Wine, spirit and beer, Ladbroke Grove

Where was the provision shop this ghost sign promoted? The obvious answer would be in the very building the sign was painted on but if that was the case, then it was either before or after 1960. Indeed a picture taken in 1960 shows it was home to Searjant's Corner, a store that sold pens, ink and other stationery items. At the origins of this business was certainly H. Searjant, who printed, among other things, a few postcards supporting the suffragette movement around 1911. Yet in the early 20th century H Searjant's printing works could be found a few metres down the road at 159, Ladbroke Grove (the building was demolished when the Westway was built in 1964). Thus did Searjant's moved to the corner of Ladbroke Grove and Cambridge Gardens after the food store vacated the premises, or did the latter replace Searjant's Corner? Looking at the style of the ghost sign, this is hard to tell but if I were to hazard a guess, I would opt for the first possibility.

The sign starts above the window, continues in a diagonal manner to the right of it and ends below. Something certainly preceded the first words still visible today.Meat
Poultry
Provisions
Ham & Beef
Wine
Spirit
& Beer
Click on the picture below to get a better view of the part of the wall with the ghost sign.


Location: Cambridge Gardens / Picture taken in December 2011