Calthorpe Terrace – ghosts of bygone shops in Gray's Inn Road

When I travel along Grays Inn Road on a No17 bus I like to admire this west-facing terrace between Calthorpe Street and Wren Street. 

Screen grab from Google Streetview here

Ever other shop along here shows hints of a bygone era, specifically numbers 240, 244 and 248 which, judging by the embellishments and metalwork on the upper floors, looks to be 1830s-ish. 

Reading left to right, north to south, let's start with number 248, C. Antoniou, tailor:

Pic taken from the upper deck of the bus. I do have better photos but this illustrates my point.   

This shop, with its hand-painted signs on the wooden fascia and on the window glass, has looked like this for as long as I can recall. But I cannot ascertain when Mr. Antoniou started offering his tailoring services here (perhaps I should simply go in and ask them or phone that number!) but I can see no tailors listed here before WW2. A hairdresser by the name of William Fowler was here in 1910 and there is nothing listed at all for this address in 1939 by which time Rosen & Rosen tailors, who were next door  at No.246, in 1910, have given way to a print supply shop.

Two doors along, today's hair salon window advertises two brands of Wills's cigarettes, revealed during renovations in 2020. 

The Wills's company was one of the largest tobacco manufacturers in the country. 

This shop has been a tobacconist since at least 1882 when James White's name would have been over the door. Gold Flake first appeared on the shelves in 1901 and I suggest this advertisement probably dates from the 1910s during Hebert Stoddart's era, although I expect Mrs Rubina Smith was still offering the same brands in 1939.

Note also the impressive columns here showing that this was originally the doorway to the shop, today slatered in layers of grey paint (it was white pre-2020 – what is it with the over-use of grey paint these days?!)  Other decades-old signs have also been discovered and retained in the last few years – there's another Wills's sign in Hornsey Rise and the St.Bruno ads in St Paul's Rd.

Staying with smoking and also revealed in 2020... Fourways convenience store at No.240 displays a 1970s-era Player's No.6 cigarettes sign above the shop, showing that the proprietors were RL & M Griffiths:

Back in 1882 this was a baker shop owned by Henry Harvey Bearns. By 1910 it had become a tobacconist, at that time run by Mrs Sarah Fair. In the late 1930s Walter Stewart was selling here. It's interesting how two tobacconists could survive in such close proximity to each other and I'm wondering if they offered different brands. 

There used to similar shop sign to this at 65 Highbury Grove revealed in the period 2009-12, but they painted over it rather than covering it with a board (duh!) and I think I recall another No.6 fascia in Chatsworth Road, Hackney, again, gone.

Incidentally, it's unusual to see that the Calthorpe Arms is not at the Calthorpe Street corner as is usual in cases like this where a pub has the same name as the terrace, originally called Calthorpe Terrace when there were fewer properties along this road. 

Seeing these old signs reminds me of one of the first posts I ever wrote on here about the reveal of an electrical components store near the junction with Clerkenwell Road, back in 2008. More recently, I wrote about this tiled shop at the Kings Cross end of the street.

Farm Hall at the gorgeous Theatre Royal, Haymarket

I'm a bit late with this as Farm Hall, the production I went to see a few weeks ago, has now finished its run. I really enjoyed the play – clever and thought-provoking conversations between captured officers imprisoned in a stately home during WW2 – go Google for reviews.

The thing about going to the theatre or to the cinema is that we rarely look around us at the often sumptuous surroundings being as we are too busy chatting with our friends, trying to find our seats, or queueing for drinks, ice cream or the toilet during the interval. Then the play ends and we all splurge out into the street having missed all the clever architectural embellishments within.

I often go to the theatre or cinema alone to be able to pay attention to the production without interjections and conversations and, during the intervals, I like go investigating. I have visited The Theatre Royal Haymarket many times and each time, even though it's small, I find something new. Many years ago I went on a tour of the building, yet I don't seem to have written about that experience here. (note to self; dig out those photos and add to this post). 

On this occasion my seat was in the stalls and I took a sequence of snaps of the opulent surroundings 

The first half of the play flew by being as it was so engrossing. In the interval I went exploring and  found intriguing little hinges and handles and shiny brass plates within the floor and as push plates on doors:

These doors lead to The Oscar Wilde Room, named to commemorate his two plays that were staged here. The room is also signposted at the front of the theatre under the portico and there is a green plaque at the rear of the theatre at shoulder level here.  Adjacent to this room is a recess that would have contained an ash tray, no doubt used by Oscar himself, a keen cigarette smoker. 

Continuing the subject of ashtrays, the very first pic showing my ticket is in front of a brass corner shelf on the stairs which was also used for this purpose. Here's a better pic of it:

The second pic is looking down into the bar area which, as these next pics show, is slathered in stucco:

And then the bell rang and we all returned to our seats via the doors marked 'Exit' 

I am convinced that there used to be a bakelite phone within one of the stairwells. Or perhaps I am getting my theatres confused. 

UPDATE: Yep... I have found some pics I took in 2015 whilst on a guided tour:

The phone was on the stairs where a flower-shaped window offered a marvellous view out to Haymarket and Her Majesty's Theatre, opposite. But I cannot recall seeing the phone when I went to see Noises off* in November 2013 otherwise I'd have taken more photos of it.

The next two pics show a brassy little pot that I expect was instead used to stash chewing gum or other small rubbish. Not being screwed down, I suspect it was pocketed. The animal head along the handrail is one of many in the bar area.

*my one-word review of that 2023 production of Noises Off: painful.  

Reveal of old Wills's tobacconist sign in Hornsey Road, N19

Earlier this year, as I was exiting the Post Office at Hornsey Road, I spotted a lovely old shop fascia across the road at No.526, advertising Wills's Gold Flake.

I crossed the street to take a closer look. It's in fantastic condition, so I wondered if it was an old sign that has simply been protected by subsequent layers or a modern pastiche. I took some snaps with the idea to do a bit of sleuthing.

Passing again a few weeks later, the door was open and I saw a fella working inside. He came out to chat to me and told me that he/they had found the sign under the modern one here whilst pulling apart the layers of adaptions during renovations and they fully intend to keep the sign. How lovely. We talked about the tobacco brand and how lovely the sign was but I completely forgot to ask his mname or enquire what kind of shop this will be. I will update this when I do know.

So who/what was A&R?  This could be the name of the people at this location, or a chain/franchise. The old street directories show that this was a greengrocer's shop in the early part of the C20th, run by Daniel Arthur Colby until 1914. The shop was ten empty for some time during WWI because nothing is listed for the period 1915-19 and I have no refernece beyond that. But I suspect the shop became a tobacconist in the mid-1920s. I can confirm, however, that by 1939 it is the business Mr. Herbert John Ranson who could quite possibly be the 'R' of A&R.

It's great to see this area of N19 finally evolving. As someone who has lived near here for over 30 years I have seen the shops become neglected in this island twixt Archway, Crouch End, Finsbury Park and Holloway. Hence there are quite a few interesting old bits of signage to be found herea and it's great to see so many new finds being preserved. For instance, across the road from this Wills's sign there is the old Hancock/Plumb butcher's shop that I have written about here. Further down the hill, south of Hanley Road, there is this old grocer's sign advertising tea at the rear as well as many more hints of the past here.

Gone but not forgotten – G. Smith & Sons, tobacconist and purveyor of snuff

The first of a new series remembering shops and businesses I have known or used myself that have closed down or been demolished in the last few years.

Today I'm rembering a shop in Charing Cross Road. It sat within a long line of antiquarian bookshops, that used to run from Cambridge Circus down to Leicester Square Station.  

G.F Smith & Sons at No.74, was a beautiful old tobacconist's shop with a lovely old mirrored frontage and hand-painted gilt lettering showing they were purveyors of fine cigars and smoking paraphernalia. The shop was established in 1879 and used to be able to claim that it was one of the oldest/longest-trading shops in the Soho area. It was also the meeting place for the The London Snuff Club

I took these pics in 2008 when the shop was a garish orange (it was soonafter repainted royal blue – you can just make out the scaffolding in the mirror).

But, sadly, the shop closed in 2012 or 2013. I can't seem to find a definitive date or what exactly caused the shop's demise but I suspect the revised smoking laws of 2006 had a huge effect on sales – see above for their adaption of My Way that was in the shops' window in August 2008 – the pink highlights are mine (grr!). And I suspect that the humidor at the rear of the shop fell foul of the regulations against indoor smoking within work premises. Some products and reference can be found on Google here.

As you can see by this screenshot, from Google Streetview (July 2015), the shop can be seen with original woodwork painted a soft beige colour, but I wonder what became of Smith's lovely hand-painted glass, the tobacco stock and and all the advertising ephemera?

Charing Cross Road used to be lined with bookshops of all kinds and has been the inspiration for novels and films etc. The larger shops were at the northern end (Foyles, Waterstones, Blackwells etc) and smaller independents specialising in certain fields especially, art, maps, second-hand and rare antique books could be found south of Cambridge Circus.
At the time of writing, this specific section of the road mentioned above has only about three bookshops remaining, the others having been replaced with cafés and coffee houses, souvenir and clothes shops; crushed under the wheels of high rent and homogenisation. It's called progress.
More antiquarian shops can be found a few minutes' walk away along St Giles Court and St Martin's Court, (both further down Charing Cross on the left just after Leicester Square station) where you can still while away the hours amongst books, prints, maps, coins, stamps, medals and more.

Hmmm... thinks... Smith the stationer, Smith the umbrella maker, Smith & Nephew the chemists and Smith the tobacconist and snuff seller... any more?  

Cutlers' Hall – a guided tour

Back in February I joined a group of London Historians for an illuminating and often amusing guided tour of Cutlers' Hall led by The Beadle, David Hasler (middle top). Thanks to David it was one of the most fascinating and engaging tours I have been on in quite some time.
Three of our group were chosen to wear hats and robes and be 'Master', 'Warden' and 'Clerk' for the morning. And, although this might sound like some kind of dodgy joining-in nonsense, we finished the tour acting out one of the ceremonies in the main hall.
It's worth thinking about how powerful this guild used to be – just consider all the trades which rely on blades of some kind; barbers, butchers, haberdashers, fishmongers... etc
As for all the other information I could give you, it's easier to read more about Cutlers' Hall here but I urge you to make an effort to go and visit in person. Why not join London Historians and, if you do, be sure to mention my site as reference to Mike. 

As seen in the first group of pics, the Cutlers' coat of arms features two elephants.
Elephants can be found in may places within the Cutlers' Hall; carved into wooden chair backs, as clock surrounds, ornaments, decorative motifs on the hammer beam roof and within some exquisite stained and painted glass windows. 

Some details from the stained and painted windows.
The centre image shows cutlers at work.
Note the fine work on the portraits and the amusing quotes about smoking. 

See the full list of livery companies here.

Me me me!

Nicola Baird writes Islington Faces, a blog about creative people in Islington. We met when I had a stall selling my clay pipe jewellery and Holloway photo montages at a Rowan Arts event earlier this year and shortly after, she contacted me to ask if I'd like to be interviewed too.
Here's a link to it. I'm not sure about the gurning portrait in there so, seeing as that pic's available to the masses, you might as well see some other pics of me too; all taken in London including four self portraits:

Black Cat Cabaret revisted

Last year I reported that I'd had a fabulous evening at one of the Black Cat Cabaret evenings at The Café de Paris on Leicester Square.
Well, I am glad to report that the Black Cat has spread its wings and can now be found at two more venues.
I went along to the Camden Centre last Friday and had another great evening – it was the best night out I'd had in a long time.
The show is fabulous, fascinating, frisky, faux-french and fun. After the main show there's dancing to some truly great sounds all put together by a clever DJ who mixes all sorts of genres. I found it almost impossible to leave the floor. I only paused to watch the other balancing and acrobatic acts that came on intermittently throughout the DJ set.
Find out more about Black Cat Cabaret evenings here.
I'm going again soon.... hope to see you there.

Above is a collection of my London images featuring dancers, acrobats and black cats, including two boot scrapers, Dick's Whittington's cat and Dr Johnson's cat, plus an old pained wall ad for Black Cat Cigarettes (top right) and two pics of the the actual Carreras cigarette factory at Mornington Crescent (bottom left x2).

It's back!!! Smoke – a London peculiar

A friend told me about Smoke magazine a few years back and I quickly signed up for a subscription. Full of short obscure London-inspired stories and witty observations it was perfect for bedtime reading and dull tube journeys (not bus journeys – I like to gaze out of the window, even if it's a journey I have made hundreds of times).
Issue sixteen, the last printed version plopped through my door well over a year ago containing one of my own observations, but since then, apart from Soho! the board game, we have been smokeless.
So, I am glad to report that it's back, and this time as a shiny new on-line version.
For those of you still prefer, as I do, to read from a malleable chunk of paper, back issues are still available of most editions. I recommend Issue 14 mainly because there are 3 of my photos in there plus a whole page of my coal holes like this. Even more coal holes here.
See, it's all about me really.
Enjoy...

The Dandy Warhols, Sunday 8th August, Koko, Camden

As ever, they made a wonderful noise.

And what a lovely venue.

All the letters below can be found in Camden.

The Isle Of Dogs and Canary Wharf...

My scavenger hunts along the Thames beaches led me recently to the Isle of Dogs.

When I first got there I was thinking that I should write a jolly blog post about it's possible to spend a lovely afternoon in the sunshine on the beach without leaving London*. At one point I even bought an ice cream and looked at the view across the river. Nice.

But then I decided to walk all around the edge (coast?). I even ventured into the centre a few times. Sad to report that, as I suspected, nothing has improved in recent years. In fact it's getting worse.

There are some lovely little cottages and houses at the southern end, which still retains a modicom of historical charm, but the lack of a real high street means everyone there is reliant on the nearby superstore (another bugbear of mine!).

But, as for the rest of it, there is barely anything in this modern dreamscape to indicate that this was once a bustling area packed with families working on and around the docks. Where once there were thriving communities, there are now charmless glass and metal tower blocks.

Yet here and there it has been decided to leave in place some random bits of decommissioned machinery or large chains but there are no signs or plaques to explain why they things are there or what they used to be used for.

The north side of east entrance to the West India Docks seems to have been neglected by the developers (so far). Sadly, where it could look really good, it looks instead like a wasteland; some cranes still remain (as per the ones on West india Quay), there are some rusty old barges, decaying wooden barriers, dilapidated buildings, fenced off areas etc. It's a huge contrast to the shiny tall buildings that loom over it.

The paths along the Thames are really disappointing; again, there is barely anything left to hint at what went before except a pathetic attempt at a couple of information boards about Millwall and the docks, and IKB's Great Eastern. But these are useless because the boards are so bleached out, sctratched and uncared for that they might as well not be there at all.

Looking across the river to the wharves along the Deptford waterfront the same rape of the past is happening there too. I find it all so sad.

And, finally, the privately-owned Canary Wharf Estate; I could write a long piece here about what I think of this charmless zone but "aaargh, is this really progress?" will have to do. I wonder if people who live and work there say to their friends "ooh, you must come and have a drink in this wonderful little place round the corner; it's been there for three whole years"!

If you do want to find out more about this area and its past go to the fabulous Museum of London Docklands.

*Just opened this week's Time Out and Michael Hodges has beaten me to the London beach thing as he's already written an article about it.

No Segars or Cigars

I recently noticed that this lovely Marshalls Segars sign in Finsbury Park has been filled in and painted white. Such a shame. Why, why why, why WHY?!

I featured it in my 1oth Londonist Urban Sightseeing piece about smoking, entitled 'Smoke Gets in Your Eyes'.

Those lovely people at Londonist must think I have left the country as I haven't put together a post for them since Jan 2010... oops. Sorry guys.

Here's what this sign looks like now where you'll also find some pics of the old hand-painted shop sign.

Holloway Street Party, Saturday 10th July 2010

Gorgeous weather for a street party.

Well done to everyone who worked so hard to make this happen.

Sorry I got there so late, but hey, I took some good snaps....

Smoke gets in your eyes

I have today (July 2nd) posted another Urban Sightseeing piece for Londonist. The indoors smoking ban has been part of our lives for a whole two years now. How time flies. And most of Europe has followed suit. I have just come back from a holiday in Turkey and I hear it's due to come into force there too later this month.

Click here to read the Londonist piece and access all my previous ones too.

Update (19 July 2010): re the Finsbury Park 'Segars' sign in, top right: this has been filled in and painted over... such a shame.