In recent times, our streets have seen a growth in flower tributes left by the roadside in memory of loved ones taken from us too early by accidents.

While the accident rates have gone down, our need to commemorate or create monuments seems to have grown. Although the loss is clearly felt and the act of the tribute gives friends and relatives comfort, some of the sites quickly become dirty as flowers, toys and cards fade and begin to look like a sad reminder of a life lost.

The sites stand out from the urban landscape, brightening up the bleak roadside. Sometimes lost in busy streets, they slowly fade and decay leaving nothing but rotting stems and tattered tape.

The debate rages. Some areas of the UK have called for a ban, while others have imposed a 30 day limit as the tributes are seen as a distraction to drivers. The placing of the items themselves can be dangerous as sometimes the roads are fast or busy. Some have called it littering as many of the items blow away in the wind and end up in the gutters.

The modern day roadside tribute originated in Mexico. The ‘Descanso’ was traditionally placed at the point the funeral party rested on the road from the church service to the burial ground. They were usually religious symbols rather than flowers, toys and cards.

The UK ‘Descanso’ in this book show our own take on the theme, they are the resting places for our love and loss. They act as a reminder and warning of the fragility of life.