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.

Garage ghost sign

Two lovely ghost signs in Kelvin Grove, Liverpool. They're in the Welsh Streets area, the subject of controversial plans for demolition and development for over 10 years. I visited on a peaceful summer day. The rows of empty terraced houses stood proudly erect in a salute to past lives, and the signs were a gentle reminder of the everyday business once conducted there. Oh, and if you're a Peaky Blinders fan, there's a treat of a street there for you.

Need a whip maker?

There's never a whip maker around when you need one. But James Smith & Sons has been around since 1830, as the sign on its handsome shop front will tell you.

Known simply as the umbrella shop, it's in New Oxford Street in London, and remains pretty much unaltered since Victorian times. Its gorgeous shop front boasts of tropical sunshades and golf umbrellas, and a rather more interesting range of life preservers.

Why not pick up a dagger or swordstick while you're there?

Push

This sign on a beautiful drinking fountain in Lincoln's Inn Fields in London is urging you to push. The park was once the site of duelling, jousting and public execution. Now it's a pleasant place to wander round, play tennis, eat or, increasingly and sadly, sleep on a bench.

With thanks to Mrs J Pogson

Signs bearing the names of Mrs J Pogson, Mrs S Shore, Mrs Joseph Warburton and others decorate the Bethesda Primitive Methodist Chapel in Heaton Norris, Stockport. A handsome building, the Chapel was founded in 1890 and is now dedicated to commercial use. I'm not sure whether Mrs J Pogson would have approved. Apparently the primitive Methodists were successful in evangelising industrial communities in the late 19th century - and Stockport was famous for its textile mills and hatmaking.

Steam bakery

The perils of being a small blogger on a busy road - this was the only angle I could get on this sign, but there's a pleasing reflection of a crane as a bonus. This is, as the sign says, the Queensland Steam Bakery in St Mary's, Southampton. It's been trading for 120 years and the company is still going - now called Marybake.

Queen Victoria makes her mark

Victoria Regina (Queen Victoria) sign at Arbor Low neolithic henge in Derbyshire. The posts mark the protected area of the henge. Arbor Low is magnificent, windswept and atmospheric - one of my favourite places.

Out and about

I've blogged before about the superb Victoria Baths in Manchester. A temple to exercise and cleanliness, the building is an orgy of green tiles and stained glass. To my delight, the last time I visited (to go to the excellent vintage fair) they had opened up some rooms I'd not seen before. This sign is on the door from the gentleman's first class pool (there were two classes of pool for the men - just one for the women!) 

North Euston (plus a secret in a shed)

Users of London Euston station might be surprised to hear that there is a North Euston too – 250 miles away.

North Euston is in Fleetwood, Lancashire. A friendly place with an interesting story, Fleetwood was the first Victorian planned town. It was designed by Decimus Burton (so named because he was the 10^th child) for Peter Hesketh, an MP and estate owner with big ideas.

Hesketh saw that Fleetwood could make a successful port and a holiday resort for working families, and set about making his vision a reality. At the time, there was no rail link between London and Scotland, so he put his energies into creating a rail link to Fleetwood from Preston, enabling passengers to make the final leg of the journey by sea from Fleetwood. Fleetwood’s first buildings were started in 1836, along with its railway, and the North Euston Hotel, facing the waterfront, was built in 1841.

Queen Victoria used the rail link in 1847. To welcome her, the council lit all the gas lamps, but they ran out of gas before the Queen arrived. Hesketh’s dreams of commercial success were ruined a few years later when the rail link from London to Scotland was built over Shap Fell (an engineering feat that had been considered impossible), making Fleetwood’s role of transport terminus redundant.

The oldest building in town is the Fleetwood Museum, which has also been a custom house, town hall and hotel. With lovely staff, great cake and a secret in a shed (I’m not spoiling it for you – you need to go and discover it for yourself), the museum is worth a visit; follow it up with a gusty walk on Fleetwood’s seafront and remember the pioneering Victorian with the big idea.

 

Gorgeous Gaskell house

If you live anywhere near Manchester, get down to the Elizabeth Gaskell house, recently restored and open to the public. The house is shown as a home, as if Elizabeth had just left the room to write a quick chapter or to welcome another guest. As well as displays on Gaskell and Victorian Manchester, there is a great library full of titles the family read - and you’re actually allowed to touch things. They also do a nice line in quotes on the wall and really excellent cake. Check it out here. 

Plough on

This handsome stained glass window advertises the Plough on Heaton Moor Road in Stockport. Heaton Moor is now a thriving suburb, but it was largely farmland until the mid -19^th century. The railway station, just up the road from the Plough, was built in 1852, and shops and houses developed along the road to service the needs of the new commuters. The Plough was built in the 1880s, and reminds us of the area’s rural roots: over its door is a lovely sandstone picture of a ploughing scene.

123 go

This handsome sign is a landmark in achingly trendy Shoreditch. It’s on the corner of Bethnal Green Road and Brick Lane, in hipster territory. The smart mid-Victorian terrace dates from around 1878-1883. The growth of the cabinet making industry at this time brought new buildings to the area, often on conspicuous corner sites. This building has been associated with the clothing industry, restaurants and illegal gun trade.