Mr. Ben
Mr. Ben, 128 East Street, Bristol BS3, 2017 • Logo looks to date from around the same time as the early 1970s kids’ TV series (which was spelled Mr Benn).
Minerva Hotel
Minerva Hotel, 10 Nelson Street Kingston upon Hull, 2013 • Handsome waterfront hostelry boasting ‘the smallest pub room in Britain’. These deco doorcases are a later addition to the essentially 1850s […]
Look-In, Aylesbury ex-Odeon
Look-In, Aylesbury ex-Odeon, 48 and 44 Cambridge Street, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, 2010 • The TV shop shares a name with a popular 1970s kids’ TV mag, and apparently closed down 2005-ish. That’s Aylesbury’s ex-Odeon […]
Fatal Attraction Bridal Centre
Fatal Attraction Bridal Centre, 171 High Street, Herne Bay, Kent, 2004 • Interesting name for a bridal shop. Didn’t the film Fatal Attraction feature bunny boiling? By 2009 the premises had […]
Monet
Monet, 144 Balls Pond Road, Borough of Islington, London N1, 2002 • Crimping companion for Picasso and Renoir. Still looks fairly similar, but is now called The Parlour.
James Dean Ltd
James Dean Ltd, 119 Dulwich Road, Borough of Lambeth, London SE24, 2001 • And you thought he died in a car crash. The shop’s still there, should you want an autograph.
Victoria News
Victoria News, 19a Terminus Place, Victoria Station, City of Westminster, London SW1, 2004 • I like this because it’s named after me. It’s in a gloriously grubby arcade attracting a wide socio-economic mix (see below), […]
Picasso
Picasso, 127 Kings Road, Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, London SW3, 2003 • Glum fogies adorning a famed Kings Road coffee bar which over the course of 50 years catered to poshos and […]
Renoir
Renoir, 244 Kentish Town Road, Borough of Camden, London NW5, 2012 • Renoir clearly neglected to trademark his logo. One of Kentish Town’s more genteel offerings, still there in 2014.
Abba Electronics
Abba Electronics, 236 Kentish Town Road, Borough of Camden, London NW5, 2012 • Now I’m going to spend a few weeks featuring London postcodes I’ve not published before (though there are […]
Chiplins
Chiplins, 18 Devonshire Road, Borough of Hounslow, London W4, 2002 • Oh no! The dancing dancing Charlie Chaplin chip has gone, ousted by the infinitely duller Oriental Brasserie.
The Beano Cafe
The Beano Cafe, 6 Caledonian Road, Borough of Islington, London N1, 2002 & 2003 • A tale of Kings Cross: in the course of a year, the Beano edged from decaying […]
Sir Robert Peel, Krystals Express
Sir Robert Peel, Krystals Express, 178 Bishopsgate, City of London, London EC2, 2004 • Something of an oddity – commemorative 1930s tiling on a circa 1900 pub named after the prime […]
F.P. Turner & Sons (Five Star Nails)
F.P. Turner & Sons (Five Star Nails), 31 Victoria Road, Surbiton, Surrey, 2014 • An old sign kept on from a jeweller’s, established 1825 (though not at this premises, where they’d […]
The Shakespeare (Bridgnorth)
The Shakespeare, West Castle Street, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, 2014 • Even the road signs are old in Bridgnorth – there are plenty more of this vintage, reminding me of childhood car […]
Lady Godiva News
Lady Godiva News Devlins, 26 Broadgate, Coventry, West Midlands, 2013 • The equally weird twin of yesterday’s Peeping Tom newsagent; they’re situated either side of Coventry’s “famous” Lady Godiva clock, hence […]
Peeping Tom News
Peeping Tom News Devlins, 20A Hertford Street, Coventry, West Midlands, 2012 • Creepy name for a toyshop, you may feel. All will be revealed tomorrow (no pun intended).
Yorkshire Penny Bank (Caffe Nero)
Yorkshire Penny Bank (Caffe Nero), 37-40 Savile Street, Kingston upon Hull, 2013 • Established in 1860, Yorkshire Penny Bank changed its name to Yorkshire Bank in 1959, so it’s still around […]
Albert Hall (The Fair & Square Club)
Albert Hall (The Fair & Square Club), 12 Midland Road, Kingston upon Hull, 2013 • Practically opposite yesterday’s stunning Tower, another fun palace in far worse condition – a Victorian music […]
The Shakespeare (Victory Amusements)
The Shakespeare (Victory Amusements), 34 Linthorpe Road, Middlesbrough, 2013 • Another theatrical boozer; but unlike yesterday’s Garrick, poor old Bill’s given way to a less rewarding form of entertainment. Still, the […]
Garrick’s Head
Garrick’s Head, 50 Saville Street, North Shields, North Tyneside, 2013 • Beautiful 1899 pub, but the local council doesn’t seem to like its clientelele very much, according to this report of […]
Chainstore Massacre
Chainstore Massacre, 152 High Street, Herne Bay, Kent, 2004 • Closed for crimes against fashion, perhaps. Appropriately, the burglar alarm has a picture of a judge on it. Later became a […]
Vogue Printers
Vogue Printers, 30 Rathbone Place, City of Westminster, London W1, 2001 • From the days when fax rolls featured proudly in window displays, an incredibly useful West End stationers with an […]
Sweeny Todds
Sweeny Todds, 41 Station Road, Belmont, Sutton, Surrey, 2001 • Grisly attempt at Christmas decor from an unfortunately-named hairdresser paying homage to the “demon barber of Fleet Street” – albeit wrongly spelled. […]
H.H. Brain Ltd.
H.H. Brain Ltd., 30-36 Upper York Street, Bristol, Avon, 2011 • A bacon and ham curers once occupied by the makers of legendary Brain’s Faggots (as in offal patties). A sign […]
Chunnel Bar
Chunnel Bar, 133 Lower Marsh, Waterloo, Borough of Lambeth, London SE1, 2003 & 2011 • Uncompromisingly drab wooden frontage as 1970s as its monicker: Eurostar bypassed Waterloo several years ago, and […]
Mamas & Papas (Family Discount Store)
Mamas & Papas (Family Discount Store), 94 Kingsland High Street, Dalston, Borough of Hackney, London E8, 2002 • A splendid old mama and papa indeed. The shop’s still there, but with […]
Eros Movieland
Eros Movieland, 1 Berwick Street, Soho, City of Westminster, London W1, 2002 • Beware ancient Greeks bearing 1960s X-rated videos. All, including stairway to “model”, is now demolished.
Hercules Newsagents Ltd.
Hercules Newsagents Ltd., 4 Hercules Road, Waterloo, Borough of Lambeth, London SE1, 2001 • Hercules and Mars, geddit? Greco-Roman divinity-based newsagent that’s been shuttered for years.
Legs ‘n’ Co
Legs ‘n’ Co, 86 Maxwell Street, Glasgow G1, Scotland, 2012 • Defunct lap dancing joint named after dodgy 1970s Top of the Pops dance troupe, with suitably retro sign.
J.B. Shakespeare Ltd
J.B. Shakespeare Ltd, 67 George Street, East Croydon, Borough of Croydon, London CR0, 2010 • Another funeral parlour with a Dickensian (if not Shakespearean) name, established in 1877.
Bespoke Windows
Bespoke Windows, Great Suffolk Street (sign for 70 Ewer Street), Borough of Southwark, London SE1, 2002 • Nice take on the then-new Tate Modern. The area’s got too posh for light […]
5 Star Sandwich & Salad Bar
5 Star Sandwich & Salad Bar, 33 Southampton Row, Borough of Camden, London WC1, 2001 • Defunct Pepsi caff named after defunct pop group (or possibly not).
Voltaire Motors
Voltaire Motors, 2-4 Voltaire Road, Clapham, Borough of Lambeth, London SW4, 2002 • As poetic as its name, and nearly as long-gone. Later became Secondo, a glass-fronted “vintage and retro cafe-bar”.
Santana
Santana, 61 Church Street, City of Westminster, London NW8, 2003 • You don’t get many hardware stores named after Latin-American rock fusion bands. Now with far more boring logo.
Mazzini Garbaldi Club
Mazzini Garbaldi Club, 51 Red Lion Street, Borough of Camden, London WC1, 2003 • Founded 1864, sold 2008, now an expanse of plate glass, with no trace of these Italian flag-coloured […]
Oval Office
Oval Office, 10 Clapham Road, Borough of Lambeth, London SW9, 2005 • Used to be Oval Post Office. Now one-third of an estate agent. So things go, in London anyway.
Chaminade Hair by Frank & Chris
Chaminade Hair by Frank & Chris, 40 High Street, Cheam, Surrey, 2002 • Named after composer Cécile Chaminade? Now plain grey Molyneux Hairdressing, but still has the nice M handle.
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. […]
Phillips & Rimmer Prop. Rimbrand Ltd
Phillips & Rimmer Prop. Rimbrand Ltd, 44 Berry Street, Liverpool, 2003 • I like to think this post-apocalyptic scene contains a pun on Rembrandt…
The Deptford Cod Father’s, The Egg Shop
The Deptford Cod Father’s & The Egg Shop, 47 & 49 Deptford High Street, Borough of Lewisham, London SE8, 2002 • A popular punning fish shop name, next door to an equally […]
Shopfront Elegy 