60s and 70s and went on to enjoy global stardom. This included artists such as Led Zeppelin, Fleetwood Mac, Thin Lizzy, Genesis, Rod Stewart, The Stranglers, plus many more.

The Bowie / Toby Jug themed mural is one of four murals commissioned by The Community Brain to brighten up the A3 Tolworth Junction pedestrian underpass and celebrate the area’s lesser-known heritage and wildlife.

Bowie and Beyond exhibition coming to Kingston Museum from 31 March

While we’re not able to find a new home for the mural, a copy of it is expected to be displayed as part of the upcoming Bowie and Beyond: Ziggy Stardust & Kingston’s Music Heritage exhibition at Kingston Museum. Running from 31 March to 16 September, this special exhibition will celebrate David Bowie’s many connections to Kingston’s music scene and the borough’s rich music heritage. Check out this blog post for more and how you can help.