Animals and faces on buildings
- 8 July 2010 19:5459570In an old thread, someone referred to this bear in Dover, not far from the 8 Bells:
There are so many interesting decorations on buildings.
Here is a photo of the building at 42 Biggin Street, Dover showing a bear.
I guess it maybe had a long churchwarden's pipe in its hand, and may have been advertising Bear Brand Tobacco? (perhaps this was a former tobacconist's shop)
At the present time the shop is empty and to let. Urgent spruce-up is needed.
Almost opposite M & S.
Kath---------------------------------------------------
Lincolnshire Born and Bred - 8 July 2010 20:0159571and they even had "The Queen's Head" in Biggin Street too.
Kath---------------------------------------------------
Lincolnshire Born and Bred - 8 July 2010 20:1259572interesting stuff kath, in fact most town centres in the country have some wonderfully ornate mouldings or similar, the problem is we walk around looking at the shop windows at ground level and never think of looking up.
- 8 July 2010 21:4159593That is 43 Biggin Street actually i think
I can see:
Edmund Neales Boot and Shoemaker there in 1840
Possibly Hamiltons cycles sometime in between
Posners Costumier 1934-1969Been nice knowing you :) - 9 July 2010 09:0359636Wonderful, I love things like that.
- 9 July 2010 14:4559669Yes, Paul, I was wrong, not 42 but it is 43 Biggin Street with the bear. Now empty property.
More interesting pictures of Biggin Street on:
http://www.dover.freeuk.com/town/biggin.htm
Kath---------------------------------------------------
Lincolnshire Born and Bred - 9 July 2010 16:0459674I wonder what the history to the bear statue is though?
- 9 July 2010 16:0759676It looks very similar to a Black Forest Wood carved Bear and by the position of its arms appears that it could have held a flagpole.Marek
I think therefore I am (not a Tory supporter) - 9 July 2010 19:5859726We need to look further back, when this part of the street was built to see which shops were there. Will see if I can find anything; I did think it might have been shop of Chidwicks the tobacconists AFTER the road was widened when they may have lost their original shop but I am not sure. It does look similar to a Black Forest Bear.
Kath---------------------------------------------------
Lincolnshire Born and Bred - 9 July 2010 20:0259727You can see Chidwick's 'original' shop at 8 Cannon Street in this picture
( can't see a bear anywhere on that one )
http://doversociety.homestead.com/CannonStreet.html
K.---------------------------------------------------
Lincolnshire Born and Bred - 9 July 2010 21:0359732Kath, perhaps you're getting confoosed. We get gateaux from the Black Forest, not bears. I suspect this one is tobacco related. I seem to recall tins of "shag" tobacco back in the early '60's and one of them bore a bear as it's logo.
- 9 July 2010 21:5259746you may be right sid, i think it was pipe tobacco rather than the hand rolling stuff.
i seem to remember that pipe tobacco at that time was usually laced with rum or some other spirit, so that when the lid came off the tin a notable aroma followed. - 10 July 2010 07:4259756According to Pike's Blue Book of Dover in 1906-7 at 43 Biggin Street there was Macleod & Co., sewing machine agents.
However, earlier than that (back towards the time the widening of the street took place when he buildings would have been new, there is:
W. MASTERS, Hairdresser.
I seem to remember seeing pot lids illustrating Bear Grease for the hair - have a look at this webpage, it COULD have been to advertise Bear Grease preparations:
http://www.pioneergirl.com/2005/05/bear-grease.htm
And perhaps the bear, as suggested, did hold a flag ...
Kath---------------------------------------------------
Lincolnshire Born and Bred - 10 July 2010 16:5759819Imagine Real Bear Grease being sold as a hair product in this day and age, but then again it may be branded as an 'organic' product ( obviously prepared from retired baiting bairs who have passed on to the black forest in the sky)
- 10 July 2010 17:2359824a bit late with the pimms today barry.
- 14 July 2010 12:4660334
- 14 July 2010 17:2960363I heard that Tracey Emin was mightily interested in this thread, well, until she realised it wasn't called "Animal Faeces on Buildings"!
- 14 July 2010 17:5160367Oh Sid, you are naughty
