Thomas Paine said,

News,

5th November, National Heritage's site includes the following notes which summarise our own site's aims:-

"Street furniture

The finest townscapes often have the minimum amount of street furniture. That which is essential is sited carefully to reinforce an underlying sense of visual order.
• Retain historic street furniture which reinforces local character, but identify and remove superfluous or redundant items
• Minimise signage, and locate signs on existing lamp post or buildings, or at the back edge of the pavement
• Use a single dark colour for all items
• Reduce guard rails to a minimum and use designs that relate to the townscape, such as traditional post and rail
• Avoid standardised lighting and choose the design and light source most appropriate for the area
• Wherever possible, eliminate the need for bollards through good design; where unavoidable use designs and materials appropriate to function and context"

14th October. National Heritage have launched a campaign for improving the road signs in this country. You can visit the site through this link. I will get some photos posted on this site today, promise.

17th July 2004, I'm back from my jolly hols and have taken some good photos. I will put them up on site shortly. One of the themes is 'excellence' in public provision of facilities.

5th March, Message to Atkins;--  Hi, I believe you will be reviewing the Northampton direction signs shortly. I have many examples where the signs need attention in addition to the examples shown on this site and would be very pleased to discuss them with you. Unfortunately I am off  on an extended holiday within a few days but could keep in touch via email, regards, jim wishart.

13th February, I have added a group of photos here dealing with ways of improving UK gantry signs, take a look.

2nd August, Nottingham City have written explaining procedures adopted in carrying out works to remove 10,000 signs.

July 29th Nottingham to remove 10,000 signs. Details here.

April 19th, the 'At any time' repeater sign is to be abolished, see new page

Hello,

Road signs in the UK

OK, so UK signs are workmanlike and at least they are there!  But much of the signage misses out on the subtleties of design and consequently can be ambiguous or straightforwardly misleading. Furthermore there is very little attention to the overall visual effect on the street scene.  This is a campaigning website albeit with a limited brief.  It tries to draw attention to those faults and hopefully may raise the standard. I live in hope.

Join the list, (approval is automatic), photograph the road signs that make you cringe and upload them to this site. Feel free to start your own albums for each topic. Or just leave a message on the board.

I'd like to extend the area of interest of the group to include efforts to improve urban life by reducing traffic speed. See the new page 'Twenty is plenty'

You may post photos of good practice on its sister site :-

http://communities.msn.co.uk/theroadsignhalloffame/homepage

and the following Roads site is very successful and very active, join it now!!

http://communities.msn.co.uk/TheSABRERoadsWebsite

and you can have fun at http://www.raspbrry.demon.co.uk/roadsigns/index.html

happy hunting,  regards,

jim wishart

northampton, england,

james@wishart100.freeserve.co.uk