The nicest roadside memorial I know of is to someone who died on the M1. I don't know if the family had permission, or if they did it off their own back, but they planted daffodil bulbs on the grass embankment. They grow back every year.

The first time I saw these was in the 80s in North London (usually the A10) almost always laid by member of the Greek community at the time. I think as we've had more and more European citizens the practice has become more widespread, it also seems to be taken up by "indigenous" Brits these days - along with routinely jumping traffic lights which again was "normal" in the Greek and Italian populations in the 1980s, but has become the norm (In London at least) ++

++ PS before anyone accuses me of bigotry (and to prove a point in a pub argument when I was accused along similar lines when making this observation) I spent a day in 87ish standing at the A10/Lordship Lane junction with a clipboard and pen noting the perceived ethnicity of light jumpers. The South Meds topped the list followed by Afro-Caribbean women (the men were nowhere nearly as bad), then women in general - big gap - to the group least likely to jump lights at that junction were... people who appeared to be northern European males. Of course, back then, indigenous Brits were still the ethnic majority so my stats really did tell a story.

PPS the reason this topic was so close to our hearts (and still is) is my group of friends were (and are) bikers - the road users (by far) most likely to be killed by traffic light jumpers.

... The Diana Spencer aftermath was pure manipulation by a press that felt guilty for having hounded the poor woman to her death. Yes, a drunk driver, but driving too fast to avoid the press. .....

Plus poor road design - it should not be possible to hit a square concrete post nearly head-on, they should have been protected by armco.

i.ytimg.com/vi/ngwKA7Bpkv0/maxresdefault.jpg

Plus irresponsibly not wearing seat belt. If they had been, the rear seat passengers would probably have walked away from that crash.

I was doing some trading network installation and testing in the City on the day of the Diana funeral, and was in a MacDonalds for a break (not much else open).

There was a posse of journo's in there staking out one possible cortege route (I think it was secret, probably specifically to avoid the media). I dunno if they;d been drinking or if it just came naturally, but they were being impressively obnoxious.

Can't remember the dialogue specifics now but I remember thinking that with the mood in the country re the gents of the press it might not be so difficult to step next door to Burger King armed with some quotes and organise a lynch mob.

Another squandered opportunity.