A sign for our times is on side of curry house

For most passers-by, it is an old signage which will feel a little out of place, to say the least, writes Yann Tear.

Underneath the very faded and very bygone Roberts for Ekcovision is an Indian restaurant and a chicken takeaway which are very modern features of high streets in the capital.

But behind every old sign for a long-departed electrical store is a story, and this particular one is cherished by the granddaughter of the man who was behind that lovely reminder of what used to be.

She is Alison Sinclair, and she wants to restore the sign at 57 Bedford Hill, Balham, to its former glory.

“I was devastated when I visited Balham recently and saw the state of the sign,” she said. “A lot of Balham residents old and new see it as part of Balham’s heritage.”

It will cost £21,000 to restore and she has set up a crowdfund to make up a £6,000 shortfall, having already secured a £15,000 grant from Heritage of London Trust (HOLT), who recognise its aesthetic value.

Alison, who lives in Wallington, Surrey, these days, takes up the fascinating history:

She said: “My grandfather, John William Lightfoot, started an electrical shop in Clapham in the early 1920s with his business partners, Arthur Robert Bradman, who the shop was named after, and Will Durrant, who was a relative of my grandmother.

“John, who was known as Jack, bought the partners out, and in 1928 moved the business to 57 Bedford Hill. The business mainly supplied and repaired radios and charged accumulators. I can still recall the smell of the battery acid in the ‘spooky’ cellar.

“My grandfather passed away in 1956 but my family continued to run the shop. A large part of the business then was rental TV’s and customers came in weekly to pay the rent – it was a real local community business.

“My family then bought 59 Bedford Hill which was used as more of a showroom.

“It was run by my grandmother Georgina, two uncles and my mum Eileen Dye – nee Lightfoot. My grandmother was a generous, thoughtful and kind lady and well-liked by the Balham community back in the 1960s. She helped others less fortunate where she could.

“In the 1960s, Ekco (a television manufacturer) approached us about putting the sign on the top of the two buildings and we agreed. It was an amazing, glowing neon sign, clearly seen from the platform at Balham railway station.”

“We were victims of ‘smash and grab’ a couple of times which was unsettling and upsetting and on another occasion Uncle Ron was awakened by a police officer who said ‘Did you have any televisions in your shop when you went to bed last night sir?’

“My mum retired to Bournemouth in 1989 as my dad was in poor health and Uncle Ron became ill shortly afterwards and sadly died.

“So, the shops were sold. The sign remained lit for several months and we believe this was because the new owners didn’t know where the switch was.

“Emotionally and personally, it would mean so much to restore that sign. Sadly, my mother passed away 10 years ago but she knew I was looking into this, she would be so pleased.

“It would be like a tribute not only to Balham’s heritage but to my grandparents who worked so hard. Every time I pass through Balham, I look at the sign. I make sure I am sitting on the correct side of the train.”

Richard Johnston, Trustee of HOLT, said: “We’re so pleased to help get this much-loved local landmark back to Balham.

“The sign has become public art with real social value for South London and will make a huge difference to the area. We can’t wait to see it bright again.”

The crowdfund link is: www.gofundme.com/f/roberts-for-ekcovision

 

Pictured: John William Lightfoot (known as Jack), his wife, Georgina and their three children, Doug, Ronald and Alison’s mum Eileen; Alison’s grandmother behind the counter; Eileen behind the counter Picture: Alison Sinclair