C.E. Pound
C.E. Pound, 162 Trafalgar Road, Borough of Greenwich, London SE10, 2002 • This art deco-ish beauty may still lurk beneath current incumbent Mr Chung’s equally large sign.
Adel Hair Fashions
Adel Hair Fashions, 204 Battersea Park Road, Borough of Wandsworth, London SW11, 2002 • One of the most beautiful facades I ever found. Unrecognisable now as Chesney’s luxury fireplace emporium.
Café – Restaurant
Café – Restaurant, 187 Deptford High Street, Borough of Lewisham, London SE8, 2002 • Boasts ridiculously tiny accent on Café. Astonishingly, this still looked exactly the same (minus flags) in […]
Dilnot’s Bakers & Confectioners
Dilnot’s Bakers & Confectioners, 77 High Street, Whitstable, Kent, 2002 • This looks like it should be a permanent fixture, but became a jewellers. What looks like an ex-Hovis sign, top […]
Fanny Adams Unisex
Fanny Adams Unisex, 10 West Lane, Bermondsey, Borough of Southwark, London SE16, 2001 • They probably didn’t know that Fanny Adams was an 8-year-old whose murderer tore her into pieces. […]
Costa’s Barbers.
Costa’s Barbers., 165 Battersea High Street, Borough of Wandsworth, London SW11, 2002 • Infinitely preferable to a Costa coffee shop, this appeared to be undergoing refurbishment in 2012.
Best Cash Butcher
Best Cash Butcher, 258 (ex-196) Walton Road, East Molesey, Surrey, 2001 • This ancient sign revealed by a shop closure was still there in 2008, but probably isn’t now.
Café (Redchurch Street)
Café, 36 Redchurch Street, Borough of Tower Hamlets, London E2, 2006 • Pepsi cafes are a dying breed. This became Chaat Bangladeshi Kitchen.
Comfit Ltd.
Comfit Ltd, 316-318 Bethnal Green Road, Borough of Tower Hamlets, London E2, 2005 • Does anyone still use the word “slacks”? The sign has now gone, but the general decay remains.
C’mon In
C’mon In, Clyde Street (under railway bridge between Saltmarket and Bridgegate), Glasgow, 2010 • Hmmm, I won’t, thanks.
E. Barclay FSMC FACLP Optician
E. Barclay FSMC FACLP Optician, 158 Deptford High Street, Borough of Lewisham, London SE8, 2002 and 2010 • Magnificent old optician’s sign, later with name half-obliterated as below.
Dominic Hair Fashions
Dominic Hair Fashions, 1a Clifton Road, Littlehampton, West Sussex, 2003 • Once so proud, by 2012 even sadder than this: “Dominic” lettering torn off, blinds faded pale peach.
Cafe Breakfast Dinners and Teas…
Cafe Breakfast Dinners and Teas…, 177 New Kent Road, Borough of Southwark, London SE1, 2001 • Generic yet specific; and I like the 1930s stepped fascia. Now plasticky blue Cafe […]
Caustin Church Metalware
Caustin Church Metalware, 188a Warham Street, Kennington, Borough of Southwark, London SE5, 2001 • This classic old works was later demolished – sadly this is the only photo I took.
Nuit Cleaners
Nuit Cleaners, 72 Brixton Road, Oval, Borough of Lambeth, London SW9, 2001 • I keep expecting this superb name to disappear but stoically it remains.
F.J. Meadows Ltd
F.J. Meadows Ltd, 14 Greenford Road, Sutton, Surrey, 2002 • Phone Vigilant 5350 no more – by 2012 this was boarded up and for sale.
Kelvinator Launderama
Kelvinator Launderama, 144 High Street, Caterham, Surrey, 2001 • Launderettes stay happily old-fashioned. The wood got painted blue, but the retro sign remains.
Gerry’s Curtains
Gerry’s Curtains, 56 East Street, Walworth, Borough of Southwark, London SE17, 2002 • Looks like Gerry left some outside. Unchanged by 2012 in old-school East Street market.
George’s Fruit & Veg
George’s Fruit & Veg, 273 Southwark Park Road, Borough of Southwark, London SE16, 2002 • Metamorphosed into two shops: Brother’s Barbers and Dammy Stores.
Robinsons
Robinsons, 48 Old Jamaica Road, Borough of Southwark, London SE16, 2001 • Another casualty of the monolithic Bermondsey Spa development (see below).
Junk & Disorderly
Junk & Disorderly, 25 Old Jamaica Road, Borough of Southwark, London SE16, 2001 • The whole road was later junked for a massive new apartment quarter, Bermondsey Spa.
Jellies Walk-In
Jellies Walk-In, 12 New Broadway, Tarring Road, Worthing, West Sussex, 2003 • I have no idea what this means. Became TaxAssist accountants, bicycles still not allowed.
Hammerton Plumbing Fittings
Hammerton Plumbing Fittings, 159 Stoke Newington Road, Hackney, London N16, 2002 • Beautiful old shop now unrecognisable – though still yellow – as Safak Florist.
Colt Bookstore
Colt Bookstore, 3 Berwick Street, Soho, City of Westminster, London W1, 2002 • Last redoubt of the plastic strip curtain. Demolished to make way for glossy new apartments / retail.
Good Man Chinese Food
Good Man Chinese Food, 193 New Kent Road, Borough of Southwark, London SE1, 2001 • Still there, despite bearing the unusually frank food message of jumbo, junk and horse.
Hong Kong Garden
Hong Kong Garden, 22 Woolwich Road, Borough of Greenwich, London SE10, 2002 • Now says New Hong Kong Garden on a garish magenta sign, but the yellow stripes beneath remain.
J. Blundell & Sons
J. Blundell & Sons, 199 Wardour Street, City of Westminster, London W1, 2002 • After over 150 years in Soho, moved to Hatton Garden in 2003, with a similar but […]
Shopfront Elegy 