00:00For Tim Beer, a forgotten roadside sign isn't just a piece of old metal.
00:04It's part of Britain's history that he believes deserves to be seen and protected.
00:09Somerset and Dorset are known for their distinctive white finger post signs, which direct motorists along local roads.
00:16Tim says traditional signs can be particularly useful in remote areas where satellite navigation may not work reliably.
00:23He recalls restoring a finger post near his home in the summer of 2023 when two older motorists stopped to
00:30ask him for directions.
00:32For Tim, that experience was a reminder that roadside signs can still serve a purpose, even as technology changes how
00:39people travel.
00:40But he's also concerned about historic markers being stolen and sold to private collectors where they may no longer be
00:46accessible to the public.
00:47My name's Tim, Tim Beer, and we're at Stoney Naps on the old Somerset and Dorset border.
00:53First and foremost, I'm not a collector.
00:56I'm more of a stolen sign finder and recovery and get them back on the side of the road where
01:05they should be instead of being in somebody's shed.
01:08Hence the boundary markers that were lost from the boundary in the early 1960s when the boundaries were changed over.
01:17They became obsolete.
01:20And to be honest with you, whether they became obsolete or not, I think they should still be in place.
01:26It's part of our history.
01:28And without it, we can't keep doing this.
01:30We can't keep destroying our history because one day there won't be any left.
01:34I want to raise enough money to recreate at the local foundry four of these so that I can put
01:43them back in their original position along the borders.
01:48At the very least, it would make me smile.
01:51Now, this is one thing that is really, really important is if you ever see a damaged sign that is
01:56lying on the road, on the grass, anywhere in Somerset, Dorset or Devon, pick it up.
02:02Put it in the boot of your car, take it home and contact me.
02:07I'll then come and collect it and I will ensure that it goes back to where it should be.
02:13They just get stolen left, right and centre.
02:17The 67-year-old who lives in Somerset collects and restores historic roadside markers, with some dating back to the
02:241700s.
02:25He's launched a crowdfunding appeal to raise £2,400 to have four replacement posts cast and finished at a local
02:32foundry.
02:33Tim says the process takes time and money.
02:36Restoring a single post can take around two months and specialist paint alone costs around £40 a litre.
02:42He hopes the project will help preserve a tradition that he believes still has practical value as well as historical
02:49significance.
02:49If he reaches his fundraising target, he hopes to recreate all four boundary posts.
02:54If he raises less, he says he'll make as many as he can.
