Another of the new blue street signs, this time attached to the railings alongside the railway line. Presumably because of the need to protect the line, these railings have survived the fate that befell so many others during the Second World War. Thousands of pieces of decorative ironwork, railings and other metal items from across Britain were taken to be melted down and made into munitions. It now seems doubtful that much of this scrap was ever used. It seems to have been largely a propaganda exercise to make people feel they were contributing to the 'war effort', and it is now said that much of the metal was secretly dumped.I wonder how many people, noticing the mysterious rows of little metal knobs on so many of the walls in our cities and towns, realise that they are the remnants of Victorian railings?
Wow this is so interesting !!! Thanks Jenny for sharing..
ReplyDeleteI remember all the houses on my grandmother's street in Sheffield having the railings cut down like this.
ReplyDeleteThat is very interesting!
ReplyDeleteToo bad they were removed, but then home front morale was just as important.
ReplyDelete