Skip to main content

Signs of London

 

A week in London this spring left me with a trove of signs to share. Some are macabre, indeed, such as the first pair here. Could put you off your appetite for pie and a pint at this pub near the Tower of London, but most fall into other categories: 'You have to live here to understand it,' 'Oh, my, really?' 'That makes sense, but...' and more. Some, like the title image represent places whose name origin goes way back...

Have fun!

20220505_17372620220505_173733

Flytippers, it turns out, are people who dump rubbish in unauthorized places or who dump streetside trash containers looking for 'treasure.'

P1220609P1220540P1220628P1220663P1220638

Clever storefronts...

P1220618P1220630P1220632

Social commentary... and a bit of gentle exasperation.

P1220617P122060120220507_133109

Businesses with provocative names...

20220509_14433520220509_154231P1220569

At Borough Market, a mix of ancient signs and clever new ones...

P1220307P1220308P1220309P1220317

Several nicely-done pub signs....

P1220463P1220534P1220597P1220599

An elaborate theatre facade, and a humbler one for 'The noted house for Paper Bags.' Someone has to be #1, right?

P1220537P1220577

St John might leave you wondering about the business, but the clothing store AllSaints, a men's clothing outlet, is certainly not shy about its name!

P1220600P1220602

A spot of politics and satire...

P1220615P1220616

And, because he's possibly unique, a 'Collage/Broccoli Artist.'

P1220624P1220626

Oh, and about Elephant and Castle? It's a neighborhood in the London Borough of Southwark. The most widely-accepted story is that the name comes from an 18th-century coaching inn built on the site of the former Cutlers' Guild. An elephant (source of ivory for handles) with a castle-like howdah on its back, was a symbol of the master cutlers.

Attachments

Images (33)
  • 20220505_173726
  • 20220505_173733
  • 20220507_133109
  • 20220509_144335
  • 20220509_154231
  • P1220307
  • P1220308
  • P1220309
  • P1220317
  • P1220463
  • P1220528
  • P1220534
  • P1220537
  • P1220540
  • P1220569
  • P1220577
  • P1220597
  • P1220599
  • P1220600
  • P1220601
  • P1220602
  • P1220609
  • P1220615
  • P1220616
  • P1220617
  • P1220618
  • P1220624
  • P1220626
  • P1220628
  • P1220630
  • P1220632
  • P1220638
  • P1220663

The best part of every trip is realizing that it has upset your expectations

Add Comment

Comments (0)

Post
×
×
×
×
Link copied to your clipboard.
×