A ghost sign in Birmingham and a mystery revealed

Now, here is one of those ghost signs which has all but passed away.  

It was found by Ron Stubley “while out and about in the Midlands on Thursday.

 I came across this ghost sign on The Britannia (ex) pub in Aston, Birmingham. 

The pictures are taken from the platform of Aston railway station and, unfortunately, I didn't have time to make a closer investigation. Unfortunately, the script is (to me) indecipherable despite being able to pick out a few of the letters. 

If it's of any interest you're welcome to it - and good luck with unravelling the script.”

Well all ghost signs deserve to be given their time on the blog but like Ron this one has defeated me.

Still I am pretty confident someone will have a degree of local knowledge, and put that beside the sign to come up with a story and bring our faded Birmingham sign back.

According to that excellent 'CAMRA Heritage Pub, "the Britannia situtaed at 287 Lichfield Road, Aston, Birmingham is not a pub with an interior of any importance..

It in now closed having briefly opened as a snack bar.

"It was built in 1899-1900 for Mitchells & Butlers by architects Wood & Kendrick. 

It is an elegant three-and-a-half storey building with brown glazed brick to the ground floor and red brick and buff terracotta above. 

The style is free Classical. Inside tiles cover the passage, the public bar and staircase walls and are by Maw & Co. of Jackfield, Shropshire. The bar-back is original and has etched glass mirrors. 

Between the public bar and the corridor is an unusual screen, its special feature being the extensive amount of glazing. The 'Smoking Room' is announced in etched glass in the door to this room at the rear and Britannia appears too for good measure. 

This room has the usual fixed seats and bell-pushes. If you go upstairs to the function room, note the seat with arm-rests - this was for the chairman at meetings of the Royal Ancient Order of Buffaloes. 

The pub began as the Aston Hall Tavern in 1867, changed to its present name in 1872. Henry Mitchell bought a 99-year lease in 1896, covenanting to rebuild within ten years. 

It passed to M&B who then rebuilt it"*

And that is it.  But given its recent history and that of such large pubs across the country it might not be with us for long and that of course includes its sign, listed or not.

And just minutes after this was posted my facebook friend Angie came up with this, "I've had a rummage on the net Andrew and the sign is for Mitchells and Butlers a Brewery from Cape Hill Smethwick.

I found a site for Birmingham ghost sign hunters ( yep me neither lol but worth a look as they had some fabulous pictures from around the world), and the sign is for what we now call an own brand product and only distilled by them. It (the sign) says, Mitchells and Butlers Clanivor Scotch Whisky"

Now that is what I like, ...... Ron finds the picture I ponder on the mystery and Angie solves it.  Neat piece of team work, although I have to confess my contribution amounted to just sitting and playing with words.

Picture; the ghost sign by the Britannia in Aston, Birmingham. Courtesy of Ron Stubley

*'CAMRA Heritage Pub'  www.heritagepubs.org.uk