How a painted wall advert became a loved work of art
Found on an end terrace at the busy junction which sees Lord Mayor’s Walk trot around the corner into Goodramgate, this painted advertisement has been a comforting sight for generations of York commuters. Promoting the health-inducing benefits of Bile Beans, the giant sign came with a winning slogan: Nightly BILE BEANS Keep You HEALTHY BRIGHT-EYED & SLIM. In this age of the probiotic yogurt, it is a reminder that the business of quick-fix remedies is a long and entertaining one.
The advert probably dates from the start of the 20th century. Using walls as canvases for giant painted billboards was a popular way to get a message across in the pre-screen era – particularly if those walls faced a busy railway line.
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Address 18 Lord Mayors Walk, York YO31 7HA | Public Transport 2-minute walk from Monk Bar car park off St John Street. Closest bus stop: Monk Bar | Tip The building on which the mural is painted belongs to Me & Mrs Fisher, a family-friendly cafe. Not only does it serve up delicious buns, it holds regular craft sessions for all ages.
Like us, the Victorians and Edwardians were suckers for the latest health tonic. With its laxative qualities, Bile Beans would “disperse unwanted fat” and “enrich the blood” – or so the makers claimed. Manufactured in Leeds supposedly using a vegetable source known only to aboriginal Australians – but in fact made from much more prosaic ingredients like rhubarb and liquorice – it was billed as the perfect pick-me-up. So effective were adverts like these that Bile Beans continued to be popular even after a court found that the company behind them was based on a fraud.
As the paintwork flaked and faded, it looked as though this “ghost sign” would be lost forever. But it has been repainted twice, first in the 1980s and again in November 2012, after a public appeal to restore it raised the necessary funds in weeks.
Not everyone agrees with the restoration of an old ad for a product that no longer exists – but most Yorkies would miss it if it were to disappear. Peter Brown of York Civic Trust put it perfectly when he explained the appeal of this natty bit of promotion: “It puts a smile on your face when you go past it.”
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