23 Jun 2013

Bile Beans, York: Correction and update

Painted sign on a wall advertising Bile Beans
Photo: Caroline Dibbs

This Bile Beans ghostsign from Lord Mayor’s Walk in York has become something of a ‘poster boy’ for the medium. It was repainted for the second time last November, sparking a mixed reaction from locals, as is often the case with ghostsigns restoration projects.

The knowledgeable and inquisitive Lisa from the excellent York Stories website has covered all the bases through her thorough investigations into this latest phase of this iconic sign’s life. The links below should give you just about all you need to know, including archival photographs and insights into the mysterious comma found on the last repainting…

Correction: I should confess that, as a result of my correspondence with Lisa, I must correct a previous posting which stated that Baz Ward was involved in the 1980s York Arts Forum restoration project. While he did paint the sign, he did so at the easel rather than on the wall itself. Apologies to Baz for any misrepresentation caused, and thank you Lisa for pointing out this error.

Subscribe to my newsletter for news, events and projects from the world of ghost signs. I curate the newsletter roughly monthly and welcome submissions.