The blog from the heart of Leicester's Clarendon Park

Ghost Signs of Clarendon Park

By ,

Ghost signs are everyday whispers of the past. These painted advertisements, faded and largely ignored, give a tantalising glimpse into the recent history of an area. Clarendon Park has its fair share of ghost signs – read on for a quick tour of the best preserved and most interesting ones.

Parkinsons Pills

Parkinsons Pills was a manufacturing chemist based in Burnley, Lancashire, that closed down in 1983. The company was a big fan of hand-painted advertisements, many of which featured their chipper slogan “They will buck you up”. Leicester’s very own Parkinsons Pills ghost sign is on the corner of Lorne Road and Avenue Road.

J Newby and Son

Just off bustling Queens Road, this sign is tricky to get a decent view of because of the proximity of the wall directly opposite it. With a bit of neck-craning you can just about read the advertisement for J Newby and son, a funeral director.

Garage

Short and to the point, this sign on Howard Road has a similarly prosaic brother on another corner of the same building. The other sign simply reads “cars”.

Shipstone’s Ales

Shipstone’s Ales is an independent Nottingham brewery that was founded in 1852 and is still going strong today. This ghost sign on Howard Road is on one side of the building currently occupied by Krishna Stores.

HG Sharris

Another advertisement for a car garage, this sign can be found on Clarendon Park Road. The four-digit phone number harks back to a simpler age.

Chrysler, Lanchester, Daimler

Back to Avenue Road Extension for this advertisement for yet another car-related company. There’s a touch of irony in the fact that the spot where the garage once stood is now firmly “no parking”.

Over to you

I know that there are plenty of other ghost signs in Clarendon Park that I haven’t covered in this post. These are just my favourites. If you know of a ghost sign in the area, please do send me a photo of it and I’ll add it to this post. Or maybe you know something of the history behind one of the featured signs? Comment below and let the world know…