|
Abbey
 -
 - - -
Featuring a monk hard at it with his pen, the
first sign could be found in
Burton-on-Trent in 1990. The second, a Mitchell's and
Butler's signboard, was caught on camera in the previous
year at Warley just a few months before the sign was
replaced with a new design - hence the flaking paint and
general fading. Although not a very good quality photograph,
I have included the replacement signboard next to it. Warley
Park was created on the estate of Warley Abbey in 1906. The
Tudor-style mansion was used as a golf club-house until 1957
but was demolished soon after this date. Returning to the
first sign... At the top of
Burton-on-Trent's Market Place stands St.Modwen's
church. This was built on the site of the eastern part of
the former Benedictine Abbey Church. The Abbey was dissolved
in 1539 but survived as a collegiate church until 1545 when
it was acquired, with its lands, by Sir William Paget, whose
descendants later became Earls of Uxbridge and Marquis of
Anglesey. This eventually fell into ruin although part of
the Abbey church remained and was used as the parish church
until the present church was built by William and Richard
Smith of Tettenhall between 1719 and 1726. The interior
retains many of its 18th century features. The font is the
only known relic connected with the previous church and
bears the date 1662.
Acorn
 -
 - - -
The first Acorn sign here can be found at Horeston Grange,
just outside
Nuneaton and Attleborough. Painted by A.J.Goody
in 1987, the second sign was captured on film in Shrewsbury
three years later. The third sign used to hang outside The
Acorn in Winson Green. The image dates from 1989. The sign
of the acorn has been popular throughout the years and, in
particular, during the 19th century. It is possible that
some 'new' publicans of the early days of the beerhouse
chose this because they hoped to grow solid from a
diminutive beginning. As David Everett once wrote "large
streams from little fountains flow, tall oaks from little
acorns grow."
Adam-and-Eve
 -
 - - -
The first image isn't a great photograph of the sign
located in the Hotwells area of Bristol but it was late in
the afternoon in October 2005 and the light was fading. The
better preserved side was in darkness so I'll try to improve
on the image next time I visit. The second image was taken
captured in 1989 outside the pub of this name in
Bradford Street, Bordesley. The artist bottled it a bit by putting a
pouch over Adam - as do most signwriters. The third sign is
similarly tactful. The Adam and Eve name was quite common in
the late 18th and 19th centuries but few pubs bearing the
sign seem to have survived. The illustration refers, of
course, to the original sin but there is another reason for
the Adam and Eve pub name - the couple were adopted on the
arms of the Worshipful Company of Fruiterers whose motto is
"Arbor Vitae Christus, Fructus Per Fidem Gustamus."
Adderley-Park
 -
 -
As this sign states, the Adderley Park Inn is "better
known as The Three A's". The pub stands on the corner of
Adderley Road and Ash Road. The Adderley family owned an
extensive tract of land around this part of Birmingham.
Charles Adderley, who would later become the first Lord
Norton, owned much of Duddeston and Vauxhall. It was here
that he donated the land for Birmingham’s first public park
in 1856 - hence the name of this pub. The ancestral home of
the Adderley family was Hams Hall near Coleshill. The first
Charles Adderley bought the original hall, an equerry to
King Charles I. Following a major fire in 1890, the hall was
demolished and rebuilt in the village of Coates in
Gloucestershire at the whim of the shipping magnate, Oswald
Harrison.
Air-Balloon
 -
 - - -
These three signs are all from the famous Air Balloon
at Birdlip, Gloucestershire. The first two photographs were
taken in 1976 but the third is more recent - 2004, just
after a major pub refurbishment. The pub's name commemorates
the famous balloon flight of Edward Jenner which ended close
to the building on September 2nd 1784. The hydrogen balloon
was launched from Berkeley Castle. A year after the Paris
sensation caused by the Montgolfier brothers, it was one of
the earliest balloon flights in England. The pub was trading
as the Balloon by 1796 and was known as the Air Balloon in
1802. Born in Berkeley on May 17th 1749, Jenner, of course,
went on to discover the vaccination against smallpox.
Air-Hostess
 -
 -
This pub in the Nottinghamshire village of Tollerton
has a really unique sign mounted on the roof gable. Made of
glass fibre and adorned with gold leaf, the air hostess has
BE on her bag - though this was to avoid associating her
with an official airline of the period. The two most famous
British airlines during the 1960's were BEA and BOAC. Always
viewed as a glamour job, some people have gone to great
lengths to land a such a position. However, none more so
than Emma Richards who made the headlines in November 2000
when she had her legs stretched in a £12,000 NHS operation
to fulfil her dream of being an air hostess. The 16 year-old
from Wadebridge, Cornwall, stopped growing at 4ft 9ins -
which was below the 5ft 3ins minimum height for "trolley
dollies" and sought help from doctors. She underwent a
six-hour operation which involved breaking each femur in two
places and inserting a stretching mechanism, which for four
months she wound up to give an extra millimetre of height
each day.
Albion
 -
 - - -
 - - -
The first three Albion signs [top row] are from the same pub in
Wall Heath. I am not normally so lucky to stumble two in one
place - a combination of the pub changing hands and the
publican keeping an older example. The third illustration
was the sign above the front door in 2001. The first sign
produced by Wem Ales could be found in the beer garden. The
second row's signs are from Tividale in 1989, Shrewsbury
1990 and Oxford 1991. Albion appears in a number of pub
signs such as these, The Albion Inn or The Albion Vaults or
even Albion Shades. The word Albion is a poetic name for
Great Britain and is thought to derive from the Latin 'Albus'
or 'White.' This Roman term arose from the whiteness of the
cliffs on Britain's southern coast and was almost certainly
applied during the invasion and conquest of AD43. This is
the scene illustrated by the artist who painted many of the
pub signs featured here - a roman vessel is heading towards
the coast of Britain. However, sometimes the sign follows
the tradition of illustrating a ship of that name. There was
a famous HMS Albion, a ninety gun frigate which was built in
Cornwall. The term Albion is famously remembered in the
phrase 'perfidious Albion', which came into common use
during the Napoleonic Wars though was first recorded in a
poem of 1793 by Augustin, Marquis of Ximenez. In this work,
it recommends attacking perfidious Albion at sea. And now
that I've told you all this I'm about to throw a spanner in
the works by telling you that Aristotle used the word Albion
long before the Romans when he was describing the island in
the Atlantic ocean next to Hibernia (Ireland), both of which
he reported as lying beyond the Pillars of Hercules (Strait
of Gibraltar).
Alfred
 -
 -
This pub in
Burton-on-Trent has an excellent sign showing
Alfred the Great in the legend of the cakes. He was King of
Wessex from 871, and the first man considered to be king of
all the English. Son of King Aethelwulf, he was 16 at the
time of the first great Danish invasion in 865. You really
wouldn't have wanted Alfred's job - he had to spend much of
his time fighting the Vikings to prevent them taking control
of the whole island. He was pretty successful and by
establishing a navy and recapturing London, he was accepted
as leader by all the Anglo Saxons not under Danish rule.
Described in a 12th century text as 'the darling of the
English', he is the only ruler of England to be known as
'the Great.' It was in the 11th century that Alfred was
associated with the legend of the cakes. It was following a
skirmish with the Danes that he ended up taking refuge in
the hut of a cowherd's wife who failed to recognise him. She
told him to watch the cakes, but the great king allowed them
to burn, which earned him a mighty scolding from the woman.
As you can see in the pub's sign, it looks like he is about
to be clonked on the head with a large implement. A 'great'
sign. The pub was formerly called The Prince Alfred and
named after the second son of Queen Victoria who was born in
1844. He took the title of Duke of Edinburgh and was even
elected by the Greeks to be their King in 1862 but he
declined the offer. An old sign of the pub used to show
Alfred Ernest Albert in his uniform of Admiral of the Fleet.
He was created Duke of Edinburgh in 1865, and in 1874 he
married Marie Alexandrovna, only daughter of Alexander II of
Russia.
Alhambra
 -
 -
This photograph of a very rare inn sign was taken in
Coventry in 1990. The Alhambra became a very popular theatre
name in England during the Victorian age. This suggests that
any pub bearing this name may have evolved from the old
"Music Hall" pubs. Entertainment had long been a staple of
the saloon bar, a room of the pub that first appeared in the
late 1820's or early 1830's. It was a part of the pub where
customers could be entertained by singers, dancers,
magicians and, well, just about any type of variety act. The
creation of a separate room for such amusements, allowed the
publican to charge an entrance fee or, alternatively, a
premium price on the drinks. So successful were some of the
so-called "Music Hall Pubs", it was necessary to extend or
enlarge the premises to get more bums on seats and, of
course, expand the range of entertainment on offer. However,
demarcation soon followed when an Act of Parliament was
passed in 1843 that prohibited the consumption of alcoholic
drinks in the auditorium. Customers could drink before and
after the performances - and have you ever wondered why
there is a drinks break? The Alhambra name is taken from the
great palace of the Moorish kings at Granada in Spain. It
was built during the last Islamic sultanate on the Iberian
peninsula, the Nasrid Dynasty (1238-1492). The palace is
lavishly decorated with stone, wood carvings and tile
patterns on most of the ceilings, walls, and floors - hey,
wait a minute, late Victorian pubs were decorated in a
similar fashion!
All-Labour-in-Vain
 -
 - -
Both of these signs are from the All Labour in Vain at
Horsehay, Telford. In a bit of a state, the first image
dates from 1974 whilst the second photograph was taken in
2005. In today's political climate, this sign has inevitably
become highly controversial. This sign depicts a group of
people attempting to scrub a black boy white.
Understandably, black people find this offensive. Those who
oppose this view claim that the subject is tongue-in-cheek
and, in any case, emerged before there was any racism in
Great Britain. Somehow, I can't imagine a time when racism
didn't exist in England. However, a case for ignorance in
the old days could possibly be argued. There are similar
signs around the UK although it is claimed that they were
originally meant to imply that any attempts to brew ale to
the same high standards as they do would indeed be labour in
vain.
Alma
 -
 - -
The first Marston's inn sign in Melbourne, Derbyshire
has an absorbing image of a nineteenth century soldier who
looks in reflective mood. The Alma Inn is named after the
Battle of Alma which took place during the Crimean War in
1854. The Alma is a river in the Ukraine. It was here that
the Allied forces won their first battle against the
Russians. Subsequently, the name was widely adopted by pubs
throughout England. In addition, streets were also named to
commemorate the event. Indeed, the daughters of the men who
fought there were given the name. The Crimean War was fought
for two years by Great Britain, France and Turkey against
Russia. The underlying struggle was for control of the Black
Sea and the eastern Mediterranean. The main action of the
war was the prolonged Russian attempt to relieve the
besieged city of Sebastopol. The two most famous engagements
were the battles of Balaklava and Inkerman. The former is
remembered for The Charge of the Light Brigade. The best
known figure to emerge was Florence Nightingale. Featuring
soldiers up to their knees in water during the battle, the
second signboard was photographed in Chesterfield in 1971.
Ampney-Cottage
 -
 -
This pub on Oxford's Cowley Road has since been
re-named The Hobgoblin by the Wychwood Brewery. The revamped
pub was re-opened in August 1999. I think it also went
through a spell being called the South Park. This photograph
dates from 1991 and still displays the Hall's name but this
historic brewery had long since ceased to brew ales.
Anchor
 -
 - - - -
 - -
It probably isn't unreasonable to expect to see the
sign of The Anchor on the coast. Indeed, the sign is thought
to have emerged there when either ex-sailors took over a pub
or they wanted to attract sailors to use the pub. However,
the emergence of the canal network in the early days of the
industrial revolution led to a growth of Anchor pubs close
to canals. The bas relief [top left] was located in Cradley
Heath not far from the original site of Noah Hingley's
Anchor and Chain works. This was the company that
manufactured the 16 ton anchor for the ill-fated Titanic.
The second sign on the top row can be found on the only
remaining pub
in
Birmingham bearing this name. This is rather surprising
because the anchor been the assay mark for
Birmingham since
an Act of Parliament of 1773. It was Matthew Boulton, owner
of the famous Soho Manufactory at Gib Heath near Handsworth,
who successfully petitioned for the establishment of an
assay office in both Birmingham and Sheffield. Boulton, who
had many friends in political office, was an acute
campaigner and the bill received royal assent in March 1773.
The bells of Handsworth Church pealed triumphantly when he
returned home to Soho House. During his long stay in London,
Matthew Boulton, along with his Sheffield associates,
conducted their Parliamentary business in the Crown and
Anchor Tavern on The Strand. It was the sign of the pub that
was taken for the assay marks of each town. There may have
been a coin tossed to decide who adopted which - or maybe
even a bar game. However it was decided in the pub, since
that time
Birmingham's mark has been the Anchor and the mark
for Sheffield has been the Crown. Little wonder therefore
that a pub should adopt the sign of The Anchor to
commemorate Matthew Boulton's furtherance of
Birmingham commerce. A fascinating new twist to the sign's meaning. The
second sign [second row] is located in
Caunsall near the River
Stour and the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal. There
is, in fact, another meaning for the Anchor which derives
from the words of St.Paul (Hebrews 6:19): "We have this as a
sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope...." This
accounts for names such as The Hope and Anchor. The second
row features an
Ind Coope sign photographed at Streethay,
Staffordshire in 1973 and the
Mitchell's and Butler's sign
[top row] was hanging outside the
West Bromwich Anchor in
1989.
Andoversford
 -
 -
Photographed in 1971, this is a charming
interpretation of this place-specific sign. The name
Andoversford is thought to mean Anna's Ford so the artist
illustrated an Elizabethan courtier helping a lady across
the stepping stones. Sadly, the Andoversford Hotel closed in
1988 when the pub's passing trade was lost to a new by-pass.
The site has since been redeveloped with new housing.
However, the post for this sign remained in place and was
later used for the village sign. Featured in a trade
directory for 1889, the hotel was described in an
advertisement: "Pleasantly situated on the Cotswold Hills,
six miles from Cheltenham, five minutes from the railway
station, and within easy reach of four good packs of hounds.
Post horses and carriages for hire. Good stabling and loose
boxes for hunters. Hunters summered. Excellent bed rooms and
private sitting rooms. Special terms for boarders. Good
trout fishing. Tennis courts, swings, etc. Dinners and teas
provided for picnic and pleasure parties. Splendid drives
from the hotel to Chedworth woods, Roman Villa, Foss Bridge,
etc. C.A. Arkell, proprietor.”
Angel
 -
 - - -
 - - -
The old
Mitchell's and Butler's sign [top left] was a
bit faded last time I saw it and there will never be a
replacement for the pub has been converted into a restaurant. Located on the
Stratford Road in Sparkbrook just outside central
Birmingham, the pub was
very old, probably late 18th century. The sign of The Angel
however can be traced back to the Middle Ages and is
embedded in the tradition of travellers inns or hotels and
their association with the church. The second sign can be
found in Mansfield Woodhouse in Nottinghamshire and the
little urchin [third sign top row] lives in Chesterfield. This is another
excellent sign by Roger Anderson. The first sign on the
second
row features Nottingham's Old Angel Inn when it was operated
by the much-missed Home Brewery. Next to this is another
Mitchell's and Butler's
sign, this one captured with camera in 1990 in the Warwickshire town of
Atherstone.
Anglo-Saxon
 -
 -
I have had to squash this up a bit to fit it into the
page. The Whitbread sign was enormous. It used to be outside
the Anglo Saxon pub of Bidford-on-Avon in Warwickshire. The
photograph dates from 1972. The reason for the name is that
an Anglo Saxon burial ground was excavated close to the pub
in 1920. The remains of 200 skeletons were discovered along
with a stash of jewellery. The cemetery was located close to
the ford of the Roman Ryknild Street across the River Avon -
hence the name Bidford.
Antelope
 -
 - - - -
The first two Whitbread signs here were hanging
outside The Antelope in Hereford in 1992. The pub was
formerly called the Railway Inn but changed in 1978. The
city adopted HMS Antelope in 1974 and has a Cadet Corps
training ship called Antelope. Unveiled by the commanding
officer of HMS Antelope, the second illustration shows the
frigate at full speed. Designed by Vosper Thorycroft in
collaboration with Yarrow Ltd., the Antelope was launched in
March 1972 by Mrs Peter Kirk, wife of the then
Under-Secretary of State for the Royal Navy at Woolston,
Southampton. Commissioned three years later, the
Rolls-Royce-powered frigate was based at Devonport. HMS
Antelope was hit by bombs on May 23rd 1982 during the
Falklands conflict and sank on the following day. The pub
too has vanished - it closed down in 1997 and was demolished
in 2003. The third sign was hanging outside The Antelope in
Warwick in 1992 and the fourth sign belongs to the famous
reform pub on the Stratford Road in Sparkhill.
Anvil
 -
 - -
Two different signs but the same pub. The first
illustration could be found on The Anvil at Wishaw,
Warwickshire in 1971. Almost twenty years later the sign had
evolved into the image you can see on the right. I know
which one I prefer! The sign could indicate that a smithy
once operated next to, or behind, a public house. Sometimes
a publican would work as a smithy during the day and serve
beer in the evening - or indeed, a combination of the two at
all times.
Apollo
 -
 -
A very nice sign commissioned by the much-missed
Morland brewery, this illustration decorated this pub in
Oxford in 1991. In more recent years the sign has referred
to the U.S. space programme of the 1960's but traditionally
it is a reference to Apollo, the Sun god, who brings heat.
The son of Zeus and Leto, twin brother of Artemis, Apollo
represented the ideal type of manly beauty. Replacing the
Titan Helios as the sun god, he is associated with music,
poetry and, in particular, the cure of diseases.
Aquarius
 -
 - -
This is quite a rare sign - well, I haven't seen it
anywhere else! Both a signboard and wall-mounted cut-out
could be found on The Aquarius at Chelmsley Wood in 1973. I
guess the inspiration is the water in the beer because
Aquarius is the water carrier. Aquarius is also the 11th
sign of the Zodiac, a group of constellations that the Sun
travels through each year. The dates for Aquarius are
January 21st to February 19th. With his story told in
"Aquila", in Greek mythology Aquarius was Ganymede, "Cup
Bearer to the Gods". However, many ancient cultures,
including those of Babylonia and Egypt, believed that there
was a god known as the "Water Bearer" as it was the
sustainer of all life. Consequently, rainwater pouring from
the heavens was most revered by ancient peoples. For most
imbibers however, it is beer that is sacrosanct.
Arboretum
 -
 -
This
Mitchell's and Butler's sign was captured in
Worcester in 1990. As the illustration suggests, an
arboretum is a botanical garden principally for trees and
for some shrubs. It is thought that the term was coined by J.C.Loudon in 1833 in an article published by the
"Gardener's Magazine". One of the earliest, if not the first
arboretum, was that planted near Dubrovnik in Croatia. It
was recorded in 1492 but almost certainly pre-dates this.
Created by the very same J.C.Loudon and donated to the
townsfolk by Joseph Strutt in 1840, the first arboretum in
England was in Derby.
Archways
 -
 - -
Both of these signs could be found outside this
Shifnal pub in 1992. The freeholder probably managed to
wangle a sign out of Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries and
Bass. Breweries will often pay for the sign of a free house
if they can have their name included on the board to gain
what is relatively cheap advertising. They probably also
ensure that their products are purchased by the publican for
a given period. The town of Shifnal is dominated by the
railway with a large bridge across the main street. The
current bridge is an eyesore compared to the original arched
span. The arches along Aston Street have been occupied by a
number of small firms. The line through Shifnal was formerly
part of the Shrewsbury and Birmingham Railway and opened in
1849. The new form of transport robbed Shifnal of its role
as a principal coaching stop between Wolverhampton and
Shrewsbury and was the ruin of some of its inns.
Armada
 -
 -
Captured on film in 1976, this sign could be found
outside the
Mitchell's and Butler's pub almost underneath
Spaghetti Junction between Aston and Erdington. It
commemorated the Armada of 1588 - the so-called 'La Flota
Armada Invencible'. However, the title proved to be
something of a misnomer when the British, under the command
of Sir Francis Drake, gave the fleet a good kicking outside
the port of Cadiz in 1587 in an engagement that was dubbed
"singeing the king of Spain's beard". The Armada would later
make it to Calais before being forced to the Gravelines
where the real ding-dong took place. Both sides ran out of
ammunition before the wind carried the Armada into the North
Sea. In trying to circumnavigate the British Isles, more
than fifty ships were destroyed, largely from wrecking.
Asbury-Tavern
 -
 -
This pub in Grove Vale between
West Bromwich and
Great Barr is opposite Bishop Asbury's cottage and has a
fine sign in honour of the man. Restored in 1959, the
cottage was the birthplace of Francis Asbury and where he
spent his childhood. Educated at a school in Snails Green,
he left at the age of 13 to work as an apprentice
blacksmith. However, two years later he began preaching from
the cottage. In 1771, at the age of 26, he was sent to
America by John Wesley. He became known as 'The Prophet of
the Long Road' because, in his 45-year ministry, he
travelled an estimated 275,000 miles on horseback to deliver
over 17,000 sermons. Much to the despondency of his former
mentor, John Wesley, he became the first Methodist Bishop of
the American Episcopal Methodist Church. In 1924 President
Calvin Coolidge was present at the unveiling of Asbury's
Statue in Washington DC where he is regarded as a founder of
the nation.
Auctioneer
 -
 -
This is a lovely illustration of an auctioneer in
action, The
Ind Coope sign was hanging outside the pub of
this name in the Leicestershire town of Measham in 1972. The
pub itself may have been the venue for auctions in its early
days - hence the name. Many pubs and hotels were used to
sell goods in times past. I have seen many advertisements
for sales of property and land to be held in public houses,
particularly in rural areas where there were few other
public buildings. Here you can see a painting being sold by
auction. Indeed, works of art were also popular sale items
in the more upmarket hotels and taverns. Although auctions
have probably been around since the year dot, the earliest
reference to an auction in this country is from an entry in
the 1595 Oxford English Dictionary.
Australian
 -
 -
This is a sign that'll bring a tear to many a Brummie
for it belonged to a much-cherished lost brewery at Bath
Row. Davenport's had operated this pub for many decades
before this image was captured in 1989. The building is
still there but has had several name changes since. As one
of Birmingham's genuine gin palaces, it had been known as
the Australian since the early 19th century - perhaps an
Australian once kept the pub. Or was there a more sinister
connection with that of transportation? Although the
Dutchman Abel Tasman had landed on the coast of Australia in
the 17th century, it was Captain James Cook who claimed the
land for Britain in the late 18th century. He was given
command of HMS Endeavour when invited to undertake a Royal
Society expedition to the South Seas. Sailing from Plymouth
on August 25th 1768, Cook's mission was to take the ship to
the island of Tahiti to make astronomical observations of
the transit of Venus across the Sun. However, a hidden
agenda was to discover the southern continent or Terra Australis. After a three month stay in Tahiti, Cook took HMS
Endeavour to New Zealand. After some six months of
exploration, he determined that the two main islands were
separated by a strait that would be named after him. Cook's
discovery of Australia was almost an accident as bad weather
conditions forced him to land off New Holland, as Australia
was then called in October 1769. HMS Endeavour set sail
again in May 1770 in order for James Cook to map the coast
of Australia. However, on June 10th, the ship struck the
Great Barrier Reef where it stayed for two days before being
dislodged. Cook landed the vessel on the mainland to repair
the ship at a settlement that would later be called Cook
Town. During the six week-long repairs, James Cook claimed
New Holland for the British Crown.
Avenue
 -
 - -
Two signs from the same brewery but in completely
different locations. The first was close to
Ansell's
Brewery
as the photograph was taken in Aston in 1989. The second
image was captured in the following year in
Leamington Spa.
The Aston sign is closer to the actual meaning of the word
avenue, in that the wide thoroughfare is lined with trees.
Adelphi
 -
 -
The Adelphi became quite a popular pub name in the
19th century but is hardly seen these days. Adelphoi is the
Greek word for brothers and this explains the sign's origin.
Pictured here is Robert Adam, the most celebrated of four
architect brothers. With his siblings John, James and
William, he designed an ambitious development between The
Strand and the River Thames and, proud of their achievement,
they named it after themselves. Sadly, hardly any of the
buildings remain - many of which were riverside houses
raised on arches. The son of the architect who designed the
Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, Robert Adam was born at Kirkcaldy
and educated at Edinburgh University. Influenced by his
studies of Classical architecture in Europe, he was
appointed architect to the realm in 1762 but resigned when
returned to Parliament as member for Kinross-shire. Working
closely with his brother James, his work includes the
Glasgow Royal Infirmary and the Register Office in
Edinburgh. He died in London on March 3rd 1792.
Albion-Non-Midlands
-
 - -
Although there are many Albion signs in the Midlands,
I couldn't resist including these two very nice examples
from Stamford and Winchester. The Hampshire sign was
photographed in 1990 and the Lincolnshire signboard was
captured on film in 1988. The word Albion is a poetic name
for Great Britain and is thought to derive from the Latin 'Albus'
or 'White.' This Roman term arose from the whiteness of the
cliffs on Britain's southern coast and was almost certainly
applied during the invasion and conquest of AD43. This is
the scene illustrated by the artist who painted these signs
- a roman vessel arriving on the coast of Britain. Some
Albion signs follow the tradition of illustrating a ship of
that name. There was a famous HMS Albion, a ninety gun
frigate which was built in Cornwall. The term Albion is
famously remembered in the phrase 'perfidious Albion', which
came into common use during the Napoleonic Wars though was
first recorded in a poem of 1793 by Augustin, Marquis of
Ximenez. In this work, it recommends attacking perfidious
Albion at sea. And now that I've told you all this I'm about
to throw a spanner in the works by telling you that
Aristotle used the word Albion long before the Romans when
he was describing the island in the Atlantic ocean next to
Hibernia (Ireland), both of which he reported as lying
beyond the Pillars of Hercules [Strait of Gibraltar].
Alma-Brewery
 -
 -
This image of The Alma in Cambridge's Russell
Street was captured in 1991. It is a pub with a chequered
history. Local legend has it that the original building went
up in smoke and that the landlord's daughter was killed
during the blaze. Throughout the 1980's The Alma was an
enormously popular music venue and was featured on BBC2's
Old Grey Whistle Test. This photograph was taken when (I
think) it was a CAMRA Investments pub - hence the brewery.
Things went downhill in the 1990's and The Alma was
eventually bought by Ridley's and re-opened in November
1999. A popular Australian ran the place for a while and a
celebrated pub feature was a piranha swimming around in a
red telephone box! When Greene King bought Ridley's in 2005
the pub's ownership change again. As for The Alma - it is
named after the Battle of Alma which took place during the
Crimean War in 1854. The Alma is a river in the Ukraine. It
was here that the Allied forces won their first battle
against the Russians. Subsequently, the name was widely
adopted by pubs throughout England. In addition, streets
were also named to commemorate the event. Indeed, the
daughters of the men who fought there were given the name.
The Crimean War was fought for two years by Great Britain,
France and Turkey against Russia. The underlying struggle
was for control of the Black Sea and the eastern
Mediterranean. The main action of the war was the prolonged
Russian attempt to relieve the besieged city of Sebastopol.
The two most famous engagements were the battles of
Balaklava and Inkerman. The former is remembered for The
Charge of the Light Brigade. The best known figure to emerge
was Florence Nightingale.
Ancient-Druids
 -
 -
This is a lovely Charles Wells-produced sign
that was photographed in Cambridge in 1991. I assume that is
Stonehenge behind the two figures. This is one of the few
places where Britain's Druids can be seen holding a sacred
ceremony in public. Druids are priests of the ancient Celts
and have traditionally held ceremonies in sacred groves,
particularly those of the oak and mistletoe. Although
Stonehenge predates the Druids in Britain, it has been used
by them as a temple for sun worship. The stones arranged
such that on Midsummer's Day a man standing at the centre of
the monument and looking at the opening between two of the
outer circle of standing stones can see the rising sun pass
directly over the upright Heelstone, outside the monument.
Angel-Non-Midlands
-
 -
This images dates from 1972 and was taken outside The
Angel at Sherston in Wiltshire. The 17th century inn has, in
more recent years, been home to the Sherston Publishing
Group. The sign of The Angel can be traced back to the
Middle Ages and is embedded in the tradition of travellers
inns or hotels and their association with the church. This
picture shows Saint George, with the help of divine
intervention, slaying the plague-bearing dragon that lived
in a lake near Silena, Libya, but had been terrorising the
locals. The story or legend was derived from "The Golden
Legend", a 13th century collection of stories devoted to the
lives of saints. However, although a celebrated hero, Saint
George was tortured and beheaded in c304 at Lydda,
Palestine, where, for centuries, his shrine was a popular
place of pilgrimage.
Apple-Tree
 -
 -
This 'scrumping' sign could be found outside the
Apple Tree to the east of Glastonbury between the Somerset
villages of West Pennard and Pilton in 1973. This is in the
heart of cider-making country and the area where Wassailing
is most practised in Britain. This ancient custom is
generally carried out during Old Twelfth Night in January.
The Anglo Saxon 'wes hal' was bestowed to the oldest tree of
an orchard in order to protect all other species from evil
spirits in hope of a plentiful crop in the harvest season.
During the ceremony cider is poured on the roots of the tree
and slices of cider-soaked cake are hung from the branches
for the spirits - who were the local robins. Much singing
and noise is created in order to wake the sleeping trees for
many believed that if they were not wassailed then there
would be a poor harvest.
Avon-Brewery-Inn
 -
 -
I once knew a drayman who was a giant. He
had hands like shovels and a face like a bag of spanners.
You wouldn't have wanted to meet him on a dark night.
Lugging barrels, kilderkins and firkins all day certainly
builds up the old arm muscles - I've done a bit of it
myself. I don't like the look of this bloke's back position.
This sign hung outside the Avon Brewery Inn at Salisbury in
1993 but has since been replaced with something a little
less colourful. Despite the name of the pub, the sign
advertised Eldridge Pope beers. This brewery founded in the
early 19th century by Charles and Sarah Eldridge at the
Antelope Hotel in Dorchester. The company was once famous
for its Hardy Ale, one of the strongest bottled beers in
Britain. |
