Comments on: Ghost Signs Of Bermondsey & Southwark

By: Mike D

Mike D — Mon, 08 Apr 2019 19:07:33 +0000

The mesh and wire works at the top of the page is used to film the 2019 BBC series of The Great British Sewinf Bee and is shown on the programme pretty much every week.

By: Shawdian

Shawdian — Sun, 13 Nov 2016 21:23:40 +0000

And thank you Sam Roberts
for your work, bringing Ghost Signs
to our attention. For years I have
enjoyed spotting these signs, but
I have found the majority are not
aware the signs exist because most
are looking at their phones and not
what is around them. Once you spot
them, you realise how precious these are.

By: Sam Roberts

Sam Roberts — Wed, 28 Sep 2016 13:50:13 +0000

Thank you for the write-up and all of your kind comments. The area is great for exploring and The Gentle Author encouraged me to take a few turns I hadn’t taken in the past. There’s always something new around every corner if you take the time to look up, down and around.

By: Yvonne Eade Kolessides

Yvonne Eade Kolessides — Fri, 23 Sep 2016 07:51:33 +0000

Absolutely wonderful! Thank you soo much..

By: pauline taylor

pauline taylor — Wed, 21 Sep 2016 18:08:19 +0000

Thank you. I enjoy anything about Southwark and Bermondsey, where my ancestors have lived since the mid 16th century, but I particularly like the history of signwriting as seen here. We have a customer who is a modern signwriter who will buy any book that we have on the subject, and anything about type faces as well, so all is not lost, he is carrying on a great tradition.

Although take courage refers to the ale it could be taken in a different way today I feel!!

By: Lynne Perrella

Lynne Perrella — Wed, 21 Sep 2016 14:33:21 +0000

Divine imperfection! So glad that these ghosts are still telling their tales.
And — hurrah! — let’s hear it for the sign-painters of yore. I doubt that most of them expected their brush strokes to still be on display….and yet. I’ve always found the term “Palimpsest” to be a bit pretentious — but, in this context, it seems just right. Thanks, as ever, for a wonderfully-evocative post.

By: Elizabeth cornwell

Elizabeth cornwell — Wed, 21 Sep 2016 12:55:17 +0000

I think the Take Courage sign was a sneaky bit of advertising for Courage’s Brewery!On the railway line to Romsey ,where the local brewry was Strongs there were advertising hoardings saying”you are leaving the Strong Country,take Courage!They always made me laugh as a child when I travelled on that line!

By: Helen Elster Jones

Helen Elster Jones — Wed, 21 Sep 2016 12:21:18 +0000

I assume the “take Courage” refers to Courage Best Bitter/ Pale Ale?

By: John Barrett

John Barrett — Wed, 21 Sep 2016 07:00:22 +0000

Sam is playing an important part in portraying historic London, he is re-discovering an association of Company’s signs on workshops/buildings, there has to be is a spin-off here for researchers. I am sure his uncanny ‘talented’ observation’s are documented somewhere. This must make Sam an historian or is he an industrial archaeologist; your call people. John B

By: Janet M

Janet M — Tue, 20 Sep 2016 23:23:57 +0000

Lovely, and great that there is an app for it.