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Ghost signs of Birmingham

Distinguishable on the wall is a road sign reading Fairfield Road. It does not appear to be a City of Birmingham style and I am guessing that it is an old style (Kings Norton?) that has been there since before 1919 when Kings Heath was incorporated into Birmingham.
 
A former Ansells pub at the junction of Wilton Street and Lozells Road. The Ansells sign is still visible on the side of the building, as are the etched upper storey windows. I'm sure someone will be able to name the pub. Viv.
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Well Lyn. You wouldn't at first say it was once a pub, but on closer inspection I can see it was. Think you can just see the outline of a sign on the first storey - probably the ghost of the former pub sign - with up lighter fitting still there too. Nice addition Lyn as it all helps to keep these old buildings in our sights.

Just searched for your photo of the Bell Lyn and what a wonderful photo it is. Here's the link see post #7 https://birminghamhistory.co.uk/forum/index.php?threads/the-bell-inn-lozells-road.39952/#post-455258

Viv.
 
Lyn, I followed your link and see that you Mr Asbury was a 'Bondee for Imported Wines' - that's something you don't see these days in the supermarket! There used to be 'bonded warehouses' too and I think it had something to do with the duty being paid by the 'bondee'. I'm sure someone can put me right if I've got it wrong.
 
With any luck, it'll be just the adjoining building that goes. That looks in a bad way and beyond rescue. But the Park Works section looks in a better state.Viv.
 
I think there are still bonded warehouses for whiskey in Scotland. The point is that they are under strict security to ensure nothing "disappears", and no duty has to be paid until the product actually leaves the warehouse. Some years ago I knew someone who had once supervised the digging up and analysis of the brick floor of a whiskey bonded warehouse ,to see if they could detect alcohol in the brick from a leak. The contents are checked by the excise regularly and there is an allowable loss during storage by evaporation, but the loss there had been much more than that and they were trying to determine where it had gone (!!??)
 
Interesting that Mike. In the late 80’s I had a friend who was a customs officer. One night she was called out by work and had to go to a Birmingham brewery who had apparently had a major spillage. Her job was to try to estimate the amount lost.
 
Vivienne14 said:
With any luck, it'll be just the adjoining building that goes. That looks in a bad way and beyond rescue. But the Park Works section looks in a better state.Viv.
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This is the area covered by a building application dated Sept 2017. Decision made October 2017
 

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Difficult to tell exactly and the planning application had over 100 pages! Only clicked on the ones I felt most relevant.
 
“Two” posted this picture (number 44, post 68) on the thread “Cannon Hill Park.”

I think it deserves a place on this thread as the oldest ghost sign. Placed in the Park maybe 500,000 years ago!

The old boulder and the old soldier.

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Do you think that the boulder is being guarded in the event of an attack by The Boers ?

Sensible replies only.
Cheers Tim
 
Wending our way from the Art Gallery to the station we spotted this building undergoing a facelift. There are some lovely slatted wooden blinds on show and I think that rather than remove them with the heavy brackets they merely covered them up. Parker took the picture of the beam as well as he likes cast iron and beams and admittedly it is a nice one. The other photos show the surrounding buildings - we think the blinds continued across the adjacent cream painted building. The blinds appear to say 'Town & Country'. Any ideas of what sort of shop this was please?

Nice blue road sign too. Do you think it's original?
 

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In 1921 no 80 (in the photo) was Scorza & Olivieri, wine and merchants. Ig I remember rightly were no the other blinds also on a building that had been a wine merchants?
 
Yes Mike. We have another thread on that one. I've put the link in post #892. (Have since edited my post as I realised this is the same shutter mentioned on the linked thread).

Its nice that we can now see some of the ghost sign on the shutter in Lady P's photos. Shall copy that post to the shutter thread. Viv.
 
I don't hold out much hope for signs like the shop sign if demolition is imminent. Can't imagine they would be rescued as far more valuable (historically) items have been thrown away.

Viv.
 
I suspect that the sign in Essex St will not be up for demolition as it appears that the shops have been upgraded or refurbished I suspect what will happen is that a modern sign will cover the old sign (till proved other)
 
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