?? Another Ghost Sign ??

Over the last year, and with the help of another interested party, Tonbridge Daily has managed to locate 8 ghost signs in the town.  Some of them are really good examples, whilst others are so badly faded, or painted over, they can simply only serve as evidence that a sign has existed in the past. Sometimes only a few scattered letters, or part of a name, are still visible to use as research, but nevertheless, it has been interesting to delve into the history of the building, and piece together what the former sign may have advertised.

Bank Street

At one point I became so obsessive, and found myself searching every open surface of the town's red brick buildings I passed by, in the hope of finding another one.  A white painted square on a Tonbridge wall would immediately turn me into Miss Marple, and I would whip out my mini-binoculars to investigate further.  By the way, the binoculars are not a new thing I've acquired for ghost sign hunting -  I have constantly carried them around with me since my early days of studying Art History, when I needed to find close detail in architecture or paintings.

So when I was out and about in the town yesterday, and walking along Bank Street, I noticed one of those white painted squares that gets my heart racing.  It was down a very narrow gap, on the side of an empty building, and just visible due to new building very close to it. I can't believe I haven't noticed it before.  On looking closer the white paint was flaking and revealing blue paint beneath it. I'm pretty sure it was a former advertising sign, and a search through archived old photos of Tonbridge might, at a very long shot, give an idea as to what business it belonged to.
This part of central Tonbridge was formerly a busy and thriving area.  It lays just off the High Street and the building would have stood next to the cattle market. This alone suggests that an advertising sign in this position would be very likely.

If you are interested in seeing photographs of the other Tonbridge Ghost signs go to the search box at the right hand side of this post, and enter 'ghost signs'.