Up to the 1960s, there was no consistency in British road signs as local authorities could put up their own which lead to a confusion of typefaces, symbols, and colours. The huge task of designing a single system was given to Margaret Calvert and Jock Kinneir who carefully co-ordinated lettering, colours, shapes, and pictograms to create a system that has inspired modern road signs around the world. The "subtly British" (and witty) signs have survived virtually unaltered to the present day.