Broadway Bagel Bakery

Broadway Bagel Bakery, 394 Edgware Road, City of Westminster, London W2, 2003 • The front fascia is pretty crap, but I like the golden-bagels-from-hell wall sign. It’s now called Bagels Etc, […]

Broadway Cash ‘N’ Carry

Broadway Cash ‘N’ Carry, 39 Deptford Broadway, Borough of Lewisham, London SE8, 2002 • Even having ads for Coke and Pepsi couldn’t save it. It’s now called Deptford Food & Wine, with […]

Broadway Electronics

Broadway Electronics, 32 Broadway Market, Borough of Hackney, London E8, 2003 • I photographed this long before Broadway Market’s shutters got the Eine treatment. In this post-videotape era it’s been reborn as Buggies & Bikes, […]

Broadway Gents Hair Stylist

Broadway Gents Hair Stylist, 54 Broadway Market, Borough of Hackney, London E8, 2006 & 2012 • Another Eine production, next door to yesterday’s Broadway Wines. The fantastic old barber shop is still there, but […]

Broadway Wines

Broadway Wines, 56 Broadway Market, Borough of Hackney, London E8, 2006 • Now for a few Broadways (the non-New York kind). Here’s a Y by Eine on a wine shop, […]

Hong Kong Garden

Hong Kong Garden, 199 Mile End Road, Borough of Tower Hamlets, London E1, 2015 • Nice tiles! Pity about the ubiquitous superimposed shutters, though.

Golden Dragon

Golden Dragon, 228 Mile End Road, Borough of Tower Hamlets, London E1, 2015 • Chinese takeaways are one of the last redoubts of old-school grunge on this increasingly gentrified east end […]

Mobile Shop N Go

Mobile Shop N Go, 215 Mile End Road, Borough of Tower Hamlets, London E1, 2015 • Shop N Gone, more like – “Development site with consent”, says the sign.

Broacha Samy Ltd

Broacha Samy Ltd, 108 Mile End Road, Borough of Tower Hamlets, London E1, 2015 • Demure frontage amidst a sea of gaudy plastic. “Manufacturers of lady dresses specialists in plus sizes” says the […]

Broadleys

Broadleys, 34-40 High Street, East Grinstead, West Sussex, 2004 • Genteel local department store, est 1896 and still there today. Can’t help thinking there’s something of the chemo ward about this window […]

Ravel (Oxford Street)

Ravel, 184-188 Oxford Street, City of Westminster, London W1, 2001 • Remember Ravel shoe shops? Once ubiquitous, the 50-store chain closed down in 2007 after five years of losses. Founded in […]

Global London College (Ryman)

Global London College (Ryman), 149 Fleet Street, City of London, EC4, 2015 • Maybe it’s a play on GLC (Greater London Council), a body which was abolished in 1986. This […]

Pret A Manger (Fleet Street)

Pret A Manger (Fleet Street), 143 Fleet Street, City of London, London EC4, 2015 • An executed Caledonian queen gazes down on hasty diners – for this building is Mary Queen […]

Virgo Clothing Big’n’Pretty

Virgo Clothing Big’n’Pretty, 156 Trongate, Glasgow, Scotland, 2008 • Signs in the window warn big’n’pretty browsers to bring “No food or drink inside”. Curiously, big seems to be defined as “16 inches […]

Weisfelds (Goldbergs)

Weisfelds (Goldbergs), Trongate, Glasgow, Scotland, 2008 • A portion of the once-beloved department store Goldbergs, which closed in 1991 and re-opened as cheapo clothes outlet Weisfelds in 1994. The Weisfelds […]

Pound Gate

Pound Gate, 146-152 Trongate, Glasgow, Scotland, 2008 • Not a reference to Watergate, but to the road, Trongate. Later got subsumed by “Scotland’s Biggest Leather Store”, aka its upstairs neighbour Leather Max. […]

Pound Planet

Pound Planet, 19-21 Argyle Street, Glasgow, Scotland, 2008 • Ambitious name meets Scottish flags and unflattering rendition of the Queen. It later became Home Land. Devolution subtext ahoy.

Safe £££ Pounds Store Plus

Safe £££ Pounds Store Plus, 595 Lea Bridge Road, Walthamstow, Borough of Waltham Forest, London E10 6AJ, 2004 • As opposed to a dangerous pound store, I suppose. Now gone.

Pound + Store

Pound + Store, 316 Neasden Lane, Borough of Brent, London NW10, 2014 • Extremely crammed pound emporium with enormous Edwardian-style font. Not sure if the “plus” is part of their name, […]

Pound Stop

Pound Stop, 32 Guildhall Street, Folkestone, Kent, 2008 • Genteel pound shop with DIY logo that looks like a dollar sign. It later moved (with same sign) a bit further […]

Pound Superstore

Pound Superstore, 125-127 Church Street, Borough of Camden, London NW8, 2003 • From the days when pound shops were one-branch, low-tech affairs. It’s still there, though it has to be […]

Poundland (Peterborough)

Poundland (Peterborough), 6 Bridge Street, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, 2015 • Initially depressing, but this is an interesting building – maybe it was a flagship store for someone else once. Poundland are in the […]

Yorkshire Bank (Peterborough)

Yorkshire Bank (Peterborough), 10 Church Street, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, 2015 • Nice cartouche!

HGV Apply Here

HGV Apply Here, 10 Church Street, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, 2015 • Mmm, professional. And the top windows just say “GV”.

Milletts Surplus Stores

Milletts Surplus Stores, 38 Cowgate, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, 2015 • The window writing suggests this was previously a beauty parlour, so the Milletts sign may be a recent revelation.

Smiths’ Grand Teas

Smiths’ Grand Teas, Catmos Street, Oakham, Rutland, 2015 • “Imported direct from the finest tea gardens of India and Ceylon, and carefully blended to suit the water of the district.” […]

Wok This Way

Wok This Way, 48 High Street, Oakham, Rutland, 2015 • Nice bushes! Less traditional than it looks – specials include Quorn and gluten-free dishes.

Touché Hair Productions

Touché Hair Productions, 2a High Street, Oakham, Rutland, 2015 • 1980s-style logo and matching plants for this ex-hairdresser, now with auction signs in the window.