"Panic"

[kensei]

I was just in England on vacation a few weeks ago and took a very thorough solo Ripper walk that lasted all day. While visiting the Annie Chapman site I noticed an oddity at the corner of Hanbury Street and Brick Lane. Directly underneath the "Hanbury Street" sign there is a tiny little sign that simply has one word on it: "Panic." Does anyone know what the story is behind this?

[kensei]

I posted this nearly four months ago and got no replies. I just thought I'd try one more time to see if anyone out there knows anything about the origins of the little sign with the word "Panic" on it near Annie Chapman's murder site.

[Mike Covell]

Sounds like a wannabe Banksy type, tagging public buildings with an observation on life, past and present.

I saw one on a bridge recently that said "Duck", which I thought was quite funny, as months earlier a lorry had got stuck underneath it.

Our local Chinese eatery is called "Lucky Star" and a few years ago it burnt down. During the rebuilding work, huge boards were erected, and the staff had written "Lucky Star Opening Soon"

Some amusing local had sprayed "Un" so the sign read,

"UnLucky Star Opening Soon"

[Christine]

It sounds like it might be a Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy reference, although whether or not it is referring to Chapman's unfortunate fate is far from clear.

[John Bennett]

I posted this nearly four months ago and got no replies. I just thought I'd try one more time to see if anyone out there knows anything about the origins of the little sign with the word "Panic" on it near Annie Chapman's murder site.

Hi Kensei

The area around the old brewery is literally plastered with stencilled graffiti, promo posters and the like, all reflective of the trendiness of the district. 'Panic' could be a club, a band, a DJ or a local hoodie, or as Mike points out, just a maverick piece of arty graffiti with a 'message'.

Back in 1988, I saw some writing that had been sprayed on the corrugated iron that used to line Durward Street. Situated right near Polly Nichols' murder site, it merely said 'JACK'S BACK'. Howzat for a reference!

JB

[Suzi]

I like the 'Execution' and 'Hairdressers' signs one above the other at the corner of that alley off of Brick Lane!!!! (Charles I springs unsettlingly to mind!)

[Robert]

It's the Government trying out their nuclear attack guidance.

[kensei]

Thanks everyone for your replies. I'd just like to elaborate a bit, and this is a memory five months old now of something I failed to get a photo of so I hope I'm recalling it accurately. What I remember seeing was not anything hand-painted or amaturish. It was an official looking metal sign just underneath the "Hanbury Street" sign, done in the exact same lettering and style, just slightly smaller in size. Could there be people who create realistic but completely bogus metal signs and go around bolting them up? That would be the opposite, I guess, of people stealing street signs to hang them up as wall deco.