Sign of Brentford's Past Under Threat

Campaigners Fight To Save Landmark Advertisement

A campaign is under way to save the famous Lucozade sign on the A4 in Brentford.

This advertisement sign has been pouring Lucozade (rippling light bulbs) since the 1950s alongside the M4 elevated at the Ealing Road junction. The sign predates the motorway and because it is placed before Junction 2 (on approach to London) has become a Landmark for the Chiswick Roundabout exit in much the same way as Gilette Corner denotes the start of 'Built Up London'

The sign lies on the west facing wall of the former GlaxoSmithKline Lucozade building. It consists of several hundred yellow and red lightbulbs embedded in the wall with an electronic circuit inside the building controlling the flow of light across the sign. There is a dotmatrix time/temp guage next to it.

Unfortunately, the lucozade building is set to be demolished, Glaxo are selling the site and Audi (VW) Group propose to build a 5 storey regional HQ here for themselves with showroom etc. The application is in and the clock has begun to tick and the new owners, understandably, are unlikely to have room for it on the site. The Gunnersbury Museum have expressed an interest, but have no where to display/erect it - and in any case, it is a directional landmark with local history and deserves to be preserved on site if at all possible in a say campaigners.

Attempts by planning officers to list the sign have, so far, failed, although attemps continue. GSK have offered to build a new sign elsewhere using an up-to-date logo but this would be on a different site and not maintain the 'living history' that is disappearing from Brentford.

8 October 2003