The picture shows the original shop sign in situ - the camera position provides quite a surreal image. From Glassian, the picture source: “The sign … which stood above the corner shop at Number 23, St. George's Place, was the Hayward Brothers trademark: it appeared on bill-headings and advertisements and was embossed on ironwork ... Said to date from the 16th century and to have once stood over an inn, the sign first appeared over Number 25, Antony Walker's ironmongery shop: ironmongers make both "dogs" and pots. When Walker retired, Thomas Noble (or his successor) bought the sign and moved it to Number 23, which remained an ironmonger's works for the next 160 years until being destroyed in World War II.”
In about 1800 the east side of Blackfriars Road south of Union Street was named St George's Place.
Ironmongers would sell metal pots and fire-dogs (for holding the logs in a fireplace).
