Giving the Right Signs

Last week Peter and I decided to walk to the Bloggers and Authors meetup, as it was a sunny day, and noted an oddity that had not struck either of us before when driving that route. Two roads that we passed had been renamed.

Clifton Street is now Gerard Street whilst Hall Street has at some point been renamed Floyd Street. I have no idea when these renamings took place but from the age of the signage one would imagine it took place some time ago. But in both cases the old signs had not been removed. Is this a local thing? Or do other cities just never get around to removing old signage

Nothing so very unusual about roads changing names as such of course.

For many years I have lived very close to a stretch of the old roman road through Ockley in Surrey that still bore the name of Staine Street. This ancient thoroughfare led from Chichester to London Bridge and was a major route in its day. 

Those stretches of Staine Street that are still in partial use closer in to London have gained all manner of alternative names, and often these are the high streets of various towns, which gives an idea of how relevant that ancient way remained. But so far as I know none of them bear road signs giving both the modern label and the old roman one at the same time.

The main road through the village of Rudgwick was known locally as simply ‘Roman road’; apparently a spur of Staine Street, leading to a large Temple complex a few miles away.

The relevance of these old street names made my think about how important names and titles are. I have the second in the Bunch Courtney books coming out later in the year and have had the working title of In Her Defence in mind since its inception. A new name had occurred to me a few weeks ago, but as the ‘working’ title is already out there it would probably be a mistake to change it now.

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Jan Edwards can be found on:
Blog: https://janedwardsblog.wordpress.com/
Facebook: jan.coleborn.edwards
Twitter: @jancoledwards

Titles in print – all available in print and dig formats
As author: Winter Downs; Fables and Fabrications;  Sussex Tales;  Leinster Gardens and Other Subtleties