The discovery of old signs from two former Buckie shops have revealed a piece of the town’s retail history.
Workers doing the refit of the new Glow tanning studio on East Church Street uncovered the relics last week.
One builder told the Press and Journal that he was surprised when he saw the vintage pitch pine signs.
“They are in really good condition considering that one of them must be almost 100 years old,” he said.
The breakthrough comes as refit works are taking place at the former trading post on number 26, which closed its doors before the Covid pandemic.
Meanwhile, the sign for the town’s new tanning shop went up today.
Signs of two historical shops uncovered in Buckie
The oldest sign is the one on the left and reads: “A. Grant Brown”.
It belongs to a former ironmongery popularly known as Grantie Broons.
The shop opened its doors in the 1930s, which means the sign is around 90 years old.
Next to it, there’s a green sign with yellow letters reading “Harry Wallace.”
Harry Wallace was known as the ‘master baker’ and according to Buckie Heritage, he opened a bakery on Low Street in 1957.
He later opened a second bakery on East Church Street, where the sign has been uncovered.
Both bakeries closed in 1971, one year before Mr Wallace’s death.
Old Buckie shop signs to be preserved
The worker explained he has carefully taken down both signs, which remain intact.
He added that he wants to preserve them and is thinking of a way of doing this.
The builder is also working on the construction of the new trampoline park in the town’s old Grampian Country Food building.
He is hoping to use the signs as a feature of in the upcoming park’s cafe.
“They are layers of Buckie history,” he concluded.