ADNAMS X DB SIGNS 32 Issue 250 - December 2023 / January 2024 www.signlink.co.uk to social and content manager Phoebe Robson for documenting the pub signs and describes her as “a real champion for the traditional stuff”. All of these contacts Barber estimates, add up to well over 235 years of relationships and despite working with some in more of a regular capacity than others, he describes these long-term colleagues as all as important as each other. A Labour of Love Reflecting on the sheer range and volume of work produced for Adnams, Barber describes the variety of work as “immense”. “One day I can be prepping boards, then signwriting from a scaffold on a pub, then printing, laminating, and applying vinyl. Then two weeks could be spent installing a rotation in the stores, then building and wrapping five refill bars for stores, removing and installing window graphics, painting a new swing sign, then hanging the sign. Not to mention repairing, prepping, and guilding letters. “The nice thing is that there is always something fresh and creative to get into, something that will require thought and pondering time scheming the best way to do something that I have never done before. I really do enjoy that side of the work.” Despite having been producing signage for Adnams for decades with the company often trusting his judgement, eye, and skill for their signage, Barber says he is rarely very happy with anything he produces. “Sometimes I may get 24 hours of blissful contentment, then I start thinking about how it could have been better.” Despite this, some of Barber’s favourite pieces of work include The Red Lion Southwold and The Grenadier in Colchester. His wife’s favourite is The Swan Stallham which Barber described as “great fun to do”. The Sole Bay Inn is another particularly memorable project due to the amount of research that was involved to make it as historically accurate as possible. This job saw Barber make two trips to the Greenwich Museum and trips to the archives in Southwold Museum. Taking into account that the research involved reading around 15 books and time spent on the internet, Barber estimates, all in all, around 100 hours of digging went into this job. “I knew that the sign was going to be on display for Adnams’ 150th anniversary of being an independent brewery and the 350th anniversary of the naval Battle of Solebay and would be scrutinised at close quarters. So I had to get it right – plus, Dad had done it previously.” Barber actually gifted this sign to Adnams in appreciation of the company’s loyalty and to congratulate them on such a wonderful celebration, especially given the challenges faced by the hospitality sector in recent years. “For me, being the guy that was able to do that for them was something that I feel truly honoured to have done,” Barber says. “I don’t think that a sign could mean more to me than that one, even if I think it could have been better!” Dad did one, I did the other. I had to copy him and keep up. By the time they were done and up they both looked pretty much identical. After that, I was on my own ▲ Photo: Adnams & Anthony Cullen ▲ Dave Barber estimates around 100 hours of research went into producing the Sole Bay Inn sign
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