Ghost signs of Birmingham

[brummy-lad]

And this one on the run-in to New St Station - doubt this building will last for much longer?
View attachment 191951

 

[john knight]

Sadly this must now go down as a "ghost sign" I guess - compare to my photos of the late 70's on the Snow Hill Station threads:-

View attachment 190641

However if you look behind Taylor & Challens there is another sign on the building to its right:-
View attachment 190642

Could possibly be "Diesets"? I'll have to go back with something a bit better than an Iphone camera.......
View attachment 190643

DIES, ETC

 

[Astoness]

greenfield road harborne next to the royalty cinema...john knight has asked me to post this good one i certainly have not seen this one before...trying to make out the name

 

[Vivienne14]

Surname 'Lowery' perhaps Lyn ? It was covered over by a billboard until 2020.

 

[john knight]

Took this the other day in Harborne, just to the left of the Regal cinema.

greenfield road harborne next to the royalty cinema...john knight has asked me to post this good one i certainly have not seen this one beforeView attachment 191962...trying to make out the name

WILLIAM LOXLEY.

 

[mikejee]

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

 

[Vivienne14]

I think this now qualifies as a ghost sign. Hirons seems to have still been there until at least 2022. But now the site has been built over. There was (allegedly) once a Roman kiln somewhere on the Hiron's site.

 

[Astoness]

yes thanks viv...there should be a thread somewhere about when i went hunting for the kiln some years ago

lyn

 

[Vivienne14]

In Hinckley Street, these are at the rear of the former Electric Cinema. One clearly says the "Tatler Theatre". Not sure about the other.

 

[I Am Nico]

In Hinckley Street, these are at the rear of the former Electric Cinema. One clearly says the "Tatler Theatre". Not sure about the other.

Wasnt the Tatler a newspaper.

 

[Vivienne14]

The theatre was actually called the Tatler News Theatre, so perhaps there's a connection Nico.

 

[I Am Nico]

The theatre was actually called the Tatler News Theatre, so perhaps there's a connection Nico.

I had to say the "when theTatler was the best seller," In a weird school play called Here We Go Round The Prickly Pear, I was the dad I always hot old gittish parts, but I got a part, So ..
we asked teach what the Tatler was, .

 

[Richard Dye]

The theatre was actually called the Tatler News Theatre, so perhaps there's a connection Nico.

Used to have really great films, a little different but most enjoyable.

 

[I Am Nico]

Used to have really great films, a little different but most enjoyable.

In what way diffent?

 

[Richard Dye]

In what way diffent?

If you went to an Odeon or Regal, they would show the same movies, the Tayler showed older movies and, at least I thought different subjects and foreign ones

 

[I Am Nico]

If you went to an Odeon or Regal, they would show the same movies, the Tayler showed older movies and, at least I thought different subjects and foreign ones

The Alexandra Cov (the Flea Pit) showed foreign films & mucky ones , gran said, & some were foreign & mucky! But she stayed till the end, cos she' d paid, she said.

 

[Richard Dye]

The Alexandra Cov (the Flea Pit) showed foreign films & mucky ones , gran said, & some were foreign & mucky! But she stayed till the end, cos she' d paid, she said.

I don’t recall them being mucky at the Tayler….

 

[Vivienne14]

A good clear, ornate sign of this building's former use on Coventry Road. The metal street signs on the wall have seen better days, but must be very old,

 

[I Am Nico]

A good clear, ornate sign of this building's former use on Coventry Road. The metal street signs on the wall have seen better days, but must be very old,

View attachment 194721

Superb

 

[Astoness]

A good clear, ornate sign of this building's former use on Coventry Road. The metal street signs on the wall have seen better days, but must be very old,

View attachment 194721

wire brush and a lick of pain on those case iron signs and they will come up a treat viv..here is a photo of the pub when it was pulling pints

 

[Vivienne14]

Are you volunteering Lyn? !!

 

[Vivienne14]

Steel Fabricators Ltd at 46 Brearley Street. There was an H H Bushell & Co there in 1964.

 

[Aramaki]

This was uncovered in 2020, at the junction of Pershore Road and St Stephen's Road. Like many of these painted signs, they include a variety of fonts. In the two years its b3en uncovered, the sign seems to be fading.

Yes, fading fast sadly. I took this a few weeks ago. I think there are maybe two signs on top of each other, so an older one is showing through and making it even harder to decipher. The large lettering near the top might be "Tableware", and the blocky text near the bottom might be "Household"

 

[Aramaki]

Can offer some updates on previously featured ones from the thread - the butchers shop in Balsall Heath actually looks like it might be in better condition than appears from a distance. Seems to be covered in a very thick layer of.. something that is peeling off. but the underlying moulding seems reasonably sound given the age. I doubt there is much prospect for a renovation though..

 

[Aramaki]

And here is a better image of the Albert Spicer school stone from nearby in Balsall Heath

 

[Aramaki]

I don't believe this one has been featured before. This building near to Moseley Baths has gone through many different names/incarnations, currently a cafe, was previously a steak restaurant a few years ago I think, but the NEW INN sign has so far survived them all.

 

[Penns]

Mr and Mrs Haley ran the shop and after selling it moved to Llandrindod Wells in the 70s.

 

[I Am Nico]

I just noticed some old tramlines or the indentations of some in Coventry, and thought of this site. Not quite the same but similar. You must have a some left too. What struck me was it was a like rather than a track to nowhere more like in to another dimension.