"So, farewell then Fred Palmer, cash butcher..."

This shop sign caught my eye the other day. It should do, as it's just outside my work and I knew it wasn't there the week before.

The existing shop-front fascia had been taken down whilst workmen were fitting out the rest of the building, revealing this older example beneath. It's quite interesting on a couple of levels; firstly because it harks back to a time when this particular row of shops would have mainly been retailers rather than service industries (the shop is now a solicitors and its neighbours include a washing machine repairers, accountants and art gallery); secondly it's quite interesting from the historical and production point of view in that it reveals previous occupants, and thirdly it's interesting because I'm wondering what a 'cash butcher' was!

Fred doesn't seem to have been the first butcher on this site as a close look at the board seems to show 'ghost writing' underneath. It still seems to be the sign for a 'cash butcher' but not, I'd guess, Fred.You can see here that the lettering is larger, which implies that the main name was probably shorter than Fred Palmer's
The composition of the lettering is surprisingly complex as well, with a range of yellow, red, white and black shading. Look at all the different elements on the letter 'R' above, for example.
My assumption is that there must have been two types of butcher - one who sold meat on account, to be settled monthly (possibly one catering for the middle class homes) and one who dealt on strictly 'cash-only, no credit' terms - hence a cash butcher.

I had taken for granted that the fascia would be covered when whatever work required had been completed, but the next day scaffolding was up and the sign was in pieces, presumably destined for the dump. The new sign is ready so no doubt next week I'll be able to update this post with a picture its modern replacement. Until then it looks as though Fred Palmer has had his last burst of recognition before fading into final oblivion...

UPDATE: Well the new fascia is up although there's obviously a bit more work to do. It does the job I suppose but it's a pity Fred isn't lurking quietly underneath any more.

Boundary Markers and Milestones

There's something about a boundary that makes you want to straddle it. I suppose it's a throwback to the 'half of me here, half of me there...' feelings of childhood so I always get a little frisson when I see a marker by the roadside. Of course what you really want to know is exactly what is being delineated - a parish, a borough or even a county. Of course if you're really lucky you might find something dividing two things that no longer exist but few of us are granted that privilege...

Here are a few local markers I've spotted over the last few weeks and then, because they have their own charm and unique appeal and accompany the boundary markers so well, an assemblage of my milestone posters, with the odd new one or two -

These first few are all parish boundary's around Morden. I assume it was important to maintain these boundaries for a number of reasons, not just which church you should go to. For a start the church used to collect a local tax or tithe. It would have been important to know in which parish something like a water mill fell (as below, for example). Secondly there would have been the issue of Poor Relief that was issued to the destitute of the parish. You wouldn't want them lingering in your neck of the woods if you could help it, and thirdly births deaths and marriages were organized by parish. As it was therefore important to know where the limits were there used to be annual processions known as 'Beating the Bounds' where choirboys were taken to these markers and given a beating to make sure they could remember where they were!

Canterbury Road, Morden SM4
This one sits as perky as you like down a suburban street that was constructed in the 1930's. Strange to think that this parish marker had already been sat there for 50 years!
I'm not sure if H. Knight was the parish councillor or the manufacturer.
Morden Hall Park SM4
Butting up to the banks of the Wandle , just behind the Snuff Mill the Mitcham Parish is still legible but you have a hard time making out Morden Parish on the other side. Still just about there though...
Morden Hall Park SM4
Not more than 15 yards away from the riverside marker is this example under a fine and expansive tree. Mitcham were obviously very keen to keep the poor of Morden off of their Poor Relief!
Cambridge Road KT1
This is an interesting example of a civil marker which also happens to be outside of Kingsmeadow Stadium, home of mighty AFC Wimbledon and the not-quite so mighty Kingstonian FC. There's even a Wimbledon supporter in the background for added local colour...
The boundary is between Malden & Coombe on the left and Kingston Upon Thames to the right. As it seems to be built into someone's front drive you could easily miss it.
Beverley Bridge, Kingston Vale (A3)
Bridges are always good places to stick a boundary marker and you get two for your money on the Beverly Bridge by Richmond Park. The top section shows the boundary between the Borough of Wandsworth on on side and the Borough of Malden & Coombe on the other. It just also happens to be where the London County Council met the Surrey County Council
Brighton Road Sutton
I found a string of milestones that I presume once ran along the main road down to Portsmouth or Southampton (or even Brighton?). This one was to the south of Sutton. Looks nice and clear, although it's a pity the number isn't clearer. XII possibly? I believe that the symbol at the bottom of the stone - the arrow under a line - was the sign of the War Office so it might tie in with some military function. The date looks nice and clear here ...


...but around the side is this inscription and date. Was it freshened up and re-engraved in 1892?
Rose Hill Sutton SM1
Just the other side of Sutton sits what must be one of the most pampered milestones around. They've given it its own park, flower-beds and railings.No mention of the Cornhill here nor any War Office markings. Instead were measuring our way to theRoyal Exchange and Whitehall.

Moeden Hall Road SM4 following on the same route as the two above, a couple of miles down the road is this remnant. Badly weathred and with no discernable markings sadly...
London Road SM4
About a mile away and on a convergant route, this milestone leans drunkenly to one side. Still nice an legible though.
And finally, up near London Bridge
Off Tooley Street The 'S' is for south but I haven't really cracked the mystery of the 'O & I' yet. We will though...

"Artistry & History Underfoot" Gillian Cooksey interview

Well I'm still engrossed with this little book and I'm more than happy that the author, Gillian Cooksey, has agreed to provide a bit of background and insight into how she came to write it. For me one of the fascinating aspects of Gillian's interest is that she looks on them with a designers eye as much as a historians. This is something I hadn't considered a great deal myself other than on a 'I quite like/dislike that' sort of level. I'll be looking at them with a fresh eye from now on...
Q How and when did your interest in coalhole covers begin?

A In the mid 1970s I attended evening classes on church brasses, but rubbing brasses in country churches with no transport and two young children in tow was not practical. Our lecturer mentioned other more accessible objects to rub with heelball, for example the cast iron plates covering the entrances to coalholes of Victorian houses.

Q Where did you find examples of coalhole covers?

A All around where I lived in a Victorian area of Watford, particularly outside the corner-shops. They had been there all the time – I just hadn’t noticed them. Another good source was the pavements outside the big houses in the Squares and Gardens in Bloomsbury, near my husband’s workplace.

Q What was it about coalhole covers that appealed to you?

A The great variety of designs, some very ornate. The Victorians loved to decorate everything, even mundane objects such as covers for coalholes. Also the names and addresses of ironmongers and foundries that were on many covers. Most of the companies had ceased trading decades before, but their names remain on cast iron plates set in the pavement!

Q How did you record them in the 1970s?

A By laying a sheet of thin white paper over the cover and rubbing with heelball or black wax. The raised design showed black on a white background. Although the process was quicker than rubbing church brasses, it was still hard on the knees!

Q How did you store the rubbings?

A On top of the wardrobe to keep them flat. Coalhole covers are usually at least 12 inches or 30 cm across.

Q What reactions did you get from passers-by?

A Mixed! Some gave me strange looks and a wide berth, while others were interested and even told me where to find other examples.

Q Was there general interest in coalhole covers at the time?

A There were one or two articles published in magazines and newspapers, and Lily Goddard published a book in 1979 entitled 'Coal Hole Rubbings – The Story of an Artefact in Our Streets'.

Q Have you been collecting designs non-stop since then?

A No, there was a gap of twenty years or so – work and family commitments took precedence.

Q What rekindled your interest?

A Six or seven years ago, I noticed a cover in Hastings with a Hastings ironmonger’s name on it, and that made me wonder if the Watford covers I had seen in the 70s were still in situ.

Q Were they?

A No, a lot of them in Watford had disappeared, but there were still very many different designs around, especially in London.

Q So what did you do?

A I set about recording as many different designs and company names as possible before they too disappeared.

Q Do you still record them by rubbing with heelball?

A No, digital cameras make the task much easier these days!

Q Do you just take photographs?

A No, although a photograph gives a true record of the state of a coalhole cover, I am more interested in the actual designs and company names, which are sometimes not very clear on a photograph. I prefer to adapt the photograph to a black and white illustration.

Q How do you do that?

A I print out the photograph, trace the outline of the raised areas with a black pen onto another piece of paper and scan the tracing back into the computer. I then use suitable software to fill in between the outlines with black. The result is like a rubbing.
Q How did you come to write your book?

A I realised I had acquired a mass of information on coalhole covers. Since 2002 I have taken photographs of about four hundred different coalhole cover designs, mostly in London, and collected a long list of company names. I became interested in the history of a few of the companies – how their designs had changed over the years, sometimes subtly and sometimes radically. I also researched various patents for self locking plates and those with illuminating prisms etc. I decided to put all this information in one place – hence the book!

Q What were your main sources of information for the company histories?

A The Guildhall Library in London has a few old ironmongers’ catalogues and one or two company histories. I found some on line too thanks to Google. I checked company addresses and followed the expansion of companies using historical trade directories such as Kelly’s Post Office Directories or Pigot’s Directories. The best place to search for these is The University of Leicester’s Historical Directories website.

Q How did you get your book published?

A Having unsuccessfully tried Shire Books, who publish books on all sorts of unusual collections, I decided to publish my book myself using a print on demand publishing company called Lulu. The book content is uploaded to them and copies of the book are printed by them as and when they are required.

Q What are your favourite designs?

A I particularly like those covers with trademarks and those with very ornate designs.

Q Are you still collecting designs and company names?

A Definitely! I’m sure there are very many different covers to be found in London, let alone the rest of the UK. The Faded London site has already displayed several that are new to me!

(Details of how to obtain a copy of "Artistry & History Underfoot" can be seen on the previous post.)

"Artistry & History Underfoot" - A Study of Coalhole Covers (Gillian Cooksey)

Every now and then you read a book that really satisfies, really hits the spot. The sort of book that for whatever reason and whatever time in your life just makes you think 'I wish I'd written this'. I've had a few of these myself, mostly from the late teens/early twenties and a pretty varied bunch they are as well. From "The Diary of a Nobody" & "A Confederacy of Dunces" to the lesser known "A Voice Through A Cloud" by Denton Welch and Endo's "The Samurai". They are all still sitting on my shelves, unread for many a year but still treasured.

So it's nice to come across another book to add to them and also interesting to see how my tastes have changed over the intervening years, because I'm sure the younger me wouldn't have believed I could apply the ''I wish I'd written this' test on a book about coalhole covers!

(Haywards Self Locking Plate - Kingston n.b. not an illustration from the book!)

I have to say that it's highly unlikely I'd of written a book on coalhole covers anyway, but what this book does, is to answer in a very succinct and clear way all those questions I've been pondering on over the last few months - including potted histories of some of the companies and foundry's; an explanation as to production methods when casting the iron; the breakdown of different styles and the differing design properties utilised. There's also, amongst others, a section on coalhole plates with spelling mistakes and the whole work is copiously illustrated with a huge number of designs. It really does qualify as a Fieldwork reference book for all budding coalhole enthusiasts (which I guess includes me). Highly recommended.

The author, Gillian Cooksey, has been collecting coalholes on and off since the seventies as an offshot of her interest in brass rubbing and you can only wonder how many of the unusual or even unique designs she 's captured are still in situ. I'm never one to miss the opportunity for another blog entry, so Gillian has kindly answered some questions about her hobby, her book and how she developed her unusual recording techniques in an age before the digital camera. I'll be posting that up over the next day or so.

"Artistry & History Underfoot" is available either from www.lulu.com/content/2382549 (£10.09 +p&p) or from the author direct on 01923 241688 (£10 post free). The Lulu link also shows the cover with a description of the contents.

Unlike all my novels though, this one won't be sitting on a shelf for years!

London Bridge to Rotherhithe, Old Kent Road and Borough (part 3)

When I hit the Old Kent Road, my first impression was that it reminded me of the Purley Way, Croydon, which is probably not going to mean a great deal unless you've ever been suckered into approaching the great black hole of IKEA. If you can recall your last sights before the Swedish gravity-well sucked you in, well that's the Old Kent Road that is...

Heading west though, those first impressions fade a little as the various warehouse stores give way to a mixture of retail and residential, including a series of mature but well-built flats all topped off with a Corporation of London crest. This is quite intriguing really as the corporation is the body that runs the 'Square Mile' on the north bank of the river, better known as the City of London. As you can see the crest with its rampant dragons is that of the City and the motto means 'Lord Protect Us', so what is it doing in Southwark?

According to the City of London website

The land on which Avondale Square Estate is situated has been owned by the City of London since 1251. Redevelopment of the Square commenced in 1920 and continued after the war. The estate is comprised of over 600 flats and maisonettes, three play areas and a community centre.

There was very little that I spotted of interest down the Old Kent Road until I reached the junction with Albany Road. I could see some older buildings lining the roads and down a side road, possibly Rowcross Street, I saw this interesting sign.
Rowcross Street
I'm not saying this is a ghost sign or anything like that, although it would be interesting to know when it was painted, but what caught my eye was the picture of the glazier. The words 'shifty', 'devious', 'malicious', 'untrustworthy' and even 'un-dead spring to mind. Was the owner really pleased when they saw what the painter had produced? And what's he looking at??? Creepy stuff really...
Old Kent Road - Thomas a Becket Pub
Well this was an unexpected pleasure that bought back a few memories. The local Council had erected a Blue Plaque in the doorway which read

Sir Henry Cooper OBE, KSG Born 1934 British, European and Commonwealth Heavyweight Champion trained in the gymnasium of the Thomas a Becket. Voted by the People

Well done the people. Some of my most vivid memories in childhood were the evenings I'd spend listening to Henry Cooper's fights on the radio. His potent left hook (aka 'Enry's 'Ammer) and his tragic flaw, his susceptibility to cut around the eye. Which would triumph? I think it was that what if aspect about Cooper that made him such a hero. His fights were invariably a race against time and as soon as the commentator said '... and there's blood above Coopers right eye' your heart sank. You knew that he'd battle on as long as he could but like all tragic heroes, the Gods would be too strong for him in the end and the fight would be stopped when he could no longer see to land a punch. His final defeat by Joe Bugner was the end of an era. The last of the heroes had been despatched by a mere mortal.
Non-British readers might not have a clue who I'm talking about so here's a fight where Henry's cut eyes and his left hook both feature.

Old Kent Road
I haven't had a decent capital for ages, so it was nice to spot this long and elegant example sitting on top of an oak leaf cluster
Mason Street off the Old Kent Road
Up by the roundabout with the New Kent Road is an old school which now seems to be an administrative block. I was quite taken with this blocked up doorway, a sort of 'Ghost Entrance'. I'm so enthused I might even see if I can get a ghost-entrance/window posting together, assembling all those bricked-up doorways and windows that no longer go anywhere.
Using the underpasses I emerged from the Old Kent Road roundabout/flyover down Great Dover Street. For some reason I was intrigued by a side turning and left what was a pretty non-descript main road.
Cole Street
I'd seen these 'ghost street signs' before, but it's always interesting to spot another. I'm not sure when or why the practice of painting street names fell out of favour, but here we have the old and the new sitting side-by-side, with the former gently fading into oblivion.
Trinity Church Square
Now I had one of those "Well I'll be..." sort of moments as I came across what seemed to me to be the perfect realisation of a Georgian Square, complete with Church (now the Henry Wood Concert Hall) and enclosed green space. It really would not have looked out of place as a set for 'Oliver!' and was a nice vindication of the 'follow your nose' school of dithering (along with the abrupt left turn that took me to the Angel pub earlier in the walk). I assumed the square was named after the church, but the Trinity reference is actually to the Trinity House charity that were responsible for much of the lighthouses around the coast of Britain. Not only have the buildings survived but so to have many of their features, such as coalholes and boot-scrapers. The coal-holes are all made by Hayward Brothers and seem to be of a fairly late design, which suggests that many were replaced at the same time. Changing over to the famous 'safety plate' maybe? I didn't take any photos of the coalholes as they were fairly standard, but I was intrigued by the bootscrapers, which were of several designs.

This example is quite an elegant effort. I think it might be two herons kissing over a scallop shell. Or then again it might be two fish with spiky tails touching over a scallop shell. It's a boot-scraper equivalent of an ink-blot test...
Whereas this one is obviously two cats fighting over a ball of wool.
Of course you could go for the basic 'bolt a flat piece of metal between two uprights' soloution...
... or the more elaborate and humane 'build a funnel to stop the mud falling down the basement and onto the servant's heads' scraper, although no doubt it was the servants that ended up cleaning it out.
And finally the 'well there's a space here so why don't we put a scraper in?' variety.
The Surrey Dispensary - Trinity Street
As I was leaving the Trinity Church Square I saw this intriguing building on the corner. Obviously of some significance and age there was no clue as to what it might be. A quick search on Google books gave the following quote from The People's Health 1830-1910 by Francis Barrymore Smith

'Free Dispensaries' were established by doctors with the backing of philanthropic donors who retained the right to recommend deserving patients. Often free dispensaries were linked with missions, especially amongst the Wesleyan and evangelical Anglicans. The Surrey Dispensary, Union Street, Borough, was an Anglican institution. The nearly 200,000 cases its managers claimed to have relieved between 1778 and 1840 included over 31,000 confinements.'

Nice to see the building's still there, though I'm not sure what it's used for these days.

Trinity Street
Here's an enigma. A coalhole of fairly non-descript design with the single word 'Durey'. I assume it was the name of the manufacturer, but it doesn't look as though they had much of an imagination.
Hulme Place, Southwark SE1
A second set of bollards caught the eye. Possibly because of the rugged no-nonsense shape and design, but also possibly because of the black and white banding. Surely the mark of a proper bollard?


Maya House, Borough High Street SE1 As it happens I'm putting together a posting about modern 'eye-catching' installations and I reckon this one will have to feature. Reminiscent of the famous New York 'Blue Man' theatre group, this building seems to have a set of blue musicians scaling its side. Why? Who can tell... Looks interesting though.
Borough High Street, SE1 This interesting mosaic was outside a pub on the High Street. Strange that it was also built with a mighty supporting pole obscuring the entrance as well. Cant be the best bit of planning on a Saturday night...
Borough High Street, SE1 Then just up the road was this fine example of a lightwell, all the more interesting as it came from a manufacturer new to me, Parker, Winder & Achurch Ltd. Looks as though they were a Birmingham company and had a finger in several other pies, as this photo shows!

And finally, just as I was walking down the High Street back to the tube station, a glance over the shoulder revealled a fine Ghost Sign.
The Monster Clothing Establishment, Borough High Street, SE1
"Paris, Antwerp & Ghent" it says. I'm not sure why they left Borough off the list but it was a releif to stumble across at least one, bona-fide, dyed in the wool, no-nonsense ghost sign before heading for home.
On the whole I would say that it was several hours well-spent. I've discovered some new places and bits of history I wouldn't have been aware of, either by seeing them, reading up on them or by having people post comments on them. It's true that I've obviously skirted Bermondsey (which deserves amore detailed visit) and that I didn't find much to excite me on either the 'Surrey Docks' nor the Old Kent Road. But then I did find an interesting old pub, a magnificent square, an untouched head office of a railway company and enough derricks to sate the appetite of the most ardent docklands enthusiast. Not bad for an afternoon...

London Bridge to Rotherhithe, Old Kent Road and Borough (part 2)

This is the second part of my amble around South East London. After a lively start between London and Tower Bridge and an interesting stroll through the derricks and gentrified warehouses on the waterfront, I emerged back onto Jamaica Road to carry on in a generally easterly direction. I've tried to plot my route here on Google maps but picking out exactly which side roads I went down is a bit tricky, so you'll have to take this part as an approximation. Anyway, the first thing that caught my eye on Jamaica Road was a sizeable sewer ventilation outlet

Ham Baker - Sewer Ventilation Pipe
Ham Baker are still in existence and based in the Midlands. They seem to specialise in water flow management systems (I think that probably means sewers) so it shows a continuity at least. Although the firm are now based in the Midlands they seem to have either started or had a branch, in Westminster. These listed examples in Wolverhampton certainly bore that address. Jamaica Road seemed to have very little of it's Victorian buildings left and looks mainly to comprise of 50s and 60s low rise housing. I kept glancing down roads off to the left which were nearer the waterfront so after a while decided to walk down and take a look. I certainly picked the right road as I came out opposite a waterfront pub called The Angel . Very nice it was too with a great view of the river from its upstairs gallery. It seemed apt to have a bottle of Taddy Porter with a packet of crisps (Cheese and Onion of course. Old school...) before moving on. Outside were the ruins of an old manor house and a very strange statue. Or three statues to be precise. The main one was of an elderly man sitting on a chair looking at a young girl and a cat about ten yards away. Apparently this is in honour of a local doctor, Alfred Salter, and shows him recalling his young daughter (and her cat presumably) who had died of scarlet fever many years before. It all looked a bit Gothic, like stumbling across some private ghost story. A bronze complexion doesn't suit her really...
Dr Salter's Dream - Bermondsey Wall East
It's an intriguing work though commemorating a local hero, so I was pleased to have seen it.
Bermondsey Wall -
Just up from the Angel was this riverside conversion with associated crane,
and on one of the walls opposite this decorative reinforcing plate. Quite an attractive one at that. I must keep an eye out for a few more examples.Following the Thames path round the river I noticed a small passage heading towards the river. What caught my eye though, apart from the rusted 'Right of Way' sign was the two imprints above it. The top one is the clearer and reads St. M.R 1871 The other one has the date obscured but it is definitely not the same - 1899 possibly? Very intriguing. I wonder what their significance might be?
By this time I suppose I was venturing into Rotherhithe, or Surrey Quays as I now know it to be. Being docklands the area took a huge pounding during the Second World War and post war development apparently saw a transformation of the area. Many docks were filled in and built over and what I found myself walking round for the next few (tedious) miles was what felt like an isolated and fairly sterile development. The river walk is there and so are some of the old quays, but they look as though they are crying out for anything to tie up alongside. Instead everything seems to be fenced off and even the inhabitants wouldn't be able to get down to the shore-line. The surrounding flats are either conversions or mock-ups of warehouses and the lack of activity, either on foot or by car, gave it an air of desolation. I'd put it as the low point of the walk (although don't go away with the idea that I was going through any emotional upheaval over this. Mildly disappointed would about sum it up.)

Rotherhithe Street & Surrey Water.
Carrying on though I did pass by an old pumping station with this interesting logo from the Port of London Authority and dated 1929. With the pond behind it this seems to have been converted into an ecology centre and was a nice spot to dally for a few minutes
If you did find yourself in these parts I could recommend stopping off at the Surrey Docks City Farm for a cup of tea and a slice of cake. Very restful with a faint but reassuring whiff of the countryside...
Rotherhithe Street - Nelson Dock
On the same street but right around the other side, were a cluster of original buildings, now mostly converted. This shipbuilding company looks as though it's still trading but apparently they left in 1968 although someone seems to keep the painted sign looking spick and span
Passing along Redriff Road and over the corner of Greenland Water I could see the real-life hustle and bustle of Lower Road and Evelyn Street and just along the road I came across this old advertising clock. As you can see it's formed like a giant stopwatch but the advertising panels are long since gone. I'm not sure if it's still working as I don't have a watch to compare it to (or a mobile phone for that matter) but it's certainly a sizeable piece.
I followed the road, and the traffic congestion, around up to Southwark Park where there was a fairly lonely looking pub sitting on the corner.
Lower Road SE 16
Bit of a result here though as it had a coal hole out front with a manufacturer new to me, Nicholls & Clark of Shoreditch, London . Now known as N&C, from their history it looks as though they got into architectural ironmongery in the 1880's. Nice to see them still going strong!
Heading up Rotherhithe New Road and just before the railway lines, I spotted some interesting old bollards by Corbetts Passage. Apart from the general air of dilapidation I particularly enjoyed the black and white banding!
Eventually I hit the Old Kent Road, which at first glimpse lacked any Monopoly board quaintness at all. It didn't have much charm on a second glimpse either, but this marked the point where I turned west and started heading back toward Borough...