Forum Topic

Lucozade Clock / Thermometer

Driving down the Great West Road this afternoon I noticed the new Lucozade sign is up and running after months of being hidden by scaffolding. I assume it's under test as the day display was showing 1st Feb

Eric Dicker ● 6120d9 Comments

First time I've seen it today since the scaffolding was removed.Just my personal opinion but I think it looks awful.  Not the Lucozade sign, but the additional storey that it's been installed on.  Almost as though to find a location close by the sign's historical position it's okay to put an extra storey comprising a brightly painted bland rectangular block within a row of buildings which are all considerably lower.Horrible :-(  And I'm still slightly amused by the whole 'fondness' for the Lucozade sign yet the general opposition towards other new advertisements along the same highways corridor.As I say, just my personal views, but I don't like it.

Adam Beamish ● 6119d

Although perhaps I should add that I cannot recall whether the 'additional storey' was actually there previously and has only been painted...in which case I just wish it hadn't been painted as it draws attention to a bulk that's out of proportion with the rest of York Parade.

Adam Beamish ● 6119d

Haven't seen it yet - but I think the fondness for the old sign was nostalgia for many of us who had grown up with it just being there. So much has changed on the GWR it was, I think, felt to be something familiar and comforting among all the new. The excuses for taking it down were so pathetic it then became a cause celebre.

Vanessa Smith ● 6119d

People from this forum helped with the battle to get the sign back along the GWR. I think Venessa is right it was a nostalgia thing. A lot of us remember the GWR in its heyday when Firestone had the great Christmas display etc.

Neil Chippendale ● 6119d

I totally understand that, it's before my time but I can completely understand the nostalgic view.  What I can't really 'get' is the general dislike of any modern-styled advertisements in the general area of the A4/M4 corridor - I've no doubt when the Lucozade sign was first displayed all those years ago there was a group of people who said it was an ugly monstrosity.Although I must stress when I say modern-styled personally whilst I like the torch styled advert structure just before the Chiswick roundabout, I think the proposals for the Chiswick Roundabout site are awful.Still think an extra storey was added to that building where the Lucozade sign now is, and think that additional storey is completely out of place with the rest of York Parade.

Adam Beamish ● 6119d

Any chance of a picture anyone? Is it really called York Parade along there?

Audrey Walton ● 6119d

I'm always driving when I go past so no opportunity to take a pick.  Having looked at aerial photos/planning history it's clear another storey has been added to the building and the Lucozade sign is on that extra storey.As I've said before, I've nothing against the sign.  As for the extra storey, I think it's absolutely horrible, totally out of keeping with the rest of York Parade (which admittedly is no oil painting) but it almost feels to me that the 'gain' of restoring the Lucozade to a prominent positiion has been secured at the 'loss' of an out of place eyesore (the additional storey).I'm far from convinced the extra storey on its own (i.e. if it hadn't incorporated the Lucozade sign) would have got permission.

Adam Beamish ● 6108d

This is a replica of the 1980's sign but not of the original.The original sign was on a background of pale yellow ceramic tiles and was three neon bottles which ran in sequence to show it lifting and pouring, followed by the sparkles flowing from bottle to glass.Lucozade lit in red and yellow and the legend 'Aid Recovery' lit in blue. There was no clock."Aids recovery' became a bit of a joke at school as it implied a cure to a disease that simply did not exist when the sign first existed and was partly why it was given a make over in the 80's.The original one was so much better. More vibrant.I saw some film of this on you tube recently which showed a few seconds of the original in footage of the Great west rd pre flyover - in colour.All I can remember is that it was part of a BTF/Trade test transmission film

Michael Brandt ● 6104d

Noticed today there's a 96 sheet advertisement panel on the other elevation of the extra storey.Nothing against that either but its presence casts doubt on the validity of claims made by some Councillors that they are opposed to advertisement panels on the M4/A4 corridor.  Unless of course it's there without consent, but the Council can hardly demand its removal given the presence of the Lucozade sign on the opposite elevation.Can't help but feel LBH/IBAC have made a right balls up on this one...

Adam Beamish ● 6101d