Shrewsbury's 'sign guy' transforms graffiti-plagued wall in latest clean-up mission
A retired aerospace worker turned community champion has taken on a new clean-up challenge - transforming a heavily graffitied walkway in Shrewsbury town centre.
John Edwards, a keen cyclist and self-appointed street cleaner, began his clean-up mission in 2024 by polishing road signs across the region - starting with the 'Welcome to Shrewsbury' and 'A Medieval Town' signs.
Through this, and other work including sprucing up disused phone boxes, and breathing life into derelict buildings, he has earned the nickname ‘the sign guy’.
This week, John took things to the next level by tackling a graffiti-covered walkway on Raven Meadows - his first time tackling an entire wall.
"It's strange the way things fall into place when you feel you’re doing 'the right thing'," he said in a post on his Sign and Graffiti Cleaning Enthusiasts UK Facebook group.
"Ten litres of magnolia masonry paint was gifted me by group member Jodie Kendrick just the day before."
Before starting on the wall, John scrubbed and bleached the pavement - often used, he said, "as an impromptu late-night toilet".
After that came the first tentative brush strokes as he began covering the tags.
Fuelled by breakfast from a local pub, and encouraged by passersby who stopped for chats and selfies, John spent more than five hours transforming the space.
"The five hours flew by, I’m buoyed by the result," said John. "I’ll definitely be doing more of these bigger projects now."
John documents his work on his Facebook group, where he posts striking before-and-after photos and videos.
Recent images show the newly painted wall looking clean and refreshed.
The latest project comes shortly after pupils at Coleham Primary School in Shrewsbury raised more than £100 towards John's cleaning supplies.
They were inspired after watching him remove graffiti from the school’s sign and tidy up nearby areas, including Greyfriars Bridge and fly-posted lamp posts.
