iMAGES & iMAGININGS

Street names can derive from the particulars of the geographical location and/or the local history, but can also reflect national events (hence the proliferation of royal roads or those commemorating significant national figures). In residential developments the names of streets are assigned by the local council, usually in conjunction with the property developer, and within a development there may be a thematic approach to the names. In my own local borough there are groups of street names referencing the historic ascent of Everest, the shipping areas surrounding the UK, native birds and trees.  Attempts at renaming roads, say, for instance, to make them more ‘politically correct’ are however often met with stiff opposition from local residents who wish to preserve the historical connection, rather than ‘whitewash’ the past. Words matter and these names add to the rich tapestry of our lives, and our collective history, warts an’ all.

The street name can also carry many ‘hidden’ messages about the people and the place, but then so does the sign itself, through its condition, style and general state of repair or disrepair. The setting and immediate environment has something to say to those who take the interest to ‘read’ the body language of the signage and the way that it declares itself to the passing world.