Pre-Worboys preservation campaign

[DavidNW9]

This is a sign for the exit from Nuneaton Court car park, now the Post Office. It leads onto a one way street, and I've never seen a sign for a right turn like this before.

[Loose Cannon]

First post, be gentle.

Can anyone tell me when the RAC started and stopped erecting road signs? I recall a little potted history online once but cant find it anymore.

I have moved to the Scottish borders recently, and the amount of roadside street furniture relics on quieter roads is reassuringly abundant. However this one RAC sign captured my attention, and made me ponder it's age and wonder if it needs preserving somehow. Far from being on some quiet back road its actually on a relatively busy NSL section of A road, at risk of vehicle strike from the sweeping bends, at risk of an impatient grasscutter pilot, and probably bathed in salty road-spray for 3 months of each year. The post looks to have been replaced "sometime" but the plate is looking perilous and a trip past last night indicated no reflective qualities whatosever (even if they ever had any?)

https://www.google.com/maps/@55.6767733 ... ?entry=ttu

Having worked for local authorities before I know how utterly uninterested the average council nerk is regarding such things as old street furniture, collecting the "scrap" some years back was just the slush fund at the depot for the Christmas bottles. What could be the future for it? I fully expect to go past one day to fin it flattened between tyre tracks, or simply gone.

[Bryn666]

First post, be gentle.

Can anyone tell me when the RAC started and stopped erecting road signs? I recall a little potted history online once but cant find it anymore.

I have moved to the Scottish borders recently, and the amount of roadside street furniture relics on quieter roads is reassuringly abundant. However this one RAC sign captured my attention, and made me ponder it's age and wonder if it needs preserving somehow. Far from being on some quiet back road its actually on a relatively busy NSL section of A road, at risk of vehicle strike from the sweeping bends, at risk of an impatient grasscutter pilot, and probably bathed in salty road-spray for 3 months of each year. The post looks to have been replaced "sometime" but the plate is looking perilous and a trip past last night indicated no reflective qualities whatosever (even if they ever had any?)

https://www.google.com/maps/@55.6767733 ... ?entry=ttu

Having worked for local authorities before I know how utterly uninterested the average council nerk is regarding such things as old street furniture, collecting the "scrap" some years back was just the slush fund at the depot for the Christmas bottles. What could be the future for it? I fully expect to go past one day to fin it flattened between tyre tracks, or simply gone.

Welcome to SABRE!

Simple answer is the RAC lost the authority to install permanent direction signs in 1965. They, like the AA, now only can do event and roadworks signs.

The best thing to do is get that sign to a museum collection before someone wipes it out, as you say, it'll end up in the scrap fund if left to an uninterested DLO.

[Ross Spur]

Spotted this signpost at Stockton Crossroads, south of Telford. Pity the northbound sign has broken off. I wonder which old town in the modern Telford it pointed to?

https://www.sabre-roads.org.uk/wiki/ind ... b_2024.jpg

[DavidNW9]

A new search raised a new sign, Newnham-on-Severn

[DavidNW9]

A lovely survivor in Caister on Sea. Another new arrow version, and the back was metallic slime green paint which is unusual for the era as it was usually matt black or a dark colour.

[DavidNW9]

I just found this absolute classic in Clapham, unfortunately instead of painting it they replaced it about 2013.

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.4701657 ... ?entry=ttu

[Lockwood]

"caution proceed slowly"

Maybe it's the camera effect, but that just looks like a nope situation.

[DavidNW9]

I only remember a few of these from the old days and they usually said no through road to, but I think if the design fits then no access must have been used then as well. Hartwell, Northants.

no access by David Howard, on Flickr

[Worcestershire Wolf]

Saw this one today on the B4194 at Button Bridge near Bewdley:

https://www.google.com/maps/@52.4099807 ... ?entry=ttu

[Truvelo]

Saw this one today on the B4194 at Button Bridge near Bewdley:

https://www.google.com/maps/@52.4099807 ... ?entry=ttu

The amount of times I've driven along there and never even noticed it.

[owen b]

I came across this strange looking signpost recently : https://www.google.com/maps/@55.1894582 ... &entry=ttu
I assume it's pre-Worboys but I'm slightly suspicious it's some kind of latter day reproduction.

[DavidNW9]

No, that's a fingerpost, and judging by the condition a modern reproduction. Most hand symbols stopped around the 1930s and weren't used for any national direction signs.

Pressed metal, Marlborough, Wiltshire.

[DavidNW9]

The only correct font Keep Clear I know if isn't P-W as has GLC on it despite otherwise looking genuine, and I'm still not sure where in Southwark it is. This was long gone before I found its existence this weekend, it's very out of focus and suspect the sharp corners and lack of a border suggests it was made by the residents who got fed up with people parking in the way.

https://www.google.com/maps/@51.3695043 ... ?entry=ttu

[DavidNW9]

This seems to be reused on what could have been a speed limit, but painted on which is not normal, and the little remaining paint is not like anything I recognise. But clearly pretty old even if hand made with the letters crooked. Having turned it upside down I think it's the trace of a 30. Castle Hedingham, Essex.

sign by David Howard, on Flickr

[DavidNW9]

A nice pressed sign in Benfleet.

parking by David Howard, on Flickr

[rileyrob]

I noticed the absence of this old layby sign on the A819 last time I drove it. Unfortunately it has been removed by the council, but then so has the layby and the verge where the sign was located as they have widened this section of the road which, on balance, is a good thing.

[Lockwood]

No, that's a fingerpost, and judging by the condition a modern reproduction. Most hand symbols stopped around the 1930s and weren't used for any national direction signs.

Pressed metal, Marlborough, Wiltshire.

Anywhere is a play area if you're brave enough.

[Octaviadriver]

Spotted this one on Boar Lane, Newark-on-Trent.
https://maps.app.goo.gl/HXh8UjiUE3AhULP96

[Loose Cannon]

After a frenzy of old-sign spotting in my new home of the Northumberland/Scottish borders, I've found one in my back garden.

Carving my hedgetrimmer through a foot-deep thatch of ivy in the last undicovered corner of the garden , lo and behold a coal bunker appeared (I felt like Indiana Jones at his point).

Standing in for a grate on the hole where you shovel coal out of (surely there is a technical term for that) was an unfamiliar cast vertical sign which said SCHOOL and a torch logo on top. I now understand that this is a "Torch of Learning" sign to warn approaching traffic. Thankyou interweb.

There was once a very small school opposite our house (all long gone, along with all other vestiges of civilisation that modern society considers too costly like a Post Office and shop). So its conceivable it hasn't moved very far at all.

It hasn't a scrap of paint left on it but at least I know now what colour to paint it!

https://www.flickr.com/photos/63942060@N04/6352264508