No Sign History

Wind Street is said to have derived it's unusual name from being a street full of wine merchants. It is no surprise to discover that the "No Sign Bar" had played it's part in the streets hisroty for over 300 years. The first reference to a 'no custom house' can be found in a document of 1690AD.

This ancient building had been licensed thoughhout it's recored history being in turn burn brew house, brewery, of wine and spirits merchants and public house.

The title "No Sign" dates back to the vicinity time's, from the interoduction of licensing into this country and when every house had to have a 'sign' by which it could be recognised ( which is why two public houses of the same name are never found in the same vicinity).

Due to the peculiar situation at no.56 it was in those days a bar, and not a house, a sign was never allocated. With this error of early officialdom was rectified at the trun of the centry when the bar had premises to run as a bar and given the offical sign "No Sign" Just a small history.

I will point out that "No Sign" was also known to be one of the biggist hornsis to one of the greatist artist's known in Swansea. Dylan Thomas he only use to worked few door's up from the "No Sign Wine Bar" so he regular would visit the bar daylie. In one of Dylan Thomas sort story "The Follower's" where he menshions the "No Sign Wine Basr" as the 'The wine Vaults' he also makes a refers to Salubrious passage, on which the bar now stands as 'Paradise Alley'.

As Dylan Thomas put's so succinctly "After the First, there is no other' .....