Once tradesmen of all kinds sported their individual, often gaily-coloured, signboards. Practically all have long since been replaced by standard fascia boards, while today the neon sign reigns supreme in the High Street. These fascia boards and neon signs might be commercially effective, but add little of beauty to the scene and are of scant interest to the sightseer. Licensed houses alone retain the custom of displaying a signboard, and although the standard of many signs was allowed to decline before and during the war, today there is increased variety and individuality. At some inns, the traditional designs are maintained after many generations of use. At others, new signs have been commissioned to bring out the stories or legends behind the name of the house.