A short urban wander from Greenwich to New Cross, taking in some lost pubs and ghostsigns on the way

 I've become slightly obsessed with this part of South London of late, first and foremost because of the excellent record shop, Upsidedown Records, on Deptford High Street, but also because it's not an area I have explored that much before. After filling my boots with lots of vinyl goodness, initially at Music and Video Exchange in Greenwich, I left Greenwich and headed towards Deptford. Rather than taking the main road as I'd done previously, I walked through a narrow path next to St Alfege Church called St Alfege Passage, which brings you out on the corner of Roan Street and Churchfields.

The first point of interest I spotted was Number 16. It looks like it was a boutique hotel but I'm not sure it still is given the fact that the online reviews are all several years old. Interesting signage nevertheless with the old Nectar Tea sign on the wall.

Number 16, St Alfege Passage and Roan Street, Greenwich, South London

Directly opposite Number 16 is a former pub, The Earl Grey, at 1 Churchfields. This old pub is now used as a private residence but still has the old pub sign, dated 1913, and the green tiling adorning the façade of the building. The buildings either side of the former pub look relatively new but I'm not sure whether the pub would have stood on its own, or whether the adjacent buildings have long since been demolished. 

Former pub, The Earl Grey, 1 Churchfields, Greenwich, South London SE10

Continuing on my journey to Deptford, I came across what is possibly still a school, with separate entrances for boys and girls, on Randall Place, complete with the original signage above the doorways.

Boys and Girls entrances for a school on Randall Place, Greenwich, South London SE10

One of the buildings which dominates this part of Greenwich, and has done so since 1897, is the Mumford's Greenwich Flour Mills. The building, which sits on Deptford Creek, is now in residential use but the original signage still remains.

Mumford's Greenwich Flour Mills, Deptford Creek and Greenwich High Road, South London SE22

Keeping on the old signage theme, although nowhere near as old as the mills sign, is what I assumed used to be some sort of internet café back in the days before everyone has internet connections at home. The building is in quite a sorry state of repair, with boarded up windows and a shuttered threshold.

Old sign for Internet Access, Greenwich High Road, South London

From here I headed up the Deptford High Street to get my vinyl fix at Upsidedown records. I didn't take any pictures on that part of the walk as I've already covered that in my post An Urban Wander from Deptford to Greenwich, when I walked in the other direction.

After leaving Deptford I headed towards New Cross with the intention of hopping on the London Overground to take me north for some more exploring. En route I came across these two simply wonderful ghostsigns on opposite side of the New Cross Road. I'd seen the first one before but somehow completely managed to miss the second one previously, Anyway, here they are in all their glory. The first one is a massive ghostsign, for Brymay Safety Matches, taking up almost the entire side of a building.

Ghostsign for Brymay Safety Matches, New Cross Road and Alpha Road, South London

I'm not sure how I managed to miss this one on previous visits as it's almost opposite the Brymay ghostsign, but anyway here it is, another wonderful example of a huge ghostsign, this time for Lipton's Tea, The Finest The World Produces, which is on the corner of Mornington Road and New Cross Road. I wonder what could have happened to the 'L'. The brickwork behind looks the same so that doesn't suggest any structural alterations. Maybe it was simply cleaned off?

Ghostsign for Lipton's Tea, Mornington Road and New Cross Road, South London

And finally for this blogpost, not a ghostsign, but certainly an old sign, for The New Cross House, still operating under the same name as a pub.

Old sign for The New Cross House, New Cross Road, South London

As usual, many thanks for taking the time to read the post, I hope you've enjoyed it. Until next time ...

An Urban Wander from King's Cross to Hackney and Back Again

 Up in London recently for an evening event, I decided to travel up early to make the most of the day. I didn't have any real plans, other than to pay a visit to Atlantis Records in Hackney to fee my vinyl addiction, and to return to the Parcel Yard in King's Cross for my evening event. So, I decided to walk to Hackney from King's Cross and back again, in a loop of some description. The weather was a bit grey to start with but fortunately it brightened up along the wander. Below you can see a few pictures I took along the way.

First up it's one of my favourite subjects, ghostsigns. This ghostsign can be found over what is now a Nando's, on York Way, just to the north of King's Cross station. Pleasing that the old signage has been left intact. I wonder what sort of REFRESHMENTS it would have provided, perhaps Italian given that it was the Celestino Bertolini refreshment Rooms, which operated from 1916 to the 1960's.

Ghostsign for Celestino Bertolini's Refreshment Rooms, York Way, King's Cross, London

Next up, on the Caledonian Road, we have an old shop sign for SIMMONS DINING ROOMS, with some wonderful, green ceramic tiling either side of the shop front. Still going by the same name, but judging by the signage that can be seen just below the Simmons banner, which reads COCKTAILS DISCO OPEN TIL 3 FRIDAY& SATURDAY, I imagine this is no longer a dining room but more of a trendy cocktail bar.

Old sign for Simmonds Dining Rooms, Caledonian Road, King's Cross, London

As I made my way towards Hackney, I came across another old sign, or ghostsign, for the engineering company, C. LINDLEY & CO., LTD on Englefield Road. According to an old advertisement I found they provided bolts, screws, studs, nuts and pins for the aircraft, motor, shipbuilding and general engineering trades.

Old sign for C. Lindley & Co Ltd., Englefield Road, London N1

Just a bit further along the Englefield Road, on the corner with De Beauvoir Road, is another ghost sign for COLLINS & HAYES, which as far as I can tell was a factory for the production of sofas. If it's the same company then it would appear that they still exist but are now in Nottinghamshire.

Ghostsign for Collins & Hayes, De Beauvoir Road, London N1

There's no doubt as to what purpose the next sign would have served. This is the premises of the former pub THE DE BEAUVIOR ARMS on Stamford Road. Closed for business in 2004 it is now used for residential purposes.

Old sign for the former pub, The De Beauvoir Arms, Stamford Road, London N1

My wander now took me to Dalston, not an area I have really spent much time in previously, but come up with this delight. This is the former building of REEVES & SONS LTD, ARTISTS' COLOUR MANUFACTURER. in Ashwin Street, London E8

Old sign for the former Reeves & Sons Ltd building, Dalston, London E8

Old sign for the former Reeves & Sons Ltd building, Dalston, London E8

Old sign for the former Reeves & Sons Ltd building, Dalston, London E8

After a quick look around Atlantis records, and picking up a handful of records, I started to make my way back. Ideally I would have liked to spend more time in Hackney but time was not on my side so I probably on scratched the surface. I was pleased however to have spotted this wonderful ghostsign before I left. I can't quite make out the top line, possibly A.HANWELL, but despite searching through my usual sources of London ghostsigns I cannot find any mention of this one. The rest of the sign though is quite clear.

HOUSE FURNISHER

ESTABLISHED OVER 50 YEARS

LOWEST CASH PRICES

EASY TERMS CAN BE ARRANGED

Ghostsign, Mare Street, Hackney, London

When I came across this next building, I assumed that given the tiling and windows that it was a former pub. However after a bit of research it seems to have been the premises of the City of Dublin Bottling Co Ltd.

Former premises of the City of Dublin Bottling Co Ltd., Croston Street, Hackney, London E8

As my walking time, and my legs, were both now running out, I now headed to the Regents Canal for a more direct route back to King's Cross. I'd walked past the former Hackney /Bethnal Green gasworks plenty of times previously but they never cease to impress me. I'm not sure how much longer they will still be in their current state as there seems to be a new, large development on the horizon. It seems like the external structure may be retained in some form, like the ones at King's Cross (see further down this page). It's a bit of a shame but better I guess than losing them completely. For anyone with a thirst to know more about London's lost power stations and gasworks, check out this excellent book by Ben Pedroche.

The Hackney / Bethnal Green gasholders

Heading further along the canal is part of the 2020 controversial art installation by the architect Jaimie Shorten. Controversial because of apparent lack of planning permission. Originally there were 5 sharks in the installation and they were located in a different place in the canal. It seems this is the only one still on display.

Part of the Shark art installation on the Regent's Canal, by architect Jaimie Shorten

And so, as the light was fading and my feet were aching, I finally made it back to King's Cross. As mentioned above, here is one of the preserved / redeveloped gasholders at King's Cross. Again it's a shame they cannot be seen through, but again this is better than them being demolished.

Repurposed gasholder, King's Cross London

Finally, the last picture, at the very end of my wander, a ghostsign in Coaldrop Yard for the COAL OFFICE. This whole area has been massively redeveloped over the past few years, from once was a huge industrial area consisting mainly of disused and unoccupied buildings, to a thriving cultural, eating and shopping district. The majority of the old buildings have been kept in some form or other, which again is pleasing to see. More about the history and dramatic transformation of the King's Cross area in The King's Cross Story, 200 Years of History in the Railway Lands.

Ghostsign for COAL OFFICE in Coaldrop Yard, King's Cross, London

Once again, many thanks for taking time to read my rambling wanders, always In Search of Space.

A week in the Peak District: a quick wander around Wirksworth, Derbyshire

Over the summer, one of our wonderful staycations was in Derbyshire. I have quite a few pictures to share from the various wanderings so will split them into a handful of shorter blog posts rather than one long one. Let's start with Wirksworth, which was the nearest town to where we were staying. Small enough to have some soul to it, large enough to have some great bars and restaurants, and pleasing that it had a few ghost signs and old signs to reveal. Unfortunately a couple of these were quite weathered so I was not able to decipher them.

This first one however was readable

WIRKSWORTH & DISTRICT CO OPERATIVE SOCIETY LIMITED  

Ghost sign, Wirksworth, Derbyshire

I'm sure this next ghost sign would have been stunning in its time, but time has taken its toll and it's hard to make out anything other than a few letters, and searching through the internet didn't show anything either. If anyone knows more I'd love to find out.

Ghost sign, Wirksworth, Derbyshire

Less ghostly, but more readable, is this wonderful pre-Warboys sign.

Pre-Warboys sign, Wirksworth, Derbyshire

It wasn't until I blew this picture up on the PC that I noticed it had more to it than initially caught my eye. As well as the lettering starting WIN between the rows of windows, there are also the letters SWORN just in the shadow of where the roof hangs over the wall, and there's a middle line ending in SER. However I am none the wise as to what the complete sign may have read. Any clues?

Ghost sign, Wirksworth, Derbyshire

And of course, no trip to Wirksworth would be complete without a few pictures of the heritage railway. However, it would seem these have mysteriously vanished from my phone.

An urban and rural wander around Oxford

I don't seem to have found time to blog over the past few months. My spare time has been taken up with bike rides, and over the wonderful summer it seemed criminal to lock myself away with the laptop instead of being outside enjoying the great outdoors. However, now that we seem to be firmly in the grip of late autumn, with dark evenings and drizzle, I can justify sitting at home over a hot keyboard and catch up with posting some of my psychogeographical outings from the past few months, as I drifted through town and country, sometimes with a plan in mind, other times just happy to wander. But where shall we go first? How about Oxford … and let's begin with a wonderful doorway mosaic.

Doorway mosaic, Turl Street, Oxford

I must confess I've never been punting, but it is on the "to do" list. It does however always bring up a slightly sinister image that I remember from either Inspector Morse or Lewis.

Punts on the River Cherwell, Oxford

Wandering along the Cowley Road in Oxford is almost always a pleasure. Whether it's to rummage through the charity shops or crate dig in Truck Records, to have lunch in an independent café or to go to a gig at the O2 academy, there is always something new to catch the eye regardless of how many time I walk along it. This next photo is a perfect example of something I must have walked past tens of times but only noticed it on this visit. This old sign for R.A.NEVILLE, Dispensing Chemist is thankfully still preserved above what is now, I think, a restaurant.

Old sign for R.A.Neville, Dispensing Chemist, Cowley Road, Oxford

As with most towns and cities these days, street art is everywhere. Some grabs the eye, others just looks like the scrawling of a madman. This one however did catch my eye, with its elephant on wheels and what looks like a jazz band.

Street art, just off the Cowley Road, Oxford

This next one was a real find. I had definitely noticed this before and really cannot remember why I had never stopped to look at it or photograph it before. It would seem that this cinema has a rich history and is still in use today. It originally opened in 1911 but closed towards the end of World War I, only re-opening in 1976 as the Penultimate Picture Palace after being used as a furniture depository in the intervening period. It closed again in 1994 when squatters moved in, renaming it to the Section 6 Cinema. In 1997 it re-opened as The Ultimate Picture Palace. For more information and pictures, have a look at The Ultimate Survivor about the history of the cinema

The Ultimate Picture Palace, Jeune Street, just off the Cowley Road, Oxford

I've blogged about Oxford signage a few years ago now, but there are always more great finds. This is also a great little street with shops, cafés, bars and restaurants.

North Parade Avenue, Oxford

I thought that when I photographed this ghost sign a few years back, it was not quite so weathered as it is today, but on checking my previous blog post, it actually seems to be in better condition, with the drain pipe that used to run diagonally across the sign now diverted to run next to it. Good to see it's still there and not painted over or covered with a billboard as so many seem to be these days.

Ghost sign for Hovis Bread, Jericho, Oxford

Having aching feet from wandering the hard streets, we finished our day in a more serene setting, walking along part of the Oxford Canal, which reminded me of the Philip Pullman novels and Lyra's Oxford.

Oxford Canal, Oxford

Oxford Canal, Oxford

Hopefully this post will be the catalyst I need to return to blogging, but we'll have to see. Thanks for reading. Until next time ...

A wander around Abingdon, Oxfordshire (looking for signs old and new)

A different destination for today's wander. Looking to go somewhere different from home, but not travelling too far, we decided to stop off at Abingdon in Oxfordshire for a few hours. Our wander started with a short and muddy walk along the Thames path, which was pleasant enough, but soon we ended up in the town, with scenery more fitting for my blog.

Starting off with what I originally thought was a bit over over-officious policing of the waterway, but then realised it had a more humourous tone to it.

Sign at Abingdon lock, River Thames, Oxfordshire

Sign at Abingdon lock, River Thames, Oxfordshire

In to the town now and pleasing to find not only an old sign / ghost sign on the Oxfam shop, but also two doorway mosaics there too. The sign reads

LANGFORD & SONS CORN & COAL MERCHANTS

Old sign for Langford & Sons Corn & Coal Merchants, Abingdon, Oxfordshire

Doorway mosaic, Abingdon, Oxfordshire

Doorway mosaic, Abingdon, Oxfordshire

Following the doorway mosaic at the Corn and Coal merchants, I found another just a little further down the road. This shop threshold also had some ornate tile work.

Doorway mosaic, Abingdon, Oxfordshire

Ornate tile work, Abingdon, Oxfordshire

Good to see the sign for the FREE LIBRRAY is still in situ, even if the library itself is long gone.

Old sign for former Free Library, Abingdon, Oxfordshire

Old sign for former Free Library, Abingdon, Oxfordshire

A short visit to the town, which we rounded off with a quick visit to the museum. These two pictures are from the roof terrace which is open upon request for a small fee.

View from the rooftop of the Abingdon Museum, Oxfordshire

Zooming in a little and the horizon is pretty much filled with what remains of Didcot Power Station.

Didcot Power Station from the rooftop of the Abingdon Museum, Oxfordshire

That's all for today. Thanks as always for reading. Comments welcome.

A lunchtime wander around Notting Hill, London

For my lunchtime wander today, I decided to drift off towards Holland Park and Notting Hill. Again this is somewhere I've been before but not for a while now, and as with many places I visit there are always either new sights to see and photo, or vistas I have previously missed.

One thing I do particularly like about this area of London is the curved buildings on many of the street corners, mainly I suspect as a result of the roads not being a grid system like some other parts of London.

This first building has all the hall marks of being a pub at one time in its life. From similar buildings I have seen, I can imagine a sign with the pub name at the very top of the building and a list of various ales on the long grey plastered section. It looks like it may have had an entrance too which has now been covered. Worried that I may be completely wrong, I decided to conduct some internet research and came across this wonderful site called Lost Pubs in London which revealed that this indeed used to be a pub, called The Unicorn but has been a residential dwelling for some years now.

The former Unicorn Pub, corner of Princedale Road and Penzance Place, Notting Hill, London

I was also curious about what this building, also in Penzance Place, could have been, but was not able to uncover any information.

Unidentified pink building, Penzance Place, Notting Hill, London

Again I'm quite sure what is now The Cross was something in a former life but despite doing, admittedly only a little, research I was unable to uncover anything on this one either.

The Cross, Portland Road, Notting Hill, London

Fortunately what is now The Cowshed was easier to discover its former function. This was also a former pub, called The Portland Arms.

The former Portland Arms pub, Portland Road, Notting Hill, London

The area in and around Clarendon Cross has some wonderful shop fronts or which these are only a couple.

L Maison shopfront, Clarendon Cross, Notting Hill, London

Summerill and Bishop, shopfront, Clarendon Cross, Notting Hill, London

This area also boasts something of a more industrial past, with a pottery and this former brick works, now a residential dwelling. The name of the building is clear to see, but look about half-way down and there are also the words BUILDERS and CONTRACTORS in the brickwork.

The former Clarendon brick works, Notting Hill, London

The former Clarendon brick works, Notting Hill, London

As I made my way back down Portland Road, I spotted this old shop sign above a restaurant, for James Bricknell, decorators.

Old sign, Portland Road, Notting Hill, London

Finally on this wander, I found this wonderful, and very much in use, butchers. 

Lidgate butchers, Holland Park Avenue, London

It's hard to make out in this picture but the LIDGATE is actually a mosaic.

Mosaic, Lidgate butchers, Holland Park Avenue, London