An Edinburgh 'ghost sign' has been discovered near the city centre, in the shape of an old convenience store that named after a brand of cigarettes.
The sign, discovered by Leslie Thomson while walking through Viewforth, near Fountainbridge, is sandwiched between a beauty lounge and the old Viewforth Dairy store, which also used to be a popular confectionary shop in the area. It is believed that the store ran during the 1970s, based on the brand of cigarette advertised outside the shop front
Most people will remember the general store at number 67 which appears to have been transformed into a ground floor flat, although the blue "Players No.6 Guaranteed Quality' cigarette sign still remains as clear as day, taking locals in the area a trip down memory lane whenever they pass.
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Several locals shared memories of the store, saying they would walk across during their break at school for cigarettes. Of course, advertising cigarettes is no longer permitted in the UK, so the thought of having a store's sign dedicated to a specific brand is quite unfathomable.
According to Retrowow: "The Players No6 brand, introduced in 1965, was Britain's best selling cigarette brand for most of the 70s. Player's advertising claimed it was 'Part of the British Scene'.
"For the first half of the 70s, No 6 was number 1. Smokers were slowly waking up to the dangers of their habit in the 70s and health warnings first appeared on UK cigarette packets from 1971. Overnight sales of No 6 tumbled and in the status conscious 80s, No6 was about as popular as a pair flares and a kipper tie. The brand quietly disappeared in 1993."
Before being transformed into a flat, another newsagents, News 4 U also occupied the same building at 67 Viewforth.
If you have any memories of this store at 67 Viewforth, let us know in the comments.
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