Arabella Drive Sign Transported to Australia
Couple given chance to preserve memory of where they first met
Bruce and Sheridan share a kiss near the sign
August 19, 2025
A Roehampton street sign has found an unlikely second life—15,000 kilometres away on a farm in Western Australia—after a former Wandsworth couple petitioned the council to preserve a piece of their shared history.
Sheridan, originally from Australia, and Bruce, from New Zealand, first met in a flat share on Arabella Drive more than five years ago. Their time in Wandsworth marked the beginning of a relationship that would eventually span continents, careers, and now, a farm gate.
After leaving London in 2020, the couple made annual visits back to the capital, each time stopping to photograph the Arabella Drive sign that had become symbolic of their early years together. In 2024, noticing signs of wear, they contacted Wandsworth Council via Facebook to ask if they might receive the sign should it be replaced.
The council responded through its 7 Rings, 7 Days programme, which pledges to replace damaged street signs within a week of being reported. The initiative, designed to improve public realm maintenance, made an exception in this case—allowing the couple to cover shipping costs and take the sign home.
The sign at its new home on the Western Australian farm
“We couldn’t believe it,” said Sheridan, now 31 and working in Australia’s mining industry alongside Bruce, 30. “We opened the package with a toast of Champagne and placed it next to a photo of us by the sign in London when we first met.”
The sign now hangs on the gate of their newly purchased farm in the Margaret River region, where the couple plan to marry. Their Dalmatian, Sky, has already made herself at home.
“The farm is everything we dreamed of when we were renting at Arabella Drive,” Sheridan added. “We’re so grateful to Wandsworth Council for helping us preserve that memory.”
The council’s gesture has resonated with former flatmates and friends, many of whom were surprised to see a familiar Roehampton landmark reappear in rural Australia.
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