Man keeps 'overly serious' Chichester on its toes with funny signs

The man behind the curious signs, which have been popping up over Chichester since August, is choosing to keep a low profile for the time being – something which hasn’t proven to be entirely straightforward.

He said: “Annoyingly my 5-year-old daughter knows and has dobbed me in to a few people. Trying to balance the nuance of ‘don’t keep secrets’ and ‘please don’t tell everyone what daddy is doing’ is tricky.”

The idea for Chichester Anti-Recreation Partnership (CARP) was born when a friend pointed out the large number of “no” and warning signs at the entrances to Priory Park and joked that he should start adding his own. A lifelong Chichester resident, he says that though he loves the “wonderful city”, there is an “overly serious attitude”. 

He says there is an overly serious attitude in the city (Image: CARP) Of particular irritation was the decision not to bring back the ice rink this year. He created a blue plaque style sign for the site where it would have been with the words “Priory Park Ice Rink 2018, gone but not forgotten (by anyone under 70). A rare joy, frozen out by a few”.

He said: “Nine residents complained and blocked the incredibly popular 2018 ice rink from returning to the park. People who bought houses next to the park complained about the noise from it being used – it’s absurd.

“It was a perfect example of how a few voices could dramatically limit the fun and recreation opportunities for the wider community, especially for younger people. I wanted to take a jab at people who make those kinds of complaints and use humour to highlight these issues.”

He says the ice rink was the perfect example of young people being overlooked in the city (Image: CARP) He designs and makes all the signs himself using a 3D printer before venturing out into the “sleepy city” to put them up. From signs which nod to serious issues – “Sewage Viewing Area, Brought to you by Southern Water” – to the odd “dad joke” – “children operate in this area” – the signs have been designed to be amusing and thought-provoking in equal measure.

Most are removed within a couple of days of being installed, and he hopes the park keeper is “collecting a nice stack of them”.

He said: “It’s frustrating, especially now it’s getting a bit of a following. It’s a shame if people go out looking for them and they have already been removed. At least one councillor has suggested to the council that maybe they could keep them a bit longer.”

Some of the signs feature dad jokes (Image: CARP) He has so far produced more than 15 designs and has plans for a further 15.

He said: “My aim is to add joy and fun while satirising the restrictions, raising awareness of these shortcomings, and encouraging Chichester to be an even better place.

“It’s about making young people feel like they belong here and that this is somewhere they want to stay—not just a city for visitors or older generations.

“I’m glad my weird combination of nerdy skills, politics and satire are finally coming in use for something.”