Swift & Company Ltd
Swift & Company Ltd, Braggs Lane, Bristol BS2, 2013 • Stunning little tiled relic of a 1920s American meat packing and refrigeration company – more info here.
Round Windows
Round Windows, 205 Hackney Road, Borough of Hackney, London E2, 2006 • Quirky urban dereliction, which was maybe an art studio. By 2018 it was a grey smart unit, with […]
Wiseman (The Card Shop)
Wiseman (The Card Shop), 40 Seaside, Eastbourne, East Sussex, 2015 • Nice old step logo, but I can’t find any info about what the shop sold. The arcade windows suggest […]
Creations
Creations, Turnham Green Terrace, Borough of Hounslow, London W4, 2002 • There’s what looks like a Gouda cheese and half an old office chair balancing on the road sign – […]
Vacant Shop (Hexham)
Vacant shop, 19 St Mary’s Chare, Hexham, Northumberland, 2016 • Ornate gate grille on a vacant old shop – no idea what it originally sold.
RPG
RPG, 93 Constance Road, Leicester LE5, 2016 • If you want your name to last, write it in stone. Can’t find any history on this deco small business centre, yet […]
Golden Horse, Weekes
Golden Horse, Weekes, 178 Fawcett Road, Southsea, City of Portsmouth, 2016 • Fantastical handcrafted takeaway next to unit with 1950s-looking ghost sign. There was a garage elsewhere in Southsea called Weekes […]
Tony’s
Tony’s, 195-205 Union Street, Borough of Southwark, London SE1, 2011 • Not sure what service Tony offered – haircuts maybe – but the graffiti says, twice, that he’s a big […]
Rang & Sons Ltd.
Rang & Sons Ltd., 105 Hackney Road, Borough of Hackney, London E2, 2006 • Weathered old sign revealed by a newer one falling off, though it’s not clear what the full […]
E. Watson & Son & Daughter, The Joiners Arms
E. Watson & Son & Daughter, The Joiners Arms, 120 & 116-118 […]
Nameless chinoiserie shop
Nameless chinoiserie shop, 29 Guildhall Street, Folkestone, Kent, 2008 • This has a look of Edwardian chinoiserie about it, so I prefer to think it’s an ex-gown shop rather than a […]
Engineers Builders Merchants Ironfounders
Engineers Builders Merchants Ironfounders, Station Street, Brighton, West Sussex, 2004 and 2014 • Boarded up when I visited in 2004 and 2014, but with the beautiful tiled typography still intact. […]
www uk
www uk, 280 Gray’s Inn Road, Borough of Camden, London WC1, 2002 • I like the road number on the brackets. Whatever the www was, they didn’t want you to […]
Eine F
Eine F, Bethnal Green Road, Borough of Tower Hamlets, London E2, 2006 • One of the original batch of shop shutter letters by Ben Eine, who later had a work […]
Nameless green Thai shop
Nameless green Thai shop, 129 Lower Marsh, Waterloo, Borough of Lambeth, London SE1, 2013, 2010, 2016 • A miscellany of painterly disguises have graced this anonymous storage unit for the Chinese and Thai restaurants on […]
Ex Singer & Singer
Ex Singer & Singer, Fairfax House, Fairfax Place, Dartmouth, Devon, 2013 • Now for some notable nameless shops. The integrated clock in this grand empty unit suggests it may once have […]
Ex-shop with sunray windows
Ex-shop with sunray windows, 161 Camberwell New Road, Borough of Southwark, London SE5, 2001 • Art deco transom lights are the only remnant of this shop, which was still the […]
376
376, 376 Forest Road, Walthamstow, Borough of Waltham Forest, London E17, 2004 • Only the net curtains remain in this traditional green shop, which I’d guess was once a cafe. […]
M.J. Davies
M.J. Davies, 10 New King Street, Deptford, Borough of Lewisham, London SE8, 2002 • Stripey ghost sign for what may have been a dairy (they often had Welsh names). Looks […]
Green boarded shop
Green boarded shop, 294-292 Kennington Park Road, Borough of Lambeth, London SE11, 2005 • Boarded-up shop, a symphony in greens. Now Kinleigh Folkard & Hayward, part of Kennington’s ever-growing nest of […]
Import & Export (J.R. Blanche)
Import & Export (J.R. Blanche), 76 Brixton Road, Borough of Lambeth, London SW9, 2001 • This anonymous import-export business with brutal redactions is what J.R. Blanche looked like 15 years ago. […]
Nameless 1882 shop
Nameless 1882 shop, 15 Cleveland Square, Liverpool L1, 2003 • Completing the Cleveland Square triumvirate of Rober L’Pool Ltd and Hollinshead & Walker, this handsomely dilapidated Victorian building was in […]
Rober L’Pool Ltd
Rober L’Pool Ltd, 14 Cleveland Square, Liverpool L1, 2003 • A neighbour of of Hollinshead & Walker, with mysterious truncated name. Became stylish dog grooming parlour Dog One.
Nameless green Chinese shop
Nameless green Chinese shop, Nelson Street, Liverpool L1, 2003 • Attractive decaying paint job in lucky Chinese colours. Now a house.
A.H. Prior
A.H. Prior, circa 6 Cleaver Street, Borough of Lambeth, London SE11, 2001 • Another ecclesiastical name, long gone. Now The Locker Room, a male sauna.
Nameless works
Nameless works, Unit 1a, Bordesley Street, Birmingham, 2014 • Curious neoclassical portal leading to a lowly industrial unit. A while back, it housed an Auto Valet Centre.
Nameless wall clock
Nameless wall clock, side of 85 Clerkenwell Road, Borough of Camden, London EC1, 2011 • For decades this giant octagonal clock rusted away high above Clerkenwell, but now it’s been […]
Brigitte
Brigitte, 53 Linkfield Street, Redhill, Surrey, 2002 • The other side of yesterday’s A.J. Massey – I always like a bit of black letter writing.
Nameless ex-works (NuWeld Engineering Services Ltd)
Nameless ex-works, circa 36 Oxford Street, Birmingham, 2014 • A […]
Morrow
Morrow, 41 High Street, Leominster, Herefordshire, 2014 • I have no idea what this is – those look like spotlights in the window. It’s a listed 16th century building which […]
J & M Smith
J & M Smith, 64 North Street, Emsworth, Hampshire, 2003 • A very sad shop which suggested to me that its owner had died. Although I didn’t know it when […]
S. Sadler
S. Sadler, 192 Brick Lane, Borough of Tower Hamlets, London E1, 2006 • Beautiful glass sign briefly revealed before being smothered by a tacky-looking Mexican joint, Loco Mojito.
Rogers (Autocolor)
Rogers (Autocolor), Deptford Broadway, Borough of Lewisham, London SE8, 2002 • Deptford’s an interesting place. This old shop was still the same 10 years later, albeit with more crap inside.
Parkers
Parkers, 13 Oxford Street, Whitstable, Kent, 2002 • None of those namby-pamby filter tips for the salty seadogs of Folkestone. The gallery next door shows which way the wind was blowing; […]
Ons, Ltd
Ons, Ltd, 128 High Street, Lowestoft, Suffolk, 2007 • Scarred and illlegible ghost sign for something ending in ‘ons’ (Sons?) adding a touch of looming darkness to the local market. There’s also […]
Gibson Bishop & Co Ltd.
Gibson Bishop & Co Ltd., 73 Humber Street, Hull, 2013 • Nice 1950s detailing on this unreconstructed warehouse in Hull’s old fruit market, now being used as a creative quarter.
Veg Out
Veg Out, Side of 228b Stoke Newington Road, Northwald Road, Stoke Newington, Borough of Hackney, London N16, 2002 • Not entirely healthy-looking veggie outlet, next door to yesterday’s surfie fridge shop; […]
Ex-shop (Charlton)
Ex-shop, next to 68 Rathmore Road, Charlton, Borough of Greenwich, London SE7, 2004 • Mmm, nice shop, can’t wait for it to open again. It was still there in 2012, minus […]
S (Willesden)
S (Willesden), St Albans Lane, Golders Green, London NW11, Borough of Barnet, 2003 • Fragment of old signwriting found lurking down an unkempt service road – I doubt it’s still there […]
M. Stephens.
M. Stephens., 44-46 Herbert Road, Plumstead, Borough of Greenwich, London SE18, 2004 • So good they named it twice: classic signwriting, and what looks like plans for a fancy “44” over […]
Ber
Ber (part-demolished shop), circa 227 High Street, Stratford, Borough of Newham, London E15, 2006 • An ex-timber merchant? Now gone, along with the neighbouring warehouse and pub, on a corner totally […]
Ex-shop (Liverpool)
Nameless ex-shop, 86-90 Duke Street, Liverpool L1, 2003 • Abandoned emporium in a grand ex-merchant’s house. Still decaying in 2012, though redevelopment is creeping up.
J.W. Ould
J.W. Ould, 35 Herbert Road, Plumstead, Borough of Greenwich, London SE18, 2004 • Three layers of old signage here, though I can’t find out the full name. Later became Belleza Hair […]
Ex-shop (Norbiton)
Ex-shop, 160 London Road, Norbiton, Surrey, 2005 • Another ex-shop resembling fine art, this time Donald Judd. Was later knocked down to build toytown flats.
Ex-shop (Poole)
Ex-shop, 3 High Street, Poole, Dorset, 2004 • An empty shop resembling fine art, specifically early Christo. Now a Telegraph-sponsored newsagents.
E.T. Baker
E.T. Baker, 76 Caledonian Road, Borough of Islington, London N1, 2003 • Mysterious, long-lasting facade with a beautiful “Brilliant” glass-and-gold sign (see detail).
Farey & Sons
Farey & Sons, 37 The Cut, Borough of Southwark, London SE1, 2002 • Became an army surplus store with yellow plastic sign – still old-school, but much less beautiful.
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.
Beverley Hall Ltd.
Beverley Hall Ltd., 16 Regent Parade, Jewellery Quarter, Birmingham, West Midlands, 2005 • I thought this was being knocked down when I photographed it, but in 2012 it was still intact.
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…
G. Hill
G. Hill, 405 Evelyn Street, Deptford, Borough of Lewisham, London SE8, 2002 • Nice lettering, I wonder what it sold? Now demolished.
Kehoe’s.
Kehoe’s., 5 Stoney Street, Borough Market, Borough of Southwark, London SE1, 2002 • Borough Market gentrified and this became smart Applebee’s Fish, but there’s still a Kehoe’s cobbler nearby.
Shopfront Elegy 