Roy Reed
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royreed.bsky.social
Roy Reed
@royreed.bsky.social
610 followers 68 following 400 posts
Photographer, website designer (retired), #kite flyer and lover of medieval stuff, London and #Cornwall - and a #ghostsign or two.

Co-author of 'Ghost Signs: A London Story'.

reeddesign.co.uk
reeddesign.co.uk/ghostsignsmap
flickr.com/photos/royreed
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royreed.bsky.social
Roy Reed @royreed.bsky.social · Nov 23
I'm the co-author of the book 'Ghost Signs - A London Story' and I maintain the map of London's #ghostsigns which currently stands at just over 1,000.

reeddesign.co.uk/ghostsignsmap/
London Ghost Signs Map (and Book) - ReedDesign
This page shows a map of just over 1,000 ghost signs in London.
reeddesign.co.uk
royreed.bsky.social
A curlew and black-tailed godwit at Wadebridge #Cornwall

#birdwatching
A curlew in long grass with its head tilted to the side looking upwards. A bar-tailed godwit up to its chest in water
November 16, 2025 at 12:47 PM
royreed.bsky.social
A black-tailed godwit on the River Camel at Wadebridge #Cornwall
A wading bird with a very long bill standing ankle-deep in water stretching its wings.
November 15, 2025 at 10:59 AM
royreed.bsky.social
A future #ghostsign ?

Granite & Marble
November 11, 2025 at 2:34 PM
Reposted by Roy Reed
blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy
When ghost signs make the financial press, presumably because investing in advertising makes share prices rise?

https://www.marketscreener.com/quote/stock/COCA-COLA-CONSOLIDATED-IN-8857/news/Coca-Cola-Bottling-Consolidated-Iconic-Coca-Cola-Ghost-Signs-Come-Back-to-Life-In-Virginia-a-18698932/ […]
Original post on typo.social
typo.social
November 10, 2025 at 5:53 AM
Reposted by Roy Reed
reblambert.bsky.social
www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/...
Sunday Worship - Sheela Na Gigs - Reclaiming Female Spirituality - BBC Sounds
Rev Kate Bottley explores 'Sheela Na Gigs' and female spirituality in the Church.
www.bbc.co.uk
November 3, 2025 at 1:22 AM
Reposted by Roy Reed
blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy
'Toulouse La Crêpe' — top punning on this ghost sign in Richmond, Virginia, albeit long since lost.

Oh, and shout out to Richmond Magazine for having a website that doesn't batter you with cookie warnings, popups, subscribe promos, and the rest when you land […]

[Original post on typo.social]
Large brick wall of a corner building adorned with layers of fading painted advertising. In addition to a portion of the Coca-Cola logotype, the wall is dominated by the most recent sign for 'Toulouse La Crêpe' at street level.
November 3, 2025 at 5:52 AM
Reposted by Roy Reed
guildhalllibrary.bsky.social
🎃Happy Halloween….🎃

‘The impossibility of witchcraft : plainly proving from scripture and reason that there never was a witch…’ from 1712 (PAM 1515) is about the case of Jane Wenham from Hertfordshire convicted of witchcraft. It argues against her conviction with theological & rational reasoning.
Title page of pamphlet 'The impossibility of witchcraft : plainly proving from scripture and reason that there never was a witch; and that it is both irrational and impious to believe that there ever was in which the depositions against Jane Wenham, lately try’d and condemn’d for a witch at Hertford are confuted and exposed.' 1712
October 31, 2025 at 2:46 PM
Reposted by Roy Reed
privateeyenews.bsky.social
Minority representation on TV causes outrage

From the new Private Eye, in shops now.
October 29, 2025 at 12:01 PM
royreed.bsky.social
Not actually #ghostsigns but two installations by the artist Bob and Roberta Smith for his 'Shop Local' campaign in 2007 which created stylised murals for local businesses on Hoxton Street in North London.
High on an end-of-terrace wall in a high street, a faux ghost sign saying: Dad's Unisex Hair Salon Specialists in Afro Caribbean and European 96 Hoxton Street Shop Local High on an end-of-terrace wall in a high street, a faux ghost sign saying: Dad's Unisex Hair Salon Specialists in Afro Caribbean and European 96 Hoxton Street Shop Local A faux ghost sign on the wall of a stairwell to a block of flats in a high street, saying: Hoxton Electrovision Lightbulbs, Toasters, Tools, Plugs, Widescreen TVs, Clocks, Turbo Hairdryers, Cordless Phones, Vacuum Cleaners, Sandwichmakers, 250 Watt High Power Woofers, Kettles, Videos, Satellites, Fans, Switches, Smoke Alarms, Repairs, Actually Everything 104 Hoxton Street Shop Local A faux ghost sign on the wall of a stairwell to a block of flats in a high street, saying: Hoxton Electrovision Lightbulbs, Toasters, Tools, Plugs, Widescreen TVs, Clocks, Turbo Hairdryers, Cordless Phones, Vacuum Cleaners, Sandwichmakers, 250 Watt High Power Woofers, Kettles, Videos, Satellites, Fans, Switches, Smoke Alarms, Repairs, Actually Everything 104 Hoxton Street Shop Local
October 28, 2025 at 2:28 PM
royreed.bsky.social
Snowberries, sweetgum seed pods and crab apples. Autumn in Clapham.
A bunch of white berries against a dark green background. Spiky, spherical, green seed pods against autumn red, five pointed leaves. Tiny red crab apples, the largest no more than 2cm across hanging from the end on a branch. Tiny red crab apples, the largest no more than 2cm across hanging from a branch.
October 25, 2025 at 2:40 PM
royreed.bsky.social
Snowberries and a garden spider who has caught a wasp.
On the left are a bunch of small white berries seen against a background of dark green leaves. On the right, a large garden spider has caught a wasp in its web.
October 25, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Reposted by Roy Reed
index.bl.ag.ap.brid.gy
Renegade Writing: London’s Faux Fascias
This Is My Costume speaks to BLAG about its decade-long initiative refashioning abandoned shops.
bl.ag
October 16, 2025 at 1:03 PM
Reposted by Roy Reed
jonathanfoyle.bsky.social
"Each bitcoin transaction generates carbon emissions roughly equivalent to driving a gasoline-powered car between 1,600 and 2,600 kilometres." blogs.lse.ac.uk/businessrevi...
The large environmental consequences of bitcoin mining - LSE Business Review
The energy demands of bitcoin mining contribute to rising carbon emissions because of the greenhouse gas footprint embodied in its complex global supply chains.
blogs.lse.ac.uk
October 14, 2025 at 1:42 PM
royreed.bsky.social
A grey heron was letting people get very close at Wadebridge today, and the little egret was posing very nicely.

#Cornwall
A grey heron standing on a river bank. A close-up of the head of a grey heron. A little egret standing on one leg on a rock with blue water in the background.
October 12, 2025 at 4:35 PM
Reposted by Roy Reed
blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy
Good to know this one's still going strong, so thank you John Edwards for photo/update.

I've posted the text from our book, Ghost Signs: A London Story (https://ghostsigns.co.uk/book), in the alt text.

Spratt’s/A.H. Payne | Gunn’s, Acton Lane W4 (between […]

[Original post on typo.social]
Two layers of fading painted signs on the gable end of a terrace of houses. Description/notes from the book: The earlier sign on this palimpsest is a privilege for Spratt’s, on Arthur Henry Payne’s food and seed store, based here in 1926. Spratt’s was founded in 1861 by the American James Spratt and remained active until 2008. From 1866 he employed Charles Cruft, who set up dog shows to promote the company. These continue today as Crufts. In 1899 Spratt opened what was then the world’s largest pet-food factory, in Poplar. The original architectural lettering can still be seen there, but this was superseded in 1936 when Max Field-Bush designed a series of popular ‘calligrams’ (calligraphic pictograms) for the firm. Used until the 1970s, these spelled out the brand’s name in the shape of animals that might eat their products. The most recent layer on this sign is for the corn merchant J. Gunn & Co., which was here in the late 1920s. Gunn’s ran fifty stores by 1938 and manufactured at the nearby Actona Biscuit Works. These took their name from the borough of Acton’s motto, Floreat Actona, which means ‘May Acton flourish.’
October 11, 2025 at 1:11 PM
Reposted by Roy Reed
rogerchicken.bsky.social
Qu'est ce que c'est? Anyone have any idea?
October 9, 2025 at 3:45 PM
Reposted by Roy Reed
blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy
I was interviewed about ghost signs for a feature that's now published in the current (November) issue of Homes & Antiques magazine: https://www.homesandantiques.com/magazine/november-2025-issue.

This is the opening spread, with the headline image of London's […]

[Original post on typo.social]
Spread from a magazine dominated by a photo on the left page that shows a detached brick building beyond a bridge, with the building adorned with a fading painted sign that says "Take Courage". This is overlaid with the headline "Hunting Ghost Signs". The right page shows two more fading painted signs on the top half, with the openings paragraphs of the article itself below these.
October 9, 2025 at 11:01 AM
royreed.bsky.social
#AdoorableThursday
A midnight blue door with a rounded arch top, set in a granite stone building.
October 9, 2025 at 9:19 AM
royreed.bsky.social
Little Egret on the River Camel at Wadebridge #Cornwall
A little egret with its wings outstretched just about to land on the water.
October 8, 2025 at 3:02 PM
royreed.bsky.social
Wadebridge Sunset

#Cornwall
The sun has set behind some trees on a river bank. The sky is streaked with orange light which is reflected in the river.
October 8, 2025 at 10:10 AM
royreed.bsky.social
Honey Fungus (armillaria mellea)

#Autumn
A mass of small light brown mushrooms on a mossy bank with ivy leaves. A group of small light brown mushrooms on a mossy bank with ivy leaves. A group of small light brown mushrooms on a mossy bank with fern leaves.
October 6, 2025 at 3:30 PM
royreed.bsky.social
Storm Amy breaking on Trethias Island at Treyarnon Bay #Cornwall
Storm waves crashing on black rocks
October 5, 2025 at 10:28 AM
Reposted by Roy Reed
blag.typo.social.ap.brid.gy
Just one more sleep now until I get my hands on an advance copy of the American Sign Museum book that I've written. I cannot wait to see it!

March feels a long time ago now, but this trip was the catalyst for the intense months that followed:

https://bl.ag/my-week-at-the-american-sign-museum/ […]
Original post on typo.social
typo.social
October 2, 2025 at 7:59 AM
royreed.bsky.social
Shaggy Ink Cap (coprinus comatus)

#toadstool #funghi #autumn
A clump of four shaggy white toadstools growing out of dark green moss on a forest floor.
October 1, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Reposted by Roy Reed
grenadine.bsky.social
This building has recently been demolished 💔

It was a house w a storefront added onto the front. At one time it was Robert’s Confectionery.

Demolition of the corner building on Linwood revealed an old ghost sign, w bright colors kept crispy fresh bc the other building had covered it for so long.
My photo of a barn shaped house with a single story storefront added onto the front. The windows are boarded up, and there is a red Coca-Cola ghost sign on one wall. My photo of the vibrant, red and green Coca-Cola ghost sign on the side of a vacant building. The sign reads, Robert’s Confectionery. Ice cream - tobacco. Drink Coca Cola. Delicious and refreshing. The words, “delicious and refreshing” have somewhat of a shadow under them, as if the sign was painted over at some point and redone. My detail photo of the words “delicious and refreshing” on a red and green ghost sign on a brick wall. The colors are rich and are probably old lead paint. The words are painted twice, as if an earlier version of the sign is showing through as the sign ages. My closeup detail photo of the artist’s signature on an old ghost sign on a brick wall. The last letter is partially obscured, but the signature probably said BAYS. The sign features red, green, yellow, white, and black paint. You can see little cracks in some of the red paint.
September 28, 2025 at 3:36 AM