Following a mention on SABRE by c2R of a roundabout in North London where most of the signing consisted of old pre-Worboys (before 1963) signing, I was forced to change my plans for my weekend in London to visit the northernmost station on the Piccadilly line and have a wander to take some photos.
The roundabout itself is at the junction of the A110 and A111, near Middlesex University and the Chicken Shed Theatre company.
Head west on the A110 and at some point you'll come across the A111 — the signing for which is on this sign, which is in marvellous condition. Cockfosters itself is very much Tom and Barbara territory — if I didn't know better I'd say the Good Life was set in the houses surrounding this roundabout — so perhaps the peaceful, unending suburbia acts as a kind of signpost formaldehyde.
Approaching from the south is another sign, mostly obscured by trees and decidedly mossy. Nonetheless it's in good condition too.
A close look at the southern approach sign. It's formed from vinyl overlays, much as modern signs are fabricated, so this roundabout seems to have been re-signed probably in the late 1950's or early 1960's. From this one can theorise that these signs were so new when Worboys came in that they weren't added to removal schedules, and have been overlooked ever since.
On the deflection islands, most of the bollards survive from the 1970s — metal framed ones with plastic side panels, but a Worboys blue arrow symbol on them. The tall white lamp doesn't look much newer.
Another, slightly newer bollard, all-plastic but not a one-piece type like modern ones.
The diverge signs for each exit from the roundabout are also pre-Worboys. Again, these are fabricated as modern signs are, but the yellow backing plate is painted yellow. At first I thought these had been incorrectly painted yellow, but Pete Rowlett points out that only the signs facing the sun are yellow — suggesting yellow is the base colour and the white paint has faded or washed away.
Here some white is left, though most of the sign face is now yellow. These signs are mounted on a fairly new post — it looks like a real effort is being made to preserve them.
A closer look at the paint peeling from the lower sign shown above.
This exit has a new sign for Middlesex University added to it, wih the original three shunted lower down their post to accommodate it. This set are in remarkably good condition, with white faces intact.
Near the south-western corner of the junction is a large pond in the grounds of the University. In it were a traffic cone and a fairly new looking bollard — the latter having a terrapin perched on it. Not something you often see!
