From the mid eighties through till the late nineties a much watched "conversation" took place across broadway as St Barnabas Church & the Broadway Hotel held a friendly battle of signs. The first response by the pub was to the church sign pronouncing "hear John Smith here this Sunday". John Smith being a well known rector from Kings Cross. The pub responded with "Hear Jack Smith here anyday". Jack Smith being a regular drinker at the bar.

So began an exchange that both fascinated and amused the city for close to fifteen years. It built on an older tradition at Barneys of pithy signs started during the Depression by RB Hammond who had possibly brought the idea back from the US when he travelled there on temperance speaking tours.