Jane's Advent Calendar – 25th December

A little enamel sign I spotted in Savoy Street, WC2.

Ah... Oxford Street... today it will be blissfully and unusually quiet.
For an alternative Christmas morning treat, why not take a wander into Central London and stand in the middle of this major shopping thoroughfare with nary a car or person in sight.   

Jane's Advent Calendar – 24th December

Holloway N7.
It's not true – you never see gates with these signs on being used at all.

Jane's Advent Calendar – 23rd December

Elegant numbers badly painted in Wilton Crescent, Belgravia, SW1

Jane's Advent Calendar – 22nd December

An old vitreous enamel road sign in Bloomsbury.
See yesterday and Sunday 20th for two more 22s

Jane's Advent Calendar – 21st December

Sort of the same as yesterday really, but a bit different.
Soho, London W1.

Jane's Advent Calendar – 20th December

A lovely doorway mosaic in Maddox Street, London W1 clearly showing No.20 on the right and No.22 on the left. I just love the numbers and the elegant shape of the ampersand.
I was intending to link to a past post/collection of ampersands, but it appears I haven't done that yet. How strange. It's now on the list!

Jane's Advent Calendar – 19th December

Landseer House, 19 Charing Cross Road, London WC2.
I am not sure if the name of this building relates to Edwin Landseer who painted The Monarch of the Glen and sculpted the lions at the base of Nelson's Column in nearby Trafalgar Square.
This stretch of the road south from Leicester Square Station, is littered with fine examples of statement/personalised architectural details – be sure to look up next time you are there.

Jane's Advent Calendar – 18th December

An old Huguenot weavers' house at 18 Princelet Street, London E1.
Visit the fascinating museum at No.19 Princelet Street 

Jane's Advent Calendar – 17th December

A lovely cone-shaped candle snuffer at No.17 Savile Row, London W1

Jane's Advent Calendar – 16th December

Vitreous enamel hydrant maker showing distance to the access point.

Dalston, London E8.

Most of these are diamond-shape, except when they wrap around a corner in which case they are square. 

I have only ever spotted one oval-shaped specimen in Sclater Street, E1:

Jane's Advent Calendar – 15th December

A lovely bit of pencil work at The Greek Cypriot Women's Group, 15 Hercules Street, London N7

Jane's Advent Calendar – 14th December

Cement impression graffiti. Not sure is this is Eden's age or the year 2014.
More of these here.

Jane's Advent Calendar – 13th December

Camden High Street, 2010.  I took this shot because I liked the colours and patterns; the diagonals and the yellow foam vertical, the hand-cut hole for letters and the hand-painted number written in two lines with an attempt at letterform. 

Jane's Advent Calendar – 12th December

Leighton Grove, London NW5
I thought this was poignant seeing as 12.5 is half of 25.

Jane's Advent Calendar – 11th December

Hand-painted tea rooms sign at 11 Museum Street, St Giles, Bloomsbury, March 2008 

October 2015

Jane's Advent Calendar – 10th December

Pointing the way to No.10 in West Hampstead

Pointing hands like these are called manicules and every time I see an old one it brings a smile to my face. See more here.

Jane's Advent Calendar – 9th December

Green door, what's that secret you're keeping?
9 Roupell Street, London SE1

A stone's throw from Waterloo Station are some lovely old streets.

The area is constantly under threat from developers and the houses in this evocative location fetch exhorbitant unrealistic prices.

See this video by David Gilna of people walking to work there.

Oh, and cos you are probably sing that song... click here for Mr Stevens.

Jane's Advent Calendar – 8th December

Lower Sloane Square, London SW1

See more numbers from this terrace here

Jane's Advent Calendar – 7th December

The Seven Stars public house, 243 Goldhawk Road, London W12

The name Seven Stars may be a reference to the seven stars of Ursa Major (The Great Bear) commonly known as The Plough / Charles Wain (UK) or The Big Dipper / The Wagon (USA). But why?

It's claimed that a pub of the same name in Carey Street behind the Law Courts in WC2 could be the oldest pub in London.

Jane's Advent Calendar – 6th December

Dingley Road, London EC1
Ten fags for sixpence!!
This sign must have been very vibrant 70 years ago.
At the bottom right the signwriter has left his mark: "HARRIS the Sign King"! 

Black Cat Cigarettes were made nearby at The Carerras factory on Mornington Crescent where Craven 'A' cigarettes were also manufactured. These too featured the company's iconic black cat logo.