Pre-Worboys preservation campaign

[Bryn666]

That's bizarre! I don't think it's prescribed at all, and given it's using a Worboys triangle with the pre-worboys font it must be from the early 1960s?

[traffic-light-man]

I don't think they were actually prescribed, but they were used. I have a picture of one on the back of a book somewhere.

[Sean Nelson]

before the widening on the A494/A550 at Sealand in North Wales, i used spot pre-warboys signs on that stretch of road.

[DavidNW9]

This is an odd one, I'd assumed (from the evidence) Letraset lettering came in with the Worboys signs but this turned up in Edmonton and the shocking condition reflects the fact the letters are all nasty plastic and are slowly fading to nothing. Not being painted can no longer be restored like the cast iron ones so illustrates perfectly the false economy in using temporary lettering. There was a modern dual carriageway ahead sign in front with the final a completely peeled off.



Has anyone else come across sticky letters on pre-Worboys signs?

[Chris5156]

This is an odd one, I'd assumed (from the evidence) Letraset lettering came in with the Worboys signs but this turned up in Edmonton and the shocking condition reflects the fact the letters are all nasty plastic and are slowly fading to nothing. Not being painted can no longer be restored like the cast iron ones so illustrates perfectly the false economy in using temporary lettering. There was a modern dual carriageway ahead sign in front with the final a completely peeled off.



Has anyone else come across sticky letters on pre-Worboys signs?

Good heavens yes - scores of them! They were manufactured for at least the ten years before the Worboys report came in to effect. All the signs at Cockfosters, for example, were of this type.

Worboys brought in new designs - not new methods of manufacture. It would have been difficult to get the many hundreds of small sign manufacture companies organised to provide vinyl overlay signs from a set date in the early sixties; the transition happened anything up to a decade before.

[marknotgeorge]

Not a very good view, I'm afraid (half the sign is missing), but here's one on Lodge Lane, Derby.

[Johnathan404]

I found a new pre-Worboys RCS on the A36 in Totton with "Salisbury 17 1/3", but didn't have my camera with me. Is that one already documented?

In a nearby car park I found a direction sign which looked like it was pre-Worboys, but it wasn't the sort of place I'd expect to find one. Very odd.

[DavidNW9]

I put this to the Sabre jury, complete with photo and supporting evidence. I found this oddity in Harrow today and besides the very unusual red (originally) background thought nothing of it until I saw the pre-Worboys arrows. There were two versions, the dead straight with triangular head and these with the tapered shaft. But the back of the sign was a bog standard modern construction which I didn't think arrived till about the 70s. I've already presented the definite pre-Worboys 'Left turn only' which used stick on letters from Tuesday and here's another maverick I'm glad to say. Also the other pictures of pre-Worboys lane diagrams were in black and white with the other arrows but I've found they had the odd variations back then as well sometimes.



So, insights please?

Darn email notifications aren't working.

I found a new pre-Worboys RCS on the A36 in Totton with "Salisbury 17 1/3", but didn't have my camera with me. Is that one already documented?

I think I've viewed most of them and never seen that, more so any in Hampshire full stop besides a matching pair of no entries in Aldershot. Please let us see them!

Chris, that's interesting to know. As half the keep left sign has worn off it was impossible to tell how it looked before, but I thought the Cockfosters set also had raised lettering under the plastic but hadn't looked that closely to check. I will now next time I pass it although the council are removing them steadily there, I missed a few before I made it.

[traffic-light-man]

Those arrows look like they came from an 80s highway code or simalar IMO!

Nice sign though, none the less. Good spot!

[DavidNW9]

I am still leading a charmed life. I realised most of these came in pairs and Streetview proved me right. This one was not facing the sun so you can see it in its full glory. And guess what, on the way home I found a pre-Worboys no entry (rare as hen's teeth). The paint had worn off but had raised lettering (I think the Pinewood pair were painted on) but clearly legible. I'll take that during the day and add it here when I do.



The arrow designs actually look Dutch to me, and will trawl a few old arrows here in case I can see the similarities.

And now I know stick on letters were also pre-Worboys then this should be as well?

[AndyB]

The arrows are as per the road markings, different profile from the pre-worboys ones.

[DavidNW9]

The arrows are as per the road markings, different profile from the pre-worboys ones.

I knew they were familiar! And far nicer than the ones with the V at the end.

Here's the no entry sign I promised, at the exit to Kenton library car park. Their local history section had loads of photos with the old signs, it was a shame I hadn't taken any!



Because of the rules described earlier you're only likely to find these on private roads and since the pair went from Pinewood the only other one I know of is on a housing estate in Cornwall. I don't know if they didn't repaint this deliberately or just old age. I may offer to do it for them but not sure the sort of reception I'd get.

[traffic-light-man]

As promised:





I still have a PW keep left to picture, and I'll re-photograph the Widness one sometime. Feel free to add these to your Photopic David.

[DavidNW9]

If it's a square keep left that is amazing, my grandpa had a photo of his old business premises from the 50s and had two old traffic lights, no entries and a keep left bollard in it, but was taken a few years before I was born. It's online now, if it's not in the gallery I'll add it. But I've seen no keep left plaques online at all in the recent photos, only a few arrows.

[traffic-light-man]

Yeah, it's a square one on a splitter island mounted to a concrete column. You can't make it out as being what it is in the pics I have as they are quite dark focusing on the lantern on the top of the pole. I would like this sign to mount on the pole of my old fashoned Tin Lanterns...

[B4591]

There is a PW on the road between Caerwent and the A48 at Penhow. Will photograph it next time I visit the grandfather-in-law

[Chris5156]

The arrow designs actually look Dutch to me, and will trawl a few old arrows here in case I can see the similarities.

The lettering is Transport, so it's not pre-Worboys. I think they have used the road marking arrows rather than the signface ones. Red background too - it's a bit of a bodge-job all round!

And now I know stick on letters were also pre-Worboys then this should be as well?

Definitely pre-Worboys. What a beauty

[DavidNW9]

Given everything I've learnt here I have a theory. Now I know pre-Worboys signs used Letraset sticky letters as well from 1953 (as in this perfect proof I found an hour ago).



That means that any signs made copying that style ought to be equally valid whenever they were made. Even with reflective backing like this one (althought the font is far from authentic).



Definitely if I saw a sign indistiguishable from the old ones it wouldn't be possible to know the age so would have to count, so even when we know one's a bodge job should it be the same status as a decent copy?

[sgill77]

Definitely if I saw a sign indistiguishable from the old ones it wouldn't be possible to know the age so would have to count, so even when we know one's a bodge job should it be the same status as a decent copy?

Part of me wonders why they didn't put up a new sign if they were making one, but most of me is really pleased that they didn't.

Dudley MBC went through a spell of putting up pre-Worboys-style 30mph speed limit signs, but they replaced them - possibly because someone pointed out to them that they weren't legally binding!

[Halstead]

This one caught my attention today, for those who can't see it vaguely reads "**** and upwards, 5th turning on right".