Eclipse signs trophy hunt - Plymouth Herald article
TROPHY-hunters have been bagging Eclipse signposts across Plymouth and Devon in a bid to take home a sou­venir of the celestial event.
Fourteen of the 50 signs erected on Devon roads to warn drivers of traffic prob­lems have been pinched —including some that disap­peared before the August 11 event itself.
Two signs put up in Ply­mouth, one at Roborough roundabout and the other at Brixton Tor, have already been swiped.
Devon County Council originally planned to reuse the rectangular black-and-white roadsigns by changing the lettering.
But officers are now set to recover the signs over the weekend — if there are any left.
Graham Atkins, Eclipse Project Officer for Devon County Council, said: “We have witnessed some amaz­ing things in the past few days, including the extraor­dinary phenomenon of the Eclipse itself, but this has to be one of the most bizarre stories of the whole event.

Inexplicably
“Some of the signs began to disappear before Wednes­day — inexplicably, it is those signs publicising the radio frequencies that have proved most popular — 11 of those have vanished.”
One sign reads: “SOLAR ECLIPSE. Travel Informa­tion. Traffic may be busier than normal. Please be patient. Drive with care. Be TRAVELWISE.” The second sign says: “SOLAR ECLIPSE. Travel Information. Tune to (rele­vant frequency). Be TRAV­ELWISE.”
Mr Atkins attributed their theft to novelty value.
He said: “Thankfully, the loss of the signs didn’t cause problems, and it is the only blip in an otherwise very suc­cessful operation. We would rather not lose anymore.”
Each sign cost £95 and were dotted around the county to warn visitors to expect heavy traffic.

This was mostly me.
( A Rory Borealis here under duress, Thu 7 Nov 2013, 17:59, 7 replies)

I was there...
... Slept overnight in the car in the carpark ovelooking Portreath [sp?] as nowhere would take a booking for just one night -- understandably.
The signs weren't needed anyhow as virtually everyone who went there would have gone to see the eclipse -- well to not see the eclipse as it turned out. I'm told my family and friend ooop North got to look through special glasses at the occluded sun -- myself and the friend I went down with just got to see it go dark at 11:00 [I think] and to hear the gulls go apeshit. Apparently a local we bought icecream off did tell us this would happen but all I heard was "ooh-aarr dehm doohdahds arl go wotsit".
(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Thu 7 Nov 2013, 18:07, closed)

I went to champagne to watch it.
Who the fuck wants to slum it in cousin-fucker land when it crossed half of Europe.
(comedy bully grrrr, Thu 7 Nov 2013, 18:12, closed)

I had limited funds.
I decided, a few days before, to travel down and my friend came up with a half-price deal on car hire. I saved my money for other things.
I still keep meaning to confirm that I did miss the Faroe one though as I would like to go there anyhow.
(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Thu 7 Nov 2013, 18:27, closed)

A friend of mine spent a fortune
on a posh hotel's package deal in Cornwall. It pissed down on him continuously for the whole eclipse.

I spent thirty quid on a return on the ferry to Cherbourg and saw the whole thing perfectly. For the money, it was a steal.
(ubergeekian, Thu 7 Nov 2013, 22:35, closed)

If I lived near a port I may have done that.
But a train to the port plus the ferry would have cost more than the car hire, fuel and a few snacky meals.
I'm glad we slept in the car though as I would have hated to have spent a lot to not see the eclipse.
(Me, I'm not... in any way intoxicated, Fri 8 Nov 2013, 10:13, closed)

Why?

( Fucking hell Jeff I am not a robot, Thu 7 Nov 2013, 18:14, closed)

I don't have a good response
I think my adolescent brain considered selling one to Patrick Moore, but they mostly went to friends. I took one to university as a quirky table-top and it's now in the loft gathering dust.
PWESITLAC
( A Rory Borealis here under duress, Thu 7 Nov 2013, 18:36, closed)