Model houses for families

An early example of social housing, with a sign proudly proclaiming its purpose. Built by the wonderfully named Society for Improving the Condition of the Labouring Classes, this handsome Bloomsbury building opened in 1850. It housed 48 families. Each dwelling had a living room, two bedrooms, a scullery and a water closet, and there were communal bathrooms and a laundry. It made a profit of about 5.5% for its investors. The Society's President was Queen Victoria's husband Albert. They had already experimented with a large development in Birkenhead, Wirral, which housed over 300 families; this had not been a success, as the buildings were too close together and the bedrooms too small. However, the London buildings were successful, and as well as homes for families, the society had lodgings elsewhere in London for single men and women. The society was taken over by the Peabody Trust in 1965.

Pull the other one

Handsome dentist sign in Bloomsbury Square, London.

18 Woburn Square

The number sign on this door is so pretty that it caught my eye. It’s in Woburn Square in Bloomsbury, London. Named after the Duke of Bedford’s family seat – Woburn Abbey in Bedfordshire – the houses in the square were built between 1829 and 1847 and are now mostly occupied by University College London. Number 18 houses the Social Science Research Unit. There’s still a small garden in the centre of the square. To my delight, I discovered that Camden Council have run a project documenting the doors of Bloomsbury, including those in Woburn Square – worth a look for some fabulous Georgian gems. 

Arty crafty

Lovely lettering on a sign on Mary Ward House in Bloomsbury, London.

Put a spring in your step

This pretty London mosaic door step sign always cheers me up. The White Hall Hotel, somewhat confusingly, is nowhere near Whitehall. It’s a Georgian townhouse hotel in Montague Street, Bloomsbury, and a very good place to stay.

Horse and motor contractor

I couldn’t resist featuring this old sign just off Great Ormond Street, London. Although much photographed and written about, not least by the excellent Caroline's Miscellany blog, there doesn’t seem to be much information to shine a light on G Bailey & Sons Horse and Motor Contractors, which was wound up in 1951. Intriguingly, a new company of the same name was registered in 2013 (classified as “Media representation services”) so the name may live again. 

Old times, gentlemen, please

This inviting glass sign lured us into the Museum Tavern in Bloomsbury, London - right opposite the British Museum. I’d heard it was a bit of a tourist trap so I had fairly low expectations, but inside it’s a relaxed Victorian pub, with a good mix of customers and some rare cockney accents.

The Tavern was expanded in 1855 and pleasing original features – such as this cut glass window, carved wooden fittings and pretty coloured glass – still survive.

It’s hard to believe now, but the area was full of swamps and ponds in the early 18^th century. The pub on the site was called the Dog and Duck, and the area was a hunting ground for the Duke of Montagu, whose house later housed the first British Museum. 

Good sign

Rather handsome sign in Southampton Row, London