H. Morrall, Birmingham

The building where Aerlec (Aluminium) Ltd was based for a very short period was previously home to two businesses if not three as suggested by the ghost signs on its façade. However only one can be fully identidied: H. Morrall, Conveyor & Engineering Co. Ltd.

Indeed the part of the façade at ground floor level that hasn't been rebuilt still bears the marks left by previous occupants. As a result the ghost signs on the arches above the entrances and blocked windows are little palimpsests, only one of which I managed to decipher. More ghost signs were painted against a cream background on each side of the openings.

Unfortunately a quick search on the web by name, occupation and addresses did not return any information about these businesses.

...e...
Specialities
...
So... ...ers
... Makers
...oners
...
...

H. Morrall

Something else was originally written there but only a couple of letters can be made out.

&

Conveyor &

This was painted over

Cabinet

Only very faint traces of letters can be seen here. Nothing that makes sense.

Engineering

Co. Ltd.

Here as well something else was written originally but I can't identify any of it.

...s..d...
Mill No. ...
Scotland
Cartside Mills
Millikenpark. N...
Warehouses
London
Manchester
Glasgow
...

Cartside Mills, built in the 1790s, was one the first cotton mills in Scotland. After the Second World War it was home to Smith and McLaurin's Paper Mill. However none of these activities seem to be connected to the ones carried out in this Birmingham building. Unless of course the ghost signs painted on the cream background have nothing to do with what can still be read on the arcades and refer to another occupant involved in the cotton trade. This is most likely.

Location: Bond Street / Pictures taken in May 2012