Local characters.

[Om]

wazztie16 said:

mrtwisty said:

Derby has the Walking Backwards Man - seen year round noting down registration plate numbers in his book and walking backwards, forever backwards.

Needs to be seen to be believed.

https://youtu.be/4FGF6__tSyo

Perhaps he knows something we don't:

[pidsy]

MattyD803 said:

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.

Was going to mention the doctor. I live on canons drive now - saw him around for all of my younger life (born in Edgware general) - he has a Wikipedia page. I’ll have to find it.

Incredibly sad story. His house looked derelict - broken windows, completely overgrown and he didn’t use Electra all. Sold after his death - he had no family for the proceeds (over £1m). It had a huge mock Tudor house built in its place.

Edit: found it:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgware_Walker

Had a documentary made about him too:

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0428482/

Edited by pidsy on Wednesday 16th June 23:56

[eldar]

The local characters increased quite dramatically with the closing of the large mental hospitals and care in the community, or lack of in the 1980s. They were ill equipped to manage life when left to themselves.

[MYOB]

Elvis from Maidstone. Well known in the town from the 1960s right up until he died around 10 years ago. He used to work in the dance halls and clubs collecting the glasses and was known for dancing on the dance floor balancing the pint glasses on his head.

He was a legend in the town for over 40-50 years.

[Bacon Is Proof]

In Cambridge we've had a few, but Disco Kenny is alive and well with his own Facebook appreciation page.
He has some verbal ticks (World's gone mad!) but I believe is perfectly fine up top. It may be he has undiagnosed Tourettes, but in between his sayings he's pulled me over to ask about the welfare of others he's heard aren't too well. Thoroughly nice bloke.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/2213615334

He's welcome to a half in my pub any time.

[DSLiverpool]

conkerman said:

Dan_1981 said:

Purple Aki.

Show us your muscles!

“I’ll give you £5 if you do press ups” I always held out for a tenner.

[sutoka]

A few memorable characters in Belfast was a ginger guy about 15 years ago called Gerry Boke Beard, ginger man clearly had some issues with alcohol, looked a bit like Hamish Campbell from Braveheart, anyway when he passed out from too much Tudor Rose an ambulance would turn up dressed like something from an early Covid Ward, apparently he had Hep C .I believe he's now dead.

I remember from my youth there was an Indian chap they called 'Vikram the sweaty man'. This guy was at least 60 and would turn up to all the student club nights and dance until he was sweating buckets for hours. Think he made it into the local paper for his efforts.

Another Belfast character who is still around is Benny, he used to ride around on a bike wearing a hi-vis with two dogs and carrier bags full of other carrier bags, also had a piece of cardboard with 'Any fking Change' on the front. He used to hang around when the nightclubs started kicking out. I don't think he was homeless but his appearance and general hygiene would have suggested otherwise. Now imagine my surprise when having left a club about a decade ago after a well-oiled evening and seeing then Benny had pulled.

Edited by sutoka on Thursday 17th June 04:25

[alorotom]

Sunderland … Dave The Rave … used to be seen throwing epic shapes 24/7 across the city centre and occasionally on the metro too.

Sadly now reduced to duetting in KFC of all places https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.chroniclelive.c...

[cmvtec]

alorotom said:

Sunderland … Dave The Rave … used to be seen throwing epic shapes 24/7 across the city centre and occasionally on the metro too.

Sadly now reduced to duetting in KFC of all places https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.chroniclelive.c...

He's not what he was, that's for sure.

[Drive it fix it repeat]

njw1 said:

There's a lad locally who does exactly that, he's also known to have a proper fit of 'road rage' if you toot the horn as you drive past him.....
There's also an old guy down the street who apparently has never left the town in which we live, does all his shopping in the petrol station a mile up the road and has three Jack Russells called Rob, Rob, and Robbo, the chaps name is also Rob....

Rob, Rob and Robbo the jack Russell’s is bloody hilarious to me

[Skodapondy]

budgie smuggler said:

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

He could be found all over Merseyside/Wirral/Runcorn/Widnes/St Helens. I did spot him in Birkenhead a number of years ago.

[Fast and Spurious]

jeremyc said:

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...

Known as Yellowjack on here.

[underwhelmist]

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...

I remember this guy from my university days.

Where I live now there used to be a guy who would steal people's wheelie bins and hoard the rubbish in his house. He was well known all over town, apparently the council used to clear his house of all the rubbish every so often.

[Short Grain]

When I was a kid we had a guy who rode an old butchers bike, wearing all black and wellies and with a rubber chicken and a sign round his neck saying 'No Second Wife' Harmless usually but could take exception if he thought you where taking the piss!! Think his wife had left him for a mate or possibly his brother! He used to live in a shack in one of the pubs carparks, around the back, doing odd jobs

Used to be a guy who pushed a bike around with everything he owned. Never washed or shaved, looked like the Wild Man of Borneo Would see him begging outside local shops etc. Always gave him a couple of quid but he never really acknowledged it! Don't know his story but by all accounts he had a place to stay with family anytime he wanted but preferred his way. Was out in all weathers. His benefits where paid into an account but he refused to use them and they built up to a fair amount, so not as if he had to be on the streets. Local Police used to give him an old bike every now and again, one that they'd had for a while. He carried so much you couldn't see more than the bottom of the wheels and the ends of the handlebars, and he'd wear a bike out in a few months. Saw him with his own Security Guard 'escort' shopping around Sainsburys once. Made the mistake of walking down an aisle after him, He fkin stank!! And I mean stank, proper involuntary retching after I caught a whiff! Think they barred him after complaints of the smell. not by me btw. Haven't seen him for a few years, was this thread that reminded me of him tbh!

[Gary C]

mrtwisty said:

Lancaster in the early 00's used to have the singing tramp - he would jump in front of folks walking down Penny Street and serenade them, mostly with Jimi Hendrix songs.
.

How odd

Lived in Lancaster since 88 and he never jumped in front of me, was he the one who slept in Willybobs park and died about 4 years ago ?

We also have the bare chested cyclist in shorts (no matter the weather)

[Neddy Sea Goon]

A few from Medway:

Gillingham town centre had Stan. Didn't have much to do with him beyond "alright Stan", never gave him grief unlike others. Was always about, hard to understand him. Found out through Facebook he was some kind of chess grand master, and would sit in the park or high street and play a game with anyone who found time (wish I had)

Then there was Combo the Book. He was a groundsman for a couple of local schools in the eighties. Would always see him riding his bike about, like everywhere. New bike every couple of years as he just wore them out.
If you gave him a toot on the car horn, he'd shout and rant at you. I always used to give him an "alright John" out the window.
Didn't see him for years, then one day, bam, there he was riding his bike, but crucially wearing what can only described as women's Victorian finery, very flamboyant. Story was his mum died and he wore them to feel close to her. Was harmless enough. There was a YouTube video of some feckless scum hassling him in Gillingham High Street. Think plod tracked them down, then the locals dealt with them a bit too. Sadly he died from covid last year.

Finally, there's the beggar called "Billy the quid", he's just a fking nuisance, intimidating people for a quid with his aggressive begging

Medway, it's getting a bit grim

[Nobby Diesel]

A couple from Marlow, Bucks.
Thinking about it, all probably passed on, now.

Richard the Milkman - rode a bicycle and would invite many a school girl to meet him in the park, with the offer of being his girlfriend.
Sporty Bertie - full tweed 3 piece suit, cape and deerstalker hat. Would swear uncontrollably but in a posh accent. Always buying whiskey "for a friend"
Football Head - yes, you've guessed it, a big oversized round head. Totally happy all the time and thought everyone was his best mate.
Uncle Alan - might offer you a w@nk, if you happened to be in the public loo at the same time as him.
Eggy Nerman - unfortunately, he had water on the brain, so a massive light bulb shaped head was his identifying feature.
Bent Freddy - would offer a pound, if he could rub the top of your head and sniff it, from the cab of his lorry.
Saddle Sniffer - yep, would have a good sniff of the saddle of any unattended ladies bicycle.
The Bride of Frankenstein - an enormously tall and hideously unattractive lady. Always walked around with...
Joy the Base Jumper - her hunched back looked like she was wearing a parachute. Very short.

I'm sure there are more. For a relatively small town, there was a high number of "striking looking/acting" people.

[Drawweight]

Just one that I can think of in my small town.

A guy who used to sleep rough and go round raiding bins for something to eat.

The sad thing is I knew of him before all this. He was an electrician with his own business, house, nice wife etc.

Then the liking for drink took full effect.

[LaurasOtherHalf]

markcoznottz said:

What are these guys in there 50’s playing loud techno from big speakers attached to thier bikes? Is it a new thing?

We’ve had one of those for abut a decade I think, in carlisle.

Too many disco biscuits has always been my idea.

[anonymous-user]

Generally a “character”, tends to be a right pain in the RS that people just make excuses for and so they get away with behaviour which is normally considered unacceptable .