Local characters.
Discussion
Disclaimer:
I know many local characters may have mental health issues, and it isn't my intention to mock them.
It appears to me that the once prevallant local character is an endangered species. It seemed to me growing up in the 1970s ànd 1980s that most places had an oddball or eccentric local that everyone knew and accepted.
Some examples:
Stamford, Lincolnshire. Walter. Often seen around town in a plastic Union flag party hat . He liked a drink, could get a bit shouty but would often greet you with. "You in a Job?". Or if you were a youngster "Bugger Arrf"
In nearby Wittering, there was the local tramp. An old school gentleman of the road. He was killed on the A1 and I seem to recall my aunt and her friends paid for his funeral. The story got covered in the BBC's Nationwide.
North Shields. There was the bloke on the sofa in the town centre. He would sit there like he was in his living room. All day, every day. Council workers would replace his sofa every few weeks.
There was a guy called David known around the pubs around Newcastle city centre. Highly intelligent to the point where a conversation with him could be alarming with the level of detail he retained about everything. Sadly he ended up taking his own life.
Quite often there is a rumoured back story to these people. Walter in Stamford for example was said to be the errant brother of a Lord in Norfolk. Every January you would see him in a new suit, with a new party hat. Rumour was that some time before every Christmas an employee of his family estate was dispatched to collect him for the festive season. He was then returned in the new year.
David was rumoured to be a super intelligent academic who had imbibed too many chemicals when at university.
Do these types of character stil exist in your town?
I know many local characters may have mental health issues, and it isn't my intention to mock them.
It appears to me that the once prevallant local character is an endangered species. It seemed to me growing up in the 1970s ànd 1980s that most places had an oddball or eccentric local that everyone knew and accepted.
Some examples:
Stamford, Lincolnshire. Walter. Often seen around town in a plastic Union flag party hat . He liked a drink, could get a bit shouty but would often greet you with. "You in a Job?". Or if you were a youngster "Bugger Arrf"
In nearby Wittering, there was the local tramp. An old school gentleman of the road. He was killed on the A1 and I seem to recall my aunt and her friends paid for his funeral. The story got covered in the BBC's Nationwide.
North Shields. There was the bloke on the sofa in the town centre. He would sit there like he was in his living room. All day, every day. Council workers would replace his sofa every few weeks.
There was a guy called David known around the pubs around Newcastle city centre. Highly intelligent to the point where a conversation with him could be alarming with the level of detail he retained about everything. Sadly he ended up taking his own life.
Quite often there is a rumoured back story to these people. Walter in Stamford for example was said to be the errant brother of a Lord in Norfolk. Every January you would see him in a new suit, with a new party hat. Rumour was that some time before every Christmas an employee of his family estate was dispatched to collect him for the festive season. He was then returned in the new year.
David was rumoured to be a super intelligent academic who had imbibed too many chemicals when at university.
Do these types of character stil exist in your town?
Edited by Wildcat45 on Wednesday 16th June 13:21
There was a transvestite in Oxford in the seventies and eighties who went by the name of Joyce. She would hang around Carfax in the centre and would occasionally have rather lurid episodes that required the calming intervention of the boys in blue but she was entirely harmless and largely held in affection by the locals.
I moved away so don’t know what became of her.
I moved away so don’t know what became of her.
Where I grew up (Edgware, NW London) there was an old hunched over bearded guy who used to walk the streets dressed in nothing more than a pair of old stained yellowing Y fronts. He did this all year round, sometimes with an old torn dressing gown if it was (very) cold. He was obviously known to everyone as "the pants man". He would go from bin to bin, digging out remnants of food or anything he thought had value, and would either eat it there and carry it home.
He was a doctor his whole life and had a huge detached house on Canons drive (all overgrown and in disrepair, but probably worth half a million back in the early 90's)........the story goes, when his wife died (also a doctor), he basically went off the rails and ended up the way I knew him as. Crazy to think he was eating out of bins yet had ownership of estate (and probably in the bank) far in excess of any of the people (including city traders commuting back home) who were looking down on him......
There was another called "Trolley Mollie" who stunk to absolute high heaven of piss and filth which you could smell if you were within 25m of her.....but I don't know her back story sadly.
He was a doctor his whole life and had a huge detached house on Canons drive (all overgrown and in disrepair, but probably worth half a million back in the early 90's)........the story goes, when his wife died (also a doctor), he basically went off the rails and ended up the way I knew him as. Crazy to think he was eating out of bins yet had ownership of estate (and probably in the bank) far in excess of any of the people (including city traders commuting back home) who were looking down on him......
There was another called "Trolley Mollie" who stunk to absolute high heaven of piss and filth which you could smell if you were within 25m of her.....but I don't know her back story sadly.
"Bradford Jesus"
Well known to many in Bradford and the surrounds in the 80s/90s/00s
https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/187851...
Well known to many in Bradford and the surrounds in the 80s/90s/00s
https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/187851...
One of ours died very recently, locally known as Animal man. Often seen cycling around the town with a parrot on his shoulder and making loud animal noises. Great guy. Well known for his weather predictions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsE-y-5xskg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsE-y-5xskg
Jonmx said:
One of ours died very recently, locally known as Animal man. Often seen cycling around the town with a parrot on his shoulder and making loud animal noises. Great guy. Well known for his weather predictions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsE-y-5xskg
Now that’s character! He seems wonderful. Sad that he’s gone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsE-y-5xskg
Jacqueline Jones - renowned equine artist - is a common feature on Newmarket high street; and, wow!, she dresses.
Imagine an aging Viviane Westwood turned up to 11 and then put her onto a backdrop of tracksuit wearing Suffolk parochials; you get the idea...
"Hello! man" in Walton-on-Thames, shouted hello at passing cars & bikes - all of them. I haven't seen him in about a year, so presume he's dead.
Imagine an aging Viviane Westwood turned up to 11 and then put her onto a backdrop of tracksuit wearing Suffolk parochials; you get the idea...
"Hello! man" in Walton-on-Thames, shouted hello at passing cars & bikes - all of them. I haven't seen him in about a year, so presume he's dead.
Grew up in Upminster. Along the A127 halfway between Upminster and Hornchurch there was this tiny run-down house though barely bigger than a large shed and with about as much structural integrity.
A bloke lived in this that everyone called Sid - though nobody knew if if this was his name. He made paintings on cardboard and scrap bits of ply that he'd lay out under the flyover at Hall Lane, presumably to sell but nobody walked there so you only got a glimpse of them as you drove by.
He eventually died and the council went into the house and discovered it rammed full of his artwork. They had the work assessed and turns out he was in fact a master. He had no family so a lot of it was auctioned raising (IIRC) well over £1m which went to a homeless charity.
I actually feel quite sorry for him. Everyone knew who he was but nobody 'knew' him. The assumption was that he was a bit mental. Playground taunts included things like..."Your Dad's Sid!" - that type of thing.
A bloke lived in this that everyone called Sid - though nobody knew if if this was his name. He made paintings on cardboard and scrap bits of ply that he'd lay out under the flyover at Hall Lane, presumably to sell but nobody walked there so you only got a glimpse of them as you drove by.
He eventually died and the council went into the house and discovered it rammed full of his artwork. They had the work assessed and turns out he was in fact a master. He had no family so a lot of it was auctioned raising (IIRC) well over £1m which went to a homeless charity.
I actually feel quite sorry for him. Everyone knew who he was but nobody 'knew' him. The assumption was that he was a bit mental. Playground taunts included things like..."Your Dad's Sid!" - that type of thing.
Dan_1981 said:
Purple Aki.
The legend of purple aki travelled far and wide. Growing up in the early 80s in middle Essex 'purple aki' was used as a general baddie who would catch kids in our games. Wasn't until some 20 years later I read that he actually was a real person and a somewhat predatory offender (and actually from the north somewhere - how did this information get to essex?!)
Edited by budgie smuggler on Wednesday 16th June 10:01
Next town over from mine has an “Elvis impersonator / tribute artist” I remember him as a child but he still does it to this day, I’ve seen him out shopping twice in last month & was thinking, he looks old & quite unnatural now with the dyed jet black hair, strutting down the street In shiny satin, Think he spends every waking moment (& undoubtedly in his dreams too) as Elvis.
Made me wonder, if you start down that route when do you/can you stop, I suppose no-one knows what “old Elvis” looks like.
Made me wonder, if you start down that route when do you/can you stop, I suppose no-one knows what “old Elvis” looks like.
https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/news/west-yorkshire...
Mr Furey.
Late 80s, 90s, 00s he was a fixture in the town. Whenever I went into the centre, or back again from lands far away I'd immediately see him walking by. On every trip he was there. Never sat, but always walking.
He never seemed to age.
A tall, imposing character but not violent.
I felt alittle sad when I found out of his passing.
Mr Furey.
Late 80s, 90s, 00s he was a fixture in the town. Whenever I went into the centre, or back again from lands far away I'd immediately see him walking by. On every trip he was there. Never sat, but always walking.
He never seemed to age.
A tall, imposing character but not violent.
I felt alittle sad when I found out of his passing.
vaud said:
"Bradford Jesus"
Well known to many in Bradford and the surrounds in the 80s/90s/00s
https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/187851...
Me and the o/h used to see this guy on a daily basis, usually on our way to work or no the way home. He would be wearing sandals whatever the weather.Well known to many in Bradford and the surrounds in the 80s/90s/00s
https://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/news/187851...
Known to us as 'The Walking Monk'.
Wimbledon has the 'Golden Man' who calls himself James Bond.
He cycles round Wimbledon spreading plenty of pleasure and joy.
https://ladywimbledon.com/2017/03/who-is-the-golde...
He cycles round Wimbledon spreading plenty of pleasure and joy.
https://ladywimbledon.com/2017/03/who-is-the-golde...
Every day a journey said:
I live in Brighton. Place is chock a block with them.
One of the best though was Disco Pete who sadly died last year.
I grew up in Brighton and you’re right, full of nutters.One of the best though was Disco Pete who sadly died last year.
One that always made me feel a bit sad was an ex-copper who’d got a major head injury in a fight on duty. His life fell apart and he became homeless. He would still patrol his old beat, walking round checking on buildings, and trying to talk to people.
Sad and harmless.
Do you remember Roy from the Event? Crazy Dutch bloke who would use the stage as his personal dance floor every night.
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