Tea anyone?

One of the many pleasures of my childhood in Melbourne was going to school on the train.  I hated school itself, but the train journey was always a highlight of the day.  They were only electric multiple-unit trains and we sort-of took them for granted, but they were the days when Victorian Railways was a 'proper' railway with railway activity of all sorts everywhere along the journey.  There were red trains (Tait) and blue trains (Harris) and now they're all gone, except for a preserved set of Tait carriages.  But I digress.  At most of the stations, or along the lineside, were blue and white signs advising how many miles away you were from Griffiths Brothers Teas, who were an importer/wholesaler of tea, coffee and cocoa.  Apparently the same applied for Sydney where they also had an office, and extended right out to the country stations.  424 miles to Griffiths Bros Teas would be a long time to wait for a cuppa!  The signs were certainly successful in that everyone was familiar with them, but whether they swayed people's tea choice is unknown.

Anyway, with progress being made on my railway-style fence in the vicinity of the initial Miniature Railway station, I thought I'd like to add some period advertising to it and Griffiths teas was the first thing that came to mind.  Original signs are occasionally available, but I came across a reproduction sign on ebay which is signwritten/painted.  It is smaller than the originals, but hey, it's a miniature railway!!  I've seen a sign done by this gentleman, Mark, previously and was very impressed indeed with the quality.  I think if I had an original I wouldn't want to put it out in the weather anyway!  So this sign is now on it's way to Whistlestop, although the fence needs to progress in order to mount it in an appropriate place.  Further incentive, if any was needed.

This picture is of the unusually shaped Griffiths Bros building still existing, but disused, in Sydney, very close to Central Station.  Their main office, although a smaller building, was in Melbourne, along Flinders Street, again very close to the main suburban station, Flinders Street Station.  This building is now a boutique hotel.

I don't plan to put too many signs along my fence, which would make it look a bit tacky, but a significant sign like this should add to the general railway atmosphere, I hope.  An interesting connection with the past, too, which is fundamentaly what Whistlestop is all about.  Now, back to cutting pointed fence-pickets!!