Sanderstead’s “village” sign has been taken down for another refurb.
Sign of the times: erected in 1953, Sanderstead RA’s ‘village’ sign needs a lick of paint
The sign has been a landmark roadside fixture by the pond and All Saints Church at the busy junction of Sanderstead Hill and Limpsfield Road for more than 70 years – having been commissioned to mark the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953.
It’s so old, it still refers to Sanderstead as “Surrey”, the local government status that changed in 1965 when Croydon became a borough in Greater London.
In 2021, Inside Croydon reported that the original sign was “deemed to be beyond repair”, with the local residents’ association saying that it was “looking in rather a sorry state”.
Affixed to the post, below the sign, is “ER 1953”, and a small metal plaque that reads, “This plaque commemorates the Silver Jubilee of HM Queen Elizabeth II 1952-1977 and the Golden Jubilee of the Sanderstead Residents Association 1926-1976”.
When Sanderstead RA inspected it five years ago – with a view to adding another plaque for the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in 2022 – they “Noted the very poor state of the woodwork.” The view then was that the sign needed to be replaced.
After their recent upgrade of the duck house on the nearby Gruffy, to mark the association’s centenary this year, Sanderstead RA have now had the village sign sent away for repair and a new paint job.
“Following the remodelling and refurbishment of our Sanderstead sign back in 2022, we noticed that unfortunately it was now showing further signs of wear and tear,” the Sanderstead RA posted earlier this week.
“The company that undertook the original refurbishment visited and advised that the paintwork needed to be completely redone to bring it back to its best condition.
“To do this, they have temporarily removed the sign and will undertake this project at their workshop.
“We hope that this can be done as quickly as possible and the sign will be back looking great once more.”
Membership of the Sanderstead Residents’ Association is £10 per year. For more information about the activities of the SRA, click here.
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