Comments on: London calling, again and again http://quietcontinents.wordpress.com/2008/05/07/london-calling-again-and-again/ Discovering the world that isn't found in travel books Mon, 13 Apr 2009 03:44:43 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: Elaine Saunders http://quietcontinents.wordpress.com/2008/05/07/london-calling-again-and-again/#comment-8 Elaine Saunders Thu, 08 May 2008 09:34:54 +0000 http://quietcontinents.wordpress.com/?p=34#comment-8 The idea of the pub sign also came to Britain with the Roman armies. In Rome, tavern keepers hung a bunch of vine leaves over the door as an advertisement but, in Britain, they found precious few vines. They therefore improvised with any evergreen plant and pubs called "the Bush" or "Holly Bush" are still found countrywide When pubs were built to cater for the pilgrimage trade they took religious names to reinforce their monastic connections. Often the signs were inspired by pictures found in churches' stained-glass windows as the population were largely illiterate - hence names like Angel, Ship (ark) or Lamb (of God). Thereafter, pub signs have commemorated royalty, heroes, battles, ambition and the odd scandal. Between them, pub signs tell a pictorial history of Britain but they're often overlooked in the rush to the bar. Elaine Saunders Author - A Book About Pub Names www.completetext.com The idea of the pub sign also came to Britain with the Roman armies. In Rome, tavern keepers hung a bunch of vine leaves over the door as an advertisement but, in Britain, they found precious few vines. They therefore improvised with any evergreen plant and pubs called “the Bush” or “Holly Bush” are still found countrywide

When pubs were built to cater for the pilgrimage trade they took religious names to reinforce their monastic connections. Often the signs were inspired by pictures found in churches’ stained-glass windows as the population were largely illiterate – hence names like Angel, Ship (ark) or Lamb (of God).

Thereafter, pub signs have commemorated royalty, heroes, battles, ambition and the odd scandal. Between them, pub signs tell a pictorial history of Britain but they’re often overlooked in the rush to the bar.

Elaine Saunders
Author – A Book About Pub Names
http://www.completetext.com

]]>