The Woolhampton Bakery Compendium of Ghost Signs

[DickyC]

In the 70s I took a photo of a house in Reading that had been a boarding house. A faded painted sign on a side wall read, "Good Accommodation For Cyclists." Fascinated that it was now a private house but still bore the evidence of its history, I felt a picture should be taken for posterity. I've no idea where the photo is but I'll post it if I find it.

It turns out I'm still fascinated.

These two are from Woolhampton on the A4 between Newbury and Reading.






And this is from Sutton Scotney, off the A34 just south of the A303.




What have you seen? Beware modern retro-style painted signs but more elaborate brick or tile wall signs are welcome. Metal and enamel signs that have stood the test of time? Let's see what turns up

[twing]

I drive through Woolhampton every day and have never spotted these! Will keep an eye out. There's a great enamel sign on a house up the road in Hermitage, will get a snap on my next walk in the light. Great idea for a thread

[P5BNij]

I'm looking for a photo I took of some old 'Tea Rooms' painted signage that still exists here in Rugby but can't find it, meanwhile there's this which has stood the test of time, the shop below has also been a shoe emporium in the past....



Edited to add - just thought of another one in Rugby, the old Willan's English Electric Works near the station (not the bigger but long gone GEC Works) still has some of its original signage but is only visible or possible to take photos of it from the railway. My Dad worked there from 1964 to 1968 after he left the Royal Navy.

Edited by P5BNij on Thursday 13th January 15:12

[bigandclever]

Couple near me in Reading, google maps grabs.

Argyle Street



Oxford Road



And a little sneaky one just outside work ..



.. which is actually this

[DickyC]

The Swan, Hammersmith Broadway.

Had a pint or two in there in another life.

[Huff]

There a load of ghost adverts in Bath, the one below is one of the best known.

Article for Dicky C:
https://thebathmagazine.co.uk/the-ghost-signs-of-b...

[DickyC]

Huff said:

Article for Dicky C:
https://thebathmagazine.co.uk/the-ghost-signs-of-b...

Thanks for that!

[Richard-390a0]

A couple from my neck of the woods. The Ekco radio sign at Bitterne Triangle / Cobden Bridge is now hidden by a new build, but the Nestles Milk one in Eastleigh is still just readable.
[url|https://thumbsnap.com/UAx713RB[/url]

[Maracus]

Banbury Market place

[lufbramatt]

I remember this being a "ghost sign" for years, the building had been empty for a long time but you could still see bits of old equipment inside from when they used to make microscopes and projectors.

When it was redeveloped into flats they repainted the signage, which I thought was a nice touch.

[Saleen836]

One from the town I live....

[Riley Blue]

Sadly all that's left of this one in Chesterfield.

[DickyC]

Riley Blue said:

Sadly all that's left of this one in Chesterfield.

It's good though, isn't it? I just love to see them. Little scraps of history so easily overlooked. Off topic, in my great grandfather's box of carpentry tools - that my brother has had stored for years - was a small book called Watermans' Encyclopaedia which has 'With Compliments from Mrs E E Matthews Foresters' Arms Homerton' printed on the front. There are, you won't be surprised to learn, websites devoted to London pubs and also London pubs that are no more. When I looked up the Foresters' Arms I found it no longer exists but the write up could date the name of the pub, which had several names over the years, back only as far as 1931. The year of Watermans' Encyclopaedia was 1918. I sent in a photo of the little book and had an email back almost immediately from Kevan at PubWiki saying, "Hello Richard, Brilliant addition, many thanks!" and a link to the pub's page already bearing the photo I sent. A little bit of history. Made my day.

[Roofless Toothless]

Not really a ghost sign because it has been conserved and overpainted, but this is Guillermo Marconi’s first factory in Chelmsford from 1912.

[john2443]

There are a few in Brighton - I've just had to 'drive' up and down a few roads to find this as I couldn't remember exactly where it was!

[skip_1]

Now repainted.

https://www.google.co.uk/maps/place/53.772396,+-1....

Bile Beans sign in Hunslet, Leeds.

Edited by skip_1 on Thursday 13th January 22:14

[5pen]

I love seeing a ghost sign. There are a few in my town, the best of which is one of the quite common Hovis ones. A few I’ve seen recently;

Lewes


Bath


Chipstead near Sevenoaks

[Don1]

Huff said:

There a load of ghost adverts in Bath, the one below is one of the best known.

Article for Dicky C:
https://thebathmagazine.co.uk/the-ghost-signs-of-b...

Petrus!

[Huff]

5pen said:

I love seeing a ghost sign. There are a few in my town, the best of which is one of the quite common Hovis ones. A few I’ve seen recently;
...
Bath

..

That one is c 1823! Milsom Street

Edited by Huff on Thursday 13th January 23:31

[Jonboy_t]

Richard-390a0 said:

A couple from my neck of the woods. The Ekco radio sign at Bitterne Triangle / Cobden Bridge is now hidden by a new build, but the Nestles Milk one in Eastleigh is still just readable.
[url|https://thumbsnap.com/UAx713RB[/url]

That’s about 5 minutes from my house, I was going to post exactly the same one! There’s another round the corner (near the bottom of Bullar Road, past The Station), can’t recall it ever actually being open as a pub in 40 years of living here, but it must have at some point!