Ghost signs of Birmingham

[Stokkie]

Taylor and Challen factory in Livery St has an informative thread.
https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/threads/taylor-and-challen-past-and-present.4058/page-2

 

[Vivienne14]

A good, clear sign on Great Hampton Street. It seems there was once a lot more information above the sign too. It was uncovered some time between 2023 and 2024 (edit update: uncovered around 2021)

 

[Astoness]

A good, clear sign on Great Hampton Street. It seems there was once a lot more information above the sign too. It was uncovered some time between 2023 and 2024.

View attachment 198226

first spotted by brianthelion post 1253 viv in 2021..i well remember hot footing it down there as there is another one on the opposite wall..i was hoping they would be protected from the weather but it seems not and once building starts on this site we may never see them again..

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lyn

 

[Vivienne14]

Thought it looked familiar. I expect it'll be covered over again once the site is developed. Maybe it's the photograph quality, but it looks in better nick now !

 

[Vivienne14]

A good, clear sign on Great Hampton Street. It seems there was once a lot more information above the sign too. It was uncovered some time between 2023 and 2024 (edit update: uncovered around 2021)

View attachment 198226

This is one of 3 signs (Stevens) virtually on the same site in Great Hampton Street. Two others facing this one are exposed. The first for Strawbridge painter decorators (previously reported on the 30 Great Hampton Street thread) and another above the Strawbridge sign for a business of suppliers of china. Unfortunately it's difficult to read this sign.

 

[Vivienne14]

The position of the ghost signs suggests the buildings were once single storey at this point in Great Hampton Street. Don't know the date of the white buildings prior to the recent demolition, but they look around early 1900s. You can see the top of the Stevens ghost sign just below the blue dot but covered by the later building.

 

[mikejee]

Single story at the front, but many buildings on the street were originally set back and single story additions later added to utilise the space in front of the main building

 

[OuterCircleBus]

Is the word more likely to be diesetters rather than diesets, a diesetter made sometimes unique special parts for machines

Or probably Diesinkers - they made the dies for stamping metal parts.

 

[Astoness]

i was looking for something else in silver st kings heath and stumbled on this nice sign...corner of silver st and fairfield road...not sure if its a new one to this thread though..sorry i dont know how to take a screen shot of it

lyn

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[pjmburns]

I am fairly convinced I posted it on here. Now going to see if I can find it.

 

[Astoness]

I am fairly convinced I posted it on here. Now going to see if I can find it.

ok thanks jan

lyn

 

[pjmburns]

First posted by someone else in post 144 in 2012.
Then by me in post 870 in 2018

Post in thread 'Ghost signs of Birmingham'

May 7, 2018

This sign is in #144 way back in 2012 - still there corner of FairfielRoad and Silver Street in Kings Heath. Shop underneath has been a "tanning salon" but looks as if it is closed as there was a "commercial" estate agents sign.
Original posting https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/ghost-signs.40355/page-8#post-468745

• pjmburns

 

[OuterCircleBus]

i was looking for something else in silver st kings heath and stumbled on this nice sign...corner of silver st and fairfield road...not sure if its a new one to this thread though..sorry i dont know how to take a screen shot of it

lyn

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This has seen better days! 1963 and 2012

 

[Astoness]

This has seen better days! 1963 and 2012 View attachment 199906View attachment 199907

so the twinings advert is not as old as i thought unless the orantips one was carefully cleaned off to reveal the twinings one which i would have thought would have been very difficult to do

lyn

 

[Andyboy]

From Kellys (year is publication year and probably refers to year before):

In 1873 William Loxley is described as a foreman in High St , Harborne (possibly learning his trade)
1878-1879 William Loxley, mason, High St Harborne
1880-1895 William Loxley , stone mason, 176 Station Road, Harborne
1896-1900 William Loxley , stone and marble mason, 1 Greenfield Road
1903-1904 William Loxley , stone and marble mason, 1 Greenfield Road, 286 High St, Selly Oak
1908-1910 William Loxley , monumental mason, 1 Greenfield Road, 286 High St, Selly Oak and Cemetery Road, Smethwick
1912-1923 William Loxley , monumental mason, 1 Greenfield Road, Cemetery road, Smethwick and Lodge Hill Cemetery Works Selly Oak
1915-1921 William Loxley, monumental mason, 1 Greenfield Road and Cemetery works Selly Oak
1932-1957 William Loxley Ltd, monumental sculptors , Lodge Hill Cemetery works, 1 Weoley Avenue and 5 Greenfield Road
1965-1973 William Loxley Ltd, sculptors, 1 Weoley Avenue

William james loxley was also a birmingham city Councillor

 

[Vivienne14]

This is #840 Stratford Road. I sense the current sign has fallen off to reveal what I think is, a 1950s/60s sign underneath. Chances are Jean Margaret was a fashion shop, wool/baby shop or hairdressers.

 

[Astoness]

viv this is a 2011 street view...looks like a ladies nightware/underwear etc shop to me

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[pjmburns]

Looks like it never changed the sign between being a ladies shop to being something else.
2019

2020

 

[Vivienne14]

F.C.Organ sign at the junction of Green Lane and Second Avenue. It was exposed in Streetviews 2008 until 2014, then was partially covered over, and now almost all covered over. But still, there and just visible beneath the current modern sign.

 

[pjmburns]

1957 eroll

 

[Lady Penelope]

Can anyone identify the writing on this ghost sign on the side of the Station Pub in Sutton please?

 

[Pedrocut]

Clan Ivor, Ballyboy, Glenbarry are whiskeys I believe.

 

[Richard Dye]

Clan Ivor, Ballyboy, Glenbarry are whiskeys I believe.

Pedro, you spelt whiskeys with an e, which is how Irish whiskey is spelled. is that what they are?

 

[Pedrocut]

Clan Ivor =scotch
Ballyboy=Irish
Glenbarry=scotch

According to the M&B Advert.

 

[Richard Dye]

Clan Ivor =scotch
Ballyboy=Irish
Glenbarry=scotch

According to the M&B Advert.

Excellent!

 

[Lady Penelope]

Thank you Pedro, as usual you've come to my aid. I could read Ballyboy but couldn't fathom out the others.

Penny

 

[superdad3]

I don't think this has been posted before? This is from Streetview in 2024 oat585 Moseley Road near Brighton Road. Robinsos are a very old removal company [over a 100 years ago]. This building was built in the1920s. Converted some years ago into apartments - not sure when? Robinsons are still going strong nationally as Robinson Relocations.

 

[pjmburns]

Not actually in Birmingham but we have a sign two doors up from this in post #1187 so I am posting.
This is the shop in on Stratford Road Shirley in 2024
The sign in post 1187 is on the wall on the right hand side of DialEma

Whartons has relocated (to Redditch I think) and I have no idea what the shop is going to become but workmen have been in and the Wharton's sign has gone.

Oddly I can't recall what was there immediately before Whartons but I do know that when I was growing up in 50s and 60s the left hand shop was a sweet shop and the right hand shop was a Ladies Dress shop called "Madge". It fascinated me as a child as there were 2 small windows in the right hand side wall which displayed hats. I think it may have been a double shop as it was quite large.

Today when I went past I spotted a sign over the left hand shop

To my eyes it looked quite old.
Not sure whether it was called that when I remember it as I seem to recall a sign with adverts but I may be wrong. However, 1940 Kelly's lists

So I wonder if that is a sign from the 1940s?

 

[pjmburns]

A big more searching shows Durham was still there in 1962

The tobacconist fits with my memory of cigarette adverts over the shop window.

 

[Vivienne14]

Love that style of signwriting. Very reminiscent of shop signs from my childhood in the 1950s. I suppose the arrival of modern supermarket signage changed all this, especially the plastic signs that replaced wooden ones. I also remember ladies fashion shops in the 1950s/60s would often be in a handwritten style, loved that too.