A Walk in Didsbury Village 3

Image: © Tom Jolliffe Taken: 20 Jul 2023

Large Edwardian Villas. Probably little has changed around these large semidetached and detached villas since they were built - except the road surface, kerbs, "furniture" and traffic controls. The garden walls are original sandstone ones and the hedges are trimmed evergreens. More than a casual glance (see Image) reminds us that we are accustomed to a plethora of objects, signs and signals in our roads. Here there are lampposts, smaller posts, bus stop posts and words such as Bus Stop painted on the road surface, bollard posts, bus stop shelters, metal telephone(?) junction cabinets, signs for speed limits, parking regulations, notices about a building's function, cycle lane information signs on posts and painted on the pavement, road names, logos, advertisements, etc. Most of it is necessary, some critically so for safety: it is a veritable mine of information that we should all be able to "read" in our various roles as users of the thoroughfare. Some may see parts of it, though, as a minefield. There are messages everywhere which have to be decoded, but most of us are good at it, by necessity.

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