A historic advertising sign has been recreated at a living museum in County Durham.
Herron’s Bakery is the latest addition to the collection of historically significant buildings which form part of Beamish, The Living Museum of The North.
The building, which was re-constructed at Beamish in County Durham, needed a traditional style, exterior advertising sign to complete the bakery.
Eddie Rodger, a sign-writer from Gateshead, was commissioned to take on the project. He said: “It was a challenge. The wall of the building was really rough, almost like sprayed-on concrete and I had to work around the scaffolding that was up while the roof was rebuilt, so it was tricky to get some of the lettering done, particularly as it was on an angle.
“I used Sandtex Trade High Cover Smooth in terracotta and brown colours for the detailed work, as I knew the mural needed to last for a long time without re-painting and that after 15 years it would not have lost any of its quality or impact.”
A water-borne protective finish, Sandtex Trade High Cover Smooth is ideal for most exterior masonry surfaces and exterior grade building boards and has 15 years’ guaranteed durability.
Eddie, who has owned and run Rodger Signs since 1983, added: “I’ve been working as a sign-writer for 30 years and this was a tricky job, but when the scaffolding came down it looked great. The mural really stood out.
“I was invited to the official opening and now the bakery is part of the museum’s town it does look like a proper Edwardian business.”
Beamish Museum came into being in 1970 and since then has won many awards and now attracts more than half a million visitors each year.
It has grown to include an Edwardian town, pit village and railway station, a Georgian manor house and a Victorian farm. A one and a half mile tramway carries visitors around the 350 acre site.
Sharon Smith, Brand Manager for Sandtex Trade said: “Sandtex Trade does offer a quality finish for a long period of time and we are very pleased it has proved to be the paint of choice for such a fantastic project.
“It is also a pleasure to hear that our colour service has allowed Mr Rodger to create the mural using colours similar to those used more than 100 years ago.”