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Pub signs have been part of the British landscape since the Romans landed on our shores. This has been a 2000 years old tradition that is in danger of extinction, for once a pub has lost its pictorial sign and in many cases the name changes to something quite irrelevant - yet another part of British history is lost forever. As a Society devoted to the study of inn signs and the origin of their names, we are appalled at the number of licensed houses these days that are losing their pictorial signs in favour of a corporate logo. Another aspect of signs today is the way in which they are produced. Originally, these would have been commissioned and then painted by individual sign artists. Today most signs are computer-generated, and if a brewery or pub company have several houses with the same name, i.e. The Plough, Star, etc, the original artwork having been produced for the first sign, can then be re-produced for all their houses bearing this name - all exactly the same with no individuality. At one time when one drove down a road or street, the pictorial sign stood out like a beacon indicating that here was a pub. Today, the corporate logos now being used are just like any other piece of street furniture - therefore making it easier to miss! At the present moment no legislation exists to stop any brewery or pub chain from changing the name. We, as a Society feel that for any change of name or the removal of a pictorial sign some form of planning permission should be required. We hope that should a pub near you change its name to one of these silly ones, i.e. Rat & Parrot, etc, or have the pictorial sign removed, that as local residents you will take the time to lobby the particular brewery or pub company concerned in an attempt to change their decision.