Hovis, Guildford

I started doing a bit of research for a post about bread brands Hovis and Daren, but it isn't quite ready yet and I've got a few lectures to prepare first. Still I couldn't resist posting the sign below. I saw it yesterday at the beginning of a walk that took us through the North Downs and along the Tillingbourne. I must admit I had never come across a Hovis sign with such a design.

Hõvis
Unfortunately whatever else was written has now completely faded.

Location: Chapel Street, Guildford, Surrey / Picture taken: 07/03/2010

Take Courage, Southwark

How many people realise that in Southwark, between Southwark Bridge and the Cannon Street railway bridges stood what was once the largest brewery in the world? Nowadays few buildings of the Anchor brewery are still standing, but among those that escaped demolition is this house built around 1807 for senior employees.



The familiar slogan must have been painted at some time after 1955, the year Barclay, Perkins & Co. merged with its London rival Courage.

Much has been written over the past two centuries about the brewery. For a short history you can refer to Chapter 9 of Survey of London. Vol. 22 edited by Sir Howard Roberts and Walter H. Godfrey and published in 1950. Edward Walford wrote a longer account of the development of the brewery in 1878 in Old and New London (Vo. 6) (the part about the brewery starts about one third down the page). Much information can also be found by checking the articles about the different owners of the brewery on the website Thrale.com.

The brewery closed in 1981 and the land was subsequently sold for redevelopment. The Anchor (sadly over-redeveloped) and this painted sign are two of the few reminders of what used to be a major industrial site in the heart of London.

Location: Park Street / Pictures taken on: 10/04/2008 and 25/03/2008

Kay's motors, West Norwood

Sometimes so many signs have been painted on one wall that identifying each layer becomes virtually impossible. They overlap, parts that could go together don't necessarily if the design of the letters is taken into account,... The wall below is a good example of such an intriguing mess.

The most recent sign was painted in the lower part of that wall and is fairly easy to read:

Repairs Overhauls

Smith's Garage

Private Lock Ups

Then there are those giant letters:

Kay's
Motors
Repairs

That could make sense but 'Motors' is written differently. No perspective and a smaller font, so it may not go with the rest.

A close look reveals that 'Kay's' was painted over what looks like

...mbl... [Wimbledon?]
Stadium

As for those words written in red on top of everything else and in the lower part of the wall they read:

...
Racing ...
Jotale... [whatever that could be]

These words may actually go with the 'Stadium' part above. Indeed if it is 'Wimbledon Stadium' that is written, then it could refer to the greyhound races that have been staged there since 1928.

Finally it looks as if there could be a few more letters here and there. If you have any suggestion, don't hesitate to leave a comment.

Location: Norwood High Street / Picture taken on: 01/03/2010

Gardiner's, Tooting

On Monday I was doing some research in the Wandsworth Local History Library on Lavender Hill, when I came across a picture taken on 4th November 1911, the day the memorial to King Edward VII at the junction of Tooting High Street and Mitcham Road was unveiled. Clearly visible in the background was a painted sign that has survived to this day (actually the picture is available online).

Gardiner's
Drapery Stores
Mourning Warehouse
Dressmaking & Millinery
A Speciality
Orders Promptly Executed
At the Shortest Notice
There is another sign (maybe more) but apart from General &
Tarrant(the latter line being written across in large letters), and a few letters here and there, I can't tell what it was for. Maybe I'll come across a picture of it next time I am the Local History Library...?

Location: Tooting High Street / Picture taken on: 07/03/2008

PearKs, South Norwood

Many doorstep mosaics have elaborate lettering and writing, but this one is also pretty unusual, with its penultimate letter being a capital and a very twisting 's' afterwards that almost ends up forming a '2' below.



Location: Portland Road / Picture taken on: 17/06/2008

Guinness, Balham

If the new building mentioned in the previous post hid one sign, it led to the reappearance of another one. Indeed since the billboard could no longer be seen by the passing public, the ad agency it belonged to removed it and the painted sign below resurfaced. I had taken a picture of it when the block was being built but it was largely hidden by scaffoldings. At least now we have a much better view! Shame the upper part is still under that brown coat of paint.

Actually there are at least two adverts for the Irish stout. The older one included the slogan: There's Nothing
Like A
Guinness
As for the more recent sign, which ends with the classic Guiness
Is Good For youit is a bit more problematic. Indeed in the part above, which is only partly visible, the second word is most certainly 'Guinness' but I can't make what the first word is. Four letters apparently, but I couldn't find a slogan that had a four-letter word followed by 'Guinness'. So maybe they don't go together and there are in fact three signs here...?

Location: Balham High Road / Picture taken on: 01/03/2010

Always on the best of terms, Balham

Yesterday I went though the southeastern part of the metropolis, looking for some new signs along the way, and taking new pictures of some I already knew (but this time I got better shots as trees don't have leaves yet). On my way back I didn't pay much attention and jumped on the wrong bus. Not that it mattered as it took me to Balham and gave me the opportunity to take a better picture of a Guinness sign. Unfortunately I also noticed that the one that stood next to it is now barely visible. It hasn't been damaged but a new block of flats has been erected close to the wall it was painted on.


There are clearly several signs painted here and it is hard to tell which parts go together. Always on the best of terms!
... mum ever
...endly footing
...ings
To FurnishThere are a few more letters here and there but I can't make much sense of them.

Location: Balham High Road / Picture taken on: 07/03/2008