My eye was taken by these two examples of lettering over the weekend, while wandering around Southwark Cathedral and the nearby Borough Market. The market lettering is designed to look quick and cheerful, to be rubbed out at the end of the day and replaced with tomorrow’s new bargains. Except that Borogh market isn’t like that. What’s there today is likely to be there tomorrow, not like it was in the old days, people bringing their wares to sell. The stalls are really shops made to look like market stalls.

This sign is not likely to be written by anyone in the shop. It shows a well practised hand writing a lovely,, clear flowing script. It is drawn with a chalk pen, that dries waterproof and dust free. It is designed to last. I only found one person advertising this craft and they are in Australia. There must be a way of describing the service I’ve not thought of.

The memorial stone was designed to last for ever. It is shallowly engraved and filled with paint. The longer the inscription survives the harder it is to read. Words and meanings change, but we are still able to appreciate the beautiful letter forms. I love the superscripts. Look at the difference between the 5th and the 25th. The latter is in capitals and has been flowed together as a logotype. Why should, “ye” have the e as a superscript?

Half way down you will see a different style capital “A”. Some of the ‘s’ have swashes and flourishes. It looks like it is painted with a brush. Chiselled letters would look different, but there is definitely chiselling under the paint work. I like it.