The Ghost of Woolies Past
It is almost as if the pandemic has served as an early circa 1980s Ghost Town video backdrop for the two-tone Specials - but slowing down and having the time during various lockdowns for urban strolls is an ideal opportunity to take in our less bustling surroundings, where you become more aware of what is around you; or indeed, in many cases, what once was around you in history.
My mötley crew of Thursday Club pub regulars noted the refurbishment of one of their past watering holes, and what wasn't piquing their interest was the aesthetic changes to the Titwood Bar in Strathbungo, in Glasgow's south side, but the faded sign that began to resurface as the facade came down. It took a ghost sign, and those who remembered it before it was a ghost, to bring it back to life.
Likewise, during many lockdown urban strolls, I keep my eye open for 'ghost signs', those wonderful hand-painted signage and advertisement relics - usually dating from 1900 to 1930s - that remind us of a city's past life. And this hobby has a large Facebook following and the hashtag #ghostsign has been used more than 90,000 times on Instagram.
London reigns supreme in this spectral pursuit; Glasgow has dozens and growing, many of them documented on a newish and embryonic ghost-sign walking tour guide, which can be downloaded from Ghost Signs of Glasgow (www.glasgowheritage.org.uk/take-a-walk-on-the-ghost-side-...).
One of my favourites is a true haunt for many from the past, an old Woolies, the back entrance to the store on 22-26 Charing Cross Mansions, St. Georges Road, backing on to Renfrew Street. The store traded from this location for about 50 years before closing in the early 1970s as the city redeveloped that part of the town for a motorway bypass. Only in the past few years, some original 1920s era signage was revealed at Renfrew Street (the back of the store) – and it is still there today.
Leica M3 & 1.4/50 Summilux pre-asph v2
Ilford FP4+ (200)
Perceptol (1+1 - 13min)
Vuescan & Plustek 7600i
The Ghost of Woolies Past
It is almost as if the pandemic has served as an early circa 1980s Ghost Town video backdrop for the two-tone Specials - but slowing down and having the time during various lockdowns for urban strolls is an ideal opportunity to take in our less bustling surroundings, where you become more aware of what is around you; or indeed, in many cases, what once was around you in history.
My mötley crew of Thursday Club pub regulars noted the refurbishment of one of their past watering holes, and what wasn't piquing their interest was the aesthetic changes to the Titwood Bar in Strathbungo, in Glasgow's south side, but the faded sign that began to resurface as the facade came down. It took a ghost sign, and those who remembered it before it was a ghost, to bring it back to life.
Likewise, during many lockdown urban strolls, I keep my eye open for 'ghost signs', those wonderful hand-painted signage and advertisement relics - usually dating from 1900 to 1930s - that remind us of a city's past life. And this hobby has a large Facebook following and the hashtag #ghostsign has been used more than 90,000 times on Instagram.
London reigns supreme in this spectral pursuit; Glasgow has dozens and growing, many of them documented on a newish and embryonic ghost-sign walking tour guide, which can be downloaded from Ghost Signs of Glasgow (www.glasgowheritage.org.uk/take-a-walk-on-the-ghost-side-...).
One of my favourites is a true haunt for many from the past, an old Woolies, the back entrance to the store on 22-26 Charing Cross Mansions, St. Georges Road, backing on to Renfrew Street. The store traded from this location for about 50 years before closing in the early 1970s as the city redeveloped that part of the town for a motorway bypass. Only in the past few years, some original 1920s era signage was revealed at Renfrew Street (the back of the store) – and it is still there today.
Leica M3 & 1.4/50 Summilux pre-asph v2
Ilford FP4+ (200)
Perceptol (1+1 - 13min)
Vuescan & Plustek 7600i