The ‘Horsford Banksy’ on his mission to brighten up the street signs in his village
A mystery man has restored faded street signs in Horsford and repainted them in bright colours, with some being done as tributes to VE Day and the NHS. Picture: Supplied by the Horsford Banksy - Credit: Archant
Throughout the coronavirus outbreak we have seen countless examples of people doing good deeds, from showing love and support to key workers to volunteers looking after those forced to self-isolate.
The faded street sign on Laburnam Close before it was restored. Picture: Supplied by the Horsford Banksy - Credit: Archant
But one mystery man has come up with a more unconventional way to add a touch of brightness to other people’s lives, by restoring and repainting faded street signs in Horsford, close to Norwich.
Dubbed the “Horsford Banksy”, the man behind the colourful signage, who lives in the village, says he does not want fame or recognition and is only doing it to pass the time and give others something to smile about.
He began with the sign on his own street, after reporting it for its poor condition years earlier.
“I reported our sign three or four years ago because it needed fixing and nothing got done.
The signs were fully stripped down before being repainted. Picture: Supplied by the Horsford Banksy - Credit: Archant
“In the end I decided to just do it myself, replacing the posts and everything.”
After painting the sign in bright colours and replacing it, the man was taken aback when he discovered a stranger had posted a photograph on social media, where dozens of people had said how much they liked it.
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That inspired him to search for other signs that were looking worse for wear, and to date he has now refurbished and replaced 17 signs in the village, including two painted to mark VE Day and another with a subtle tribute to NHS workers.
It takes around a day to complete each sign, but he says he is happy to do it while he is unable to travel to his usual job in Northamptonshire.
The restored and repainted sign on Laburnam Close, with the N, a small H and an S painted in blue as a subtle tribute to the NHS. Picture: Supplied by the Horsford Banksy - Credit: Archant
“I’ve been scrubbing the signs, cleaning them up, putting new screws in and colouring them in.
“They look a lot better and it’s nice to change the colour. All around the village some are green and white, some are black and white and some you can’t even read, so there’s a mix there anyway.
“I’ve done 17 signs so far at no cost to the council, and it’s only cost me about £40 in screws and paint. I’m just doing it in my spare time – there are only so many times I can paint the house.”
He used to do similar work on roads across Norfolk in a past job.
The Olive Crescent sign before it was restored. Picture: Supplied by the Horsford Banksy - Credit: Archant
“I used to work for Norfolk County Council putting in road signs – that’s how I know what I’m doing,” he said.
“I’m fully qualified and have all the certificates needed, so it’s all safe.”
The Olive Crescent sign before it was restored. Picture: Supplied by the Horsford Banksy - Credit: Archant
The restored sign on Olive Crescent features Union Flag colours as a VE Day tribute. Picture: Supplied by the Horsford Banksy - Credit: Archant
A restored sign on Olive Crescent, painted as a VE Day tribute. The old rotting posts were replaced and the sign itself repainted. Picture: Supplied by the Horsford Banksy - Credit: Archant
A restored sign on Olive Crescent, painted as a VE Day tribute. Picture: Supplied by the Horsford Banksy - Credit: Archant
