A
Anonymous
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I'm sure there is a moral in there somewhere. I know I won't start doing karate on a bus anyway.
Odd People: Cranks, Eccentrics & Nutters
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- eccentrics odd people
JamesWhitehead
Piffle Prospector
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I grew up in Southport which had a fair number of eccentrics. One
of the best known was the Purple Woman who dressed herself
in several layers of pink and purple gauze-like clothes. For many
years, her companion was a small black dog, always adorned with
a large pink bow.
She spoke in an abnormally high-pitched voice and was not welcome
in stores, due to her help-yourself attitude to the goods. She was
too conspicuous to be successful in crime. She carried with her a
strong reek of Jeyes Fluid and many were convinced she drank it.
Certainly she drank other things and was often to be seen perched
on a low wall on Lord Street hurling abuse at all and sundry. By this
time she had lost the dog but acquired a boy-friend of sorts, a
hard-drinking companion. I think she died about ten years ago.
Probably more interesting than the woman herself were the rumours
she inspired, many of a Miss Haversham kind in which her peculiarities
were put down to her being jilted at the altar. Everyone had an odd story
about her but I suspect they were just legends. Perhaps she just liked
to be talked about. A success in her way, maybe.
of the best known was the Purple Woman who dressed herself
in several layers of pink and purple gauze-like clothes. For many
years, her companion was a small black dog, always adorned with
a large pink bow.
She spoke in an abnormally high-pitched voice and was not welcome
in stores, due to her help-yourself attitude to the goods. She was
too conspicuous to be successful in crime. She carried with her a
strong reek of Jeyes Fluid and many were convinced she drank it.
Certainly she drank other things and was often to be seen perched
on a low wall on Lord Street hurling abuse at all and sundry. By this
time she had lost the dog but acquired a boy-friend of sorts, a
hard-drinking companion. I think she died about ten years ago.
Probably more interesting than the woman herself were the rumours
she inspired, many of a Miss Haversham kind in which her peculiarities
were put down to her being jilted at the altar. Everyone had an odd story
about her but I suspect they were just legends. Perhaps she just liked
to be talked about. A success in her way, maybe.
FelixAntonius
Justified & Ancient
- Joined
- Aug 8, 2001
- Messages
- 1,180
Sounds horribly like some of my clients, when I was a so called community nurse, (political correctness, meant that we were unable to call patients, "patients", inspite of the fact that when working a so called "special clinic", years before, it was the "clients" that gave the "patients" "social illnesses").
I would get a phone call & be told that one of my "clients", was causing a supposed "problem", often, their problem, was less than the problem caused by the local populist & often the patient was a supposedly "normal" member of the local community!!!
I would get a phone call & be told that one of my "clients", was causing a supposed "problem", often, their problem, was less than the problem caused by the local populist & often the patient was a supposedly "normal" member of the local community!!!
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2001
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- 270
Here's an interesting site for anyone who wants to check out UK towns, and the mad people who live in them.
Click Here
The link's to the entry for Hornsea, and I think it proves one or two things I've said about the place on these boards! Tom gets a mention, and I checked out the Cardiff entry and there was a little bit on the late Karate Joe.
Probably set up as a serious site, but they reckoned without bored teenagers in grotty little towns all over the country...
Click Here
The link's to the entry for Hornsea, and I think it proves one or two things I've said about the place on these boards! Tom gets a mention, and I checked out the Cardiff entry and there was a little bit on the late Karate Joe.
Probably set up as a serious site, but they reckoned without bored teenagers in grotty little towns all over the country...
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2001
- Messages
- 60
I currently live in Brighton and frequently see Jesus attired in a kilt, ringing a bell whilst carrying a life size wooden crucifix, walking around the Clock Tower in the centre of town.
Also, I occasionally see this mad rambler, dressed to the hilt in old fashioned arctic style explorer garb, as if he's embarking on a polar expedition (Even in the summer time), rhythmically and vehemently beating a long plastic pipe/walking stick on the ground every other step. I've never seen his face - he's always wearing a balaclava.
Just outside Brighton, just off the A23 going towards Hassocks on the South Downs, I often see this other character walking in the middle of the road, holding up motorists, shaking his fists and muttering to himself under his breath. He walks with this long, straight, stilted gait, as if he doesn't have any joints in his legs. Once saw him in Hassocks, armed with some secateurs, jeering at all the pedestrians walking by. Unlike most of the other strange folk mentioned in this thread, who mostly appear benign, this guy scares the bejesus out of me! He's straight out of "Friday the 13th"… You know, the guy at the beginning who proclaims … "You're all DOOOMED!!!".
:eek!!!!:
Also, I occasionally see this mad rambler, dressed to the hilt in old fashioned arctic style explorer garb, as if he's embarking on a polar expedition (Even in the summer time), rhythmically and vehemently beating a long plastic pipe/walking stick on the ground every other step. I've never seen his face - he's always wearing a balaclava.
Just outside Brighton, just off the A23 going towards Hassocks on the South Downs, I often see this other character walking in the middle of the road, holding up motorists, shaking his fists and muttering to himself under his breath. He walks with this long, straight, stilted gait, as if he doesn't have any joints in his legs. Once saw him in Hassocks, armed with some secateurs, jeering at all the pedestrians walking by. Unlike most of the other strange folk mentioned in this thread, who mostly appear benign, this guy scares the bejesus out of me! He's straight out of "Friday the 13th"… You know, the guy at the beginning who proclaims … "You're all DOOOMED!!!".
:eek!!!!:
A
Anonymous
Guest
garlico said:
Is "The Wrold's Oldest Rocker" still cycling in to the Uni RocSoc every
Tuesday night, then?
JamesWhitehead
Piffle Prospector
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- Aug 2, 2001
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Scarlett wrote of one old woman that
"She accosts people by shouting into their faces that they are the 'Spawn of Satan' - that always cheers me up. Once she gets past this important point she'll start telling you that the current Pope is a heretic communist imposter (he's from Poland, you see) and that the REAL Pope is a prisoner in chains in the dungeons of the Vatican. Now I thought that this was just her own mad theory, but a few years back FT mentioned in an article that there is some tiny international Catholic cult that does believe this . . ."
There was a very curious Catholic scandal in the early twentieth
century when a group of wealthy believers were conned into the
belief that Freemasons had captured the legitimate Pope and
foisted an imposter on the trusting majority. What was needed to
free the real Pope was bags of money and absolute secrecy.
Though the scandal has largely been forgotten, it had one very
interesting literary consequence in supplying the plot of a 1914 novel
by André Gide called Les Caves du Vatican translated as The Vatican
Cellars. An excellent read for those who believe fiction contains
many hidden truths.
"She accosts people by shouting into their faces that they are the 'Spawn of Satan' - that always cheers me up. Once she gets past this important point she'll start telling you that the current Pope is a heretic communist imposter (he's from Poland, you see) and that the REAL Pope is a prisoner in chains in the dungeons of the Vatican. Now I thought that this was just her own mad theory, but a few years back FT mentioned in an article that there is some tiny international Catholic cult that does believe this . . ."
There was a very curious Catholic scandal in the early twentieth
century when a group of wealthy believers were conned into the
belief that Freemasons had captured the legitimate Pope and
foisted an imposter on the trusting majority. What was needed to
free the real Pope was bags of money and absolute secrecy.
Though the scandal has largely been forgotten, it had one very
interesting literary consequence in supplying the plot of a 1914 novel
by André Gide called Les Caves du Vatican translated as The Vatican
Cellars. An excellent read for those who believe fiction contains
many hidden truths.
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2001
- Messages
- 60
I grew up in East Grinstead, and as well as the proliferation of bizarre cult members and religious nutters that reside here, the town also has its fair share of freakoids.
There's Droopy Balls who was occasionally spotted in Queens Walk playing with himself.
The Lone Ranger - a Texan clad in cowboy boots, seventies style kaki suit, ten-gallon hat, who stinks of urine and Marlboro's and persistently saunters up to passers-by to talk about the virtues of Texas, his motherland, "Howdy, Let me tell you about Texas".
Klepto Nan who despite looking like everyone's favourite grandmother, is renowned for being… well… a kleptomaniac. You sometimes see her in town being escorted away by the police.
I also lived in London for while, which must be, by far, the freakiest.
A sweet innocent looking girl stalked a friend of mine on the tube every morning. Apparently she would always sit opposite and stare intently at him whilst slowly and methodically biting into an apple. She would then spit bits out and grind it into the floor with her feet, still gawking...
Once in Tesco's, I saw a woman nonchalantly filling her trolley to the brim with onions whilst diarrhoea was running down her leg.
Got kicked in the pelotas at Balham station by a green hared Glasgwegian because I didn't have any cigarettes to offer him… and I was a soft southern wenker, my hair was to short, and I obviously wasn't human because I didn't smell like one… Apparently!
:cross eye
Oh… For some reason I have always been a magnet for Hari Krisnas.
There's Droopy Balls who was occasionally spotted in Queens Walk playing with himself.
The Lone Ranger - a Texan clad in cowboy boots, seventies style kaki suit, ten-gallon hat, who stinks of urine and Marlboro's and persistently saunters up to passers-by to talk about the virtues of Texas, his motherland, "Howdy, Let me tell you about Texas".
Klepto Nan who despite looking like everyone's favourite grandmother, is renowned for being… well… a kleptomaniac. You sometimes see her in town being escorted away by the police.
I also lived in London for while, which must be, by far, the freakiest.
A sweet innocent looking girl stalked a friend of mine on the tube every morning. Apparently she would always sit opposite and stare intently at him whilst slowly and methodically biting into an apple. She would then spit bits out and grind it into the floor with her feet, still gawking...
Once in Tesco's, I saw a woman nonchalantly filling her trolley to the brim with onions whilst diarrhoea was running down her leg.
Got kicked in the pelotas at Balham station by a green hared Glasgwegian because I didn't have any cigarettes to offer him… and I was a soft southern wenker, my hair was to short, and I obviously wasn't human because I didn't smell like one… Apparently!
:cross eye
Oh… For some reason I have always been a magnet for Hari Krisnas.
Whatever happened to the happy band of Hare Khrishnas who used to walk up and down Oxford Street every day? And in the same vicinity there used to be that little bloke with cap, glasses and sandwich boards who used to proclaim "Less Protein - Less Passion" or some such message, and hand out leaflets to that effect.
Carole
Carole
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Anonymous
Guest
David Raven said:carole said:Whatever happened to the happy band of Hare Khrishnas who used to walk up and down Oxford Street every day
Not just London!
Every major city. Where are they now?
Have they all retired to a strange town on the East coast?!
They did some sort of new year greeting on telly on Year 2000,
which frankly sounded completely daft; apart from that they're
nowhere in evidence...
FelixAntonius
Justified & Ancient
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- Aug 8, 2001
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In London, the "Harry's" gave up their little parade over twenty years ago.
It got to the point where every time they came out, the police were waiting for them & busted them as soon as they hit the pavement.
I remember one of them complaining at the time that they might have continued their parade, if the police waited until they had finished before nicking them, but getting done at the start nolonger made it worth while!!!!!!
They now have a place at Letchmore Heath in Hertfordshire, (given to them by one of the Beatles), where in the mid 1990's & possibly later, they had a ox cart with a pair of oxen.
Very Fortean, the first time you saw THAT coming up a Hertfordshire country lane!!!
It got to the point where every time they came out, the police were waiting for them & busted them as soon as they hit the pavement.
I remember one of them complaining at the time that they might have continued their parade, if the police waited until they had finished before nicking them, but getting done at the start nolonger made it worth while!!!!!!
They now have a place at Letchmore Heath in Hertfordshire, (given to them by one of the Beatles), where in the mid 1990's & possibly later, they had a ox cart with a pair of oxen.
Very Fortean, the first time you saw THAT coming up a Hertfordshire country lane!!!
A
Anonymous
Guest
The HKs still do their thing around the centre of Birmingham every couple of weeks. I don't know if it's just the acoustics in my mate's flat that makes their passing seem to take ages but it does sound possible that they've all come here.
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- 826
There is one HK with a clip board in Chester. He does what most HKs have done around me since puberty, which is studiously avoid eye contact and look for someone else to bother. There again, that phenomenon applies to most street religious types around me. My friend who is a priest says its probably that they don't really believe their god protects them form evil.
I also never have problems with the obligatory 'nutter on the bus'.
About as close as I get to having a 'Wild Talent'
8¬)
I also never have problems with the obligatory 'nutter on the bus'.
About as close as I get to having a 'Wild Talent'
8¬)
A
Anonymous
Guest
the less protien man died a few years ago - he is mentioned in peter ackroyd's book 'London' + there's a photo of him. do you think that's why Boy George called his record labe 'More Protein'? i'd never thought of that......and boy george was a HK for a bit.
- Joined
- Aug 19, 2001
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- 273
The "Less Protein Man" was Stanley Green according to:
http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~fortean3/archive/green.html
And I must be one of the few people who bought one of his leaflets (outside the Hippodrome in Leicester Square). It was 10p, in about 1992, and represented excellent VFM. I recall that part of the advice was to avoid sitting down! I've misplaced the leaflet, but It was all hand-set in wooden and metal type, a skill that's all but died out. You can see one on the above website, and apparently all his banners and stuff went to the Museum of London when he died. And I for one think London's a blander place without him.
There's also the bloke who dresses in an obviously home-made admiral's (or something) uniform complete with hat, epaulletes and cuffs, who visits the older of the Tate Galleries every sunday evening, carrying a piece of cardboard with a gibberish slogan on it.
Then there's the guy who stands in Trafalgar Square with a clipboard all night on a saturday, telling revellers which stand their nightbus goes from (also in a home made "On the buses uniform"). When I asked him why he looked into the sky and said: "Because no-one else does..." I suppose a sort of "Because it's there". I'd like to stress he isn't paid by London transport to do this!
When me and my mates get together, we often chat about the loons we've seen that week, but none of us have a story to beat our friend Neil's:
"We were driving slowly through Holloway road traffic when I glanced out of the window. There, walking up the pavement not 5 yards away was a massively obese man wearing nothing but a Mexican Sombrero. He was staring straight ahead, his arms outstretched, and in each hand was a very long butcher's knife. We dialled 999, got through, and as soon as we were asked for our location, the controller said "Is it about the man in the sombrero?" when we confirmed, she said "we're on it!", and as if by magic LEGIONS of police descended on the man and whisked him away"
There is also a middle-aged man who drinks in the Chandos Pub in Trafalgar Square (amongst the cheapest pubs in London, incidentally). This man talks to someone who isn't there, complete with hand movements, laughter and even the "here's a picture of my kids in my wallet" business. But that's not all, he is sometimes joined by another (real) man, and they both have animated conversations and light-hearted arguments with their invisible chum. If I see them again I'll try to eavesdrop.
The Hare Krishnas are definately abroad in London again. I often see them going up Long Acre, though not as many as there used to be.
http://easyweb.easynet.co.uk/~fortean3/archive/green.html
And I must be one of the few people who bought one of his leaflets (outside the Hippodrome in Leicester Square). It was 10p, in about 1992, and represented excellent VFM. I recall that part of the advice was to avoid sitting down! I've misplaced the leaflet, but It was all hand-set in wooden and metal type, a skill that's all but died out. You can see one on the above website, and apparently all his banners and stuff went to the Museum of London when he died. And I for one think London's a blander place without him.
There's also the bloke who dresses in an obviously home-made admiral's (or something) uniform complete with hat, epaulletes and cuffs, who visits the older of the Tate Galleries every sunday evening, carrying a piece of cardboard with a gibberish slogan on it.
Then there's the guy who stands in Trafalgar Square with a clipboard all night on a saturday, telling revellers which stand their nightbus goes from (also in a home made "On the buses uniform"). When I asked him why he looked into the sky and said: "Because no-one else does..." I suppose a sort of "Because it's there". I'd like to stress he isn't paid by London transport to do this!
When me and my mates get together, we often chat about the loons we've seen that week, but none of us have a story to beat our friend Neil's:
"We were driving slowly through Holloway road traffic when I glanced out of the window. There, walking up the pavement not 5 yards away was a massively obese man wearing nothing but a Mexican Sombrero. He was staring straight ahead, his arms outstretched, and in each hand was a very long butcher's knife. We dialled 999, got through, and as soon as we were asked for our location, the controller said "Is it about the man in the sombrero?" when we confirmed, she said "we're on it!", and as if by magic LEGIONS of police descended on the man and whisked him away"
There is also a middle-aged man who drinks in the Chandos Pub in Trafalgar Square (amongst the cheapest pubs in London, incidentally). This man talks to someone who isn't there, complete with hand movements, laughter and even the "here's a picture of my kids in my wallet" business. But that's not all, he is sometimes joined by another (real) man, and they both have animated conversations and light-hearted arguments with their invisible chum. If I see them again I'll try to eavesdrop.
The Hare Krishnas are definately abroad in London again. I often see them going up Long Acre, though not as many as there used to be.
A
Anonymous
Guest
Pram Man
I can't remember if I've ever mentioned this on the board (though I did write in to FT once to confirm someone else's sighting) before - so vast apologies if my memory is that bad !
In 2000 I used to work in an office above a shop in Regent Street (No.87 - Kent house if you're checking !) and I used to regularly see a man matching this description walking up or down Regent Street :
-About my height - 5' 4''
-Early-mid 60's age
-Black crash helmet with chin strap
-Dark coloured boiler suit
-Blank fixed staring expression
-Pushing a trolly or pram of some sort covered with dark green 'waxed tablecloth' fabric that had small clear windows made from PVC on each side...
I saw him many, many times and at first thought he was some sort of road sweeper ... before I realsed his garb was all home made. I never had the courage to ask him what he was doing just walking up and down all day !
In June 2000 I got a new job somewhere else, and shortly after this I read in FT that another bloke used to see him walking up and down Oxford Street regularly too - I think that was when I sent an email to FT telling them that I had seen him too !
By the way I also used to see the HK's parading there quite often too, banging thier drums and offering bright green and orange (not sure what they were ?) sqaures to eat ... never did try one though ....
I can't remember if I've ever mentioned this on the board (though I did write in to FT once to confirm someone else's sighting) before - so vast apologies if my memory is that bad !
In 2000 I used to work in an office above a shop in Regent Street (No.87 - Kent house if you're checking !) and I used to regularly see a man matching this description walking up or down Regent Street :
-About my height - 5' 4''
-Early-mid 60's age
-Black crash helmet with chin strap
-Dark coloured boiler suit
-Blank fixed staring expression
-Pushing a trolly or pram of some sort covered with dark green 'waxed tablecloth' fabric that had small clear windows made from PVC on each side...
I saw him many, many times and at first thought he was some sort of road sweeper ... before I realsed his garb was all home made. I never had the courage to ask him what he was doing just walking up and down all day !
In June 2000 I got a new job somewhere else, and shortly after this I read in FT that another bloke used to see him walking up and down Oxford Street regularly too - I think that was when I sent an email to FT telling them that I had seen him too !
By the way I also used to see the HK's parading there quite often too, banging thier drums and offering bright green and orange (not sure what they were ?) sqaures to eat ... never did try one though ....
madmath
Ephemeral Spectre
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2001
- Messages
- 263
OK, maybe not so freaky, but in driving down a local minor highway here in NJ, USA, I happened to see a "lady of the evening" leaning against a lamppost, right in front of a cheap motel. Not surprising, considering the area, except that she was one of the _largest_ people I have ever seen - I was surprised that the pole supporting her was still erect - and more frighteningly was wearing a loose fishnet top and very short skirt with no undergarments. Almost crashed the car in shock and horror.
JamesWhitehead
Piffle Prospector
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2001
- Messages
- 14,201
Some years ago, passing late at night through Liverpool's
Faulkner Square, I saw a group of extremely old ladies
gathered on the pavement. I assumed a coach had just
stopped to let a party of pensioners off, after a day's
outing.
Mentioning it to a friend who lived in the area, I was
assured that these were ladies for hire. Who used them,
what they did and how much they were paid were questions
I never got to the bottom of.
Faulkner Square, I saw a group of extremely old ladies
gathered on the pavement. I assumed a coach had just
stopped to let a party of pensioners off, after a day's
outing.
Mentioning it to a friend who lived in the area, I was
assured that these were ladies for hire. Who used them,
what they did and how much they were paid were questions
I never got to the bottom of.
A
Anonymous
Guest
I live in Amsterdam and even though I have never been to the Red Light District I have a few times walked down what seemed like nomral streets. Only there were a few "shopping windows". A few times I've also seen some quite old ladies, making me wonder how they get paid for it. But apparently some people find old people sexy. UGH. I guess that they must have worked up some skill though.
The most spectactular sight I saw in Amsterdam was the guy in full make up with beautifully coiffed platinum blond hair, silver fishnet singlet, sequinned thong and high, silver platform boots. This wasn't in one of the clubs, but in broad daylight and in an apparently 'normal' area of the city. Mind you, he did have the figure for such an outfit . . .
Thank God the kids weren't with us, on a subsequent trip we had all the embarrassing questions: "Mum, why's that lady sitting in the window with only her bra and pants on?" "Mum, come and see this shop window, they've got plastic willies in it!"
Carole
Thank God the kids weren't with us, on a subsequent trip we had all the embarrassing questions: "Mum, why's that lady sitting in the window with only her bra and pants on?" "Mum, come and see this shop window, they've got plastic willies in it!"
Carole
A
Anonymous
Guest
I'm just putting this up on behalf of my friend.... This is what happened to him at Pizza hut the other day :
(pasted from msn messenger)
Disgruntled says:
My girlfriend and I went to Pizza Hut last weekend and when we parked, a 40 year old weirdo man with (beard, glasses, satchel and cords) took an interest in our car. While we were eating we could see him through the window, he was hanging around newish type cars with the look of sexual satisfaction on his face!
Jerushah says:
Sounds like that bloke I told you about from that Fortean Times article who had a very interesting relationship with his metro ! have a look on the site http://www.forteantimes.com there's loads of weirdo's listed there !
Jerushah says:
any luck ?
Disgruntled says:
no - no reference to pizza hut in Hayes!
Jerushah says:
aah well... may be i'll put a post on that message board for you in case anyone's seen him - there's actually a thread going about those sort of people called 'freak town uk' ... I put something down about this bloke I used to see in Regent Street and other people had seen him too - so you never know !
Disgruntled says:
yeh have a go. The Pizza Hut is in the Sainsburys shopping retail park opposite "the grapes" Berni Inn! My other one is the checkout girl in Somerfield in Brentford high street that winces at any dairy produce that goes past her till. She mutters comments about peoples shopping as she types them in! ARSE FECK
So... has anyone seen these people ??
(pasted from msn messenger)
Disgruntled says:
My girlfriend and I went to Pizza Hut last weekend and when we parked, a 40 year old weirdo man with (beard, glasses, satchel and cords) took an interest in our car. While we were eating we could see him through the window, he was hanging around newish type cars with the look of sexual satisfaction on his face!
Jerushah says:
Sounds like that bloke I told you about from that Fortean Times article who had a very interesting relationship with his metro ! have a look on the site http://www.forteantimes.com there's loads of weirdo's listed there !
Jerushah says:
any luck ?
Disgruntled says:
no - no reference to pizza hut in Hayes!
Jerushah says:
aah well... may be i'll put a post on that message board for you in case anyone's seen him - there's actually a thread going about those sort of people called 'freak town uk' ... I put something down about this bloke I used to see in Regent Street and other people had seen him too - so you never know !
Disgruntled says:
yeh have a go. The Pizza Hut is in the Sainsburys shopping retail park opposite "the grapes" Berni Inn! My other one is the checkout girl in Somerfield in Brentford high street that winces at any dairy produce that goes past her till. She mutters comments about peoples shopping as she types them in! ARSE FECK
So... has anyone seen these people ??
- Joined
- Aug 15, 2001
- Messages
- 270
Just remembered another one that other people might recognise; not really a freak or nutter, but a local character all the same.
He's the "Press Man" who stands all day in St. Helen's Square in York flogging newspapers. He's a tiny little bloke who always wears a red coat and flat cap, and shouts out "Preeesssss!" in a sort of strangulated voice. During termtime he usually gets a multiple echo courtesy of groups of visiting schoolchildren. If you buy a copy of the Press off him, he never makes eye contact, and mumbles "Much obliged sir, much obliged" almost under his breath.
He's been there as long as I've been going to York (about 30 years), and was such a fixture that one of the pubs featured him in a montage of York scenes that they had on the wall. Apparently the powers that be tried to retire him (he must be in his late 70s now) and there was an outcry so he was reinstated. The only time I've ever seen him ouside his little box in the square was one night in the Punch Bowl, and he was completely pissed!
He was still there when I went to York last June, and I hope he's good for a few more years yet!
He's the "Press Man" who stands all day in St. Helen's Square in York flogging newspapers. He's a tiny little bloke who always wears a red coat and flat cap, and shouts out "Preeesssss!" in a sort of strangulated voice. During termtime he usually gets a multiple echo courtesy of groups of visiting schoolchildren. If you buy a copy of the Press off him, he never makes eye contact, and mumbles "Much obliged sir, much obliged" almost under his breath.
He's been there as long as I've been going to York (about 30 years), and was such a fixture that one of the pubs featured him in a montage of York scenes that they had on the wall. Apparently the powers that be tried to retire him (he must be in his late 70s now) and there was an outcry so he was reinstated. The only time I've ever seen him ouside his little box in the square was one night in the Punch Bowl, and he was completely pissed!
He was still there when I went to York last June, and I hope he's good for a few more years yet!
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- Mar 9, 2002
- Messages
- 13,692
There's an Evening Post news-stand bloke in the centre of Bristol whose cry consists of "HeeeeeeeePo!"
As for Bristol nutters, among a fairly vibrant crowd, my fave is a middle aged woman, looks a bit like Sister Wendy the art-nun, who wanders around in full Wedding Dress, all day and every day, complete with veil and train, who stands around outside main shopping centres with a tambourine singing "Jesus loves me" very slowly. Seen her all over the city, including once at 2.00 a.m. in my local Tesco, still in full regailia, pushing a trolley full of cat food around (sorry to cliche it, but it really was cat food). She didn't have her tambourine so I guess she was off duty...
Another guy wears just shorts, biker boots and an impressive beard, all year round, and proclaims in a deep, booming actory voice his view of the world to anyone within range.
Glastonbury is a good place to find mystic nutters, but you don't see them too much at night: I think most of them live in Bristol or Taunton and just commute to Glastonbury for the day shift...
As for Bristol nutters, among a fairly vibrant crowd, my fave is a middle aged woman, looks a bit like Sister Wendy the art-nun, who wanders around in full Wedding Dress, all day and every day, complete with veil and train, who stands around outside main shopping centres with a tambourine singing "Jesus loves me" very slowly. Seen her all over the city, including once at 2.00 a.m. in my local Tesco, still in full regailia, pushing a trolley full of cat food around (sorry to cliche it, but it really was cat food). She didn't have her tambourine so I guess she was off duty...
Another guy wears just shorts, biker boots and an impressive beard, all year round, and proclaims in a deep, booming actory voice his view of the world to anyone within range.
Glastonbury is a good place to find mystic nutters, but you don't see them too much at night: I think most of them live in Bristol or Taunton and just commute to Glastonbury for the day shift...
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Anonymous
Guest
carole said:
I saw them just yesterday, but they were in St. Martin's Lane off Leicester Square. I was in the first storey of a pub, looking out of the window. The leading Hare Krishna winked at me and was, I notice, wearing a radio mic, although I didn't see any of the others carrying speakers...
I used to live in Reading where there is an entire community of Scots tramps, plus a girl in her early 20s who looks as though she's just been attacked (dazed, clothes half ripped off but otherwise smart). A friend had to stop me calling the police the first time I saw her, and I've seen her four or five times since then.
- Joined
- Jul 30, 2001
- Messages
- 633
Man upsets shoppers
-Gloucestershire Echo, Sat. 25 May 2002, pg9.
-Gloucestershire Echo, Sat. 25 May 2002, pg9.
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Anonymous
Guest
I wounder what they would charge him with?....
Allow me to utter my favourite phrase when commenting upon such occurences:
The silly sod!
But it's these little incidents that brighten up life, I always say.
And congrats Justin on getting a letter published in the latest FT/
Can I have your autograph?
Carole
The silly sod!
But it's these little incidents that brighten up life, I always say.
And congrats Justin on getting a letter published in the latest FT/
Can I have your autograph?
Carole
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2001
- Messages
- 54,631
Oh Lord! People wanting my autograph because I've had letters published in FT, people wanting to see me on TV....
I just can't stand the pressure, I'm going to run off and be a hermit in an un-noticed part of Cornwall.
Thinks: Hang on, I already am...
I just can't stand the pressure, I'm going to run off and be a hermit in an un-noticed part of Cornwall.
Thinks: Hang on, I already am...