People of your town!

Penny Picker Steve in Southend. Runs/used to run a grocer's stall in the middle of the High Street, I think he runs a florist's now. Always seen around the high street with a bucket and a grabber getting pennies off the floor/from in drains.

He looked pretty heartbroken when they redid the high street and the two drains that ran the length of the high street disappeared.

Walking beardy tramp (I have no idea if he has a proper name, that's what he is in my head) in Leigh. Got a massive long beard and you see him everywhere, centred around Leigh. Nearly always walking somewhere at speed.

Edit: Just saw Nix's post
 
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UFO man, walks around in a green trenchcoat preaching about UFO's.

And there's crazy dog lady, she's ALWAYS walking about 10 dogs at once.
 
Carrying on for Nottingham, there's the guy with the dog who heads the football (hate him with a passion). There is/was a 1 armed guitar player and a guy who always had his 'last issue of big issue' and would tell you he's not a druggy, show you his arms and you could clearly see his track marks.

Adding to Beeston too, there's some oldish ginger haired guy that busks REALLY badly. Me and a mate have a laugh by asking requests for money and seeing how badly he does them.
 
Kristoph said:
I'll do the Bridgwater ones then...

John/Sidney (r.i.p) and Harry Handsignal.. Two of the most famous.

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Oh and there's a guy who rides a childrens bike up and down the road as if he's a car.

And there's a guy who runs up and down the roads, as if he's a car - or a truck - with all the sound effects.
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That's the photo I was looking for!

And you mean Crazy Jeff - who runs down a dual carriageway thinking he's a lorry. Even hits up petrol stations.
 
Theres this scruffy looking bloke in a wheelchair. He's everywhere!. need to go into town? you see him wheeling along. need to go to blockbuster? he's there, in the way of the bloody door. seriously hes everywhere.

(note: not meant as an insult to handicapped people, i just hate people who stay in doorways :) )
 
We have Tiger Man, Been around since i was a young boy (32 now), He walks around the town center with his "tiger" jacket, a fake walkie talkie and always wears his beret. He is obviously a bit mental but a really nice guy, He was once asked "why do you call yourself TigerMan" he replied "Because i protect everyone from Tigers in Harlow" the other person said "we have no Tigers in Harlow" to which TigerMan replied "well i must be doing my job then" :D great guy

 
Colbaker said:
He was once asked "why do you call yourself TigerMan" he replied "Because i protect everyone from Tigers in Harlow" the other person said "we have no Tigers in Harlow" to which TigerMan replied "well i must be doing my job then" :D great guy
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LMAO!!!

a quote worthy of the Goon Show, that has seriously made my evening thank you :D:D:D
 
In my area we have Ronnie, who walks around the area the whole morning apologising to people he thought he bumped into. Then exactly at 11am he goes to the local cafe, pays 20p (that's all he will pay as his mum ran a cafe when he was young and that's what she charged) for a cup of tea. He then disappear for the rest of the day and reappear at 8pm to get a free newspaper from a local shop. He refuses to read papers in the morning.

Also have Harriet the Gypsy witch that walks around with black robes and dark makeup.

Tintin, he washes his windows everyday, and I mean everyday.

Mamut, old Egyptian fella that walks his dog to the park, sits under a tree and play harmonica. He does it everyday.

I suppose these can be construed as 'characters', but they are dearly beloved in my street and have been around for as long as I have lived here, which is a long time. As long as they are around, it just feel ... right ..... living here.
 
Brighton has a tightrope man, by the lloydstsb and royal pavilion, there's always troll guy (he has 20+ earrings in each ear) on the 49 bus, then there's old keyboard man, he plays preset music to busk lol.
Bournemouth, cannot miss Gordon the tramp (ironically he has a house), he always knows the time.
 
There's some old bearded woman who can often be seen around Guildford (usually somewhere near--or even within--the Friary Centre). A fat bloke who rides around in one of those motorised shopping buggies with a name plate that reads "3RN3ST" can also occasionally be found around Guildford or parked besides some bus stop heading towards Guildford from Godalming.
 
There's a guy called "Naughty boy" who goes around dancing and singing. I regularly see him around Tunbridge Wells.

Here he is dancing in the background of BBC South East News;
 
DAnDan said:
The clapper's still around, not seen him for a while myself though. One day I'll actually find out the true reason why he claps.
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the rumours were that he went a bit loopy after his wife died - full on mental breakdown it seems- how true that is nobody knows:confused:
Nix said:
I was just visiting a friend in Basingstoke at the weekend. I have to say, I think something must be in the water. A lot of the girls/ladies have quite noticable babaloons.
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Firstly unlucky for going there ;)
Secondly the babaloons to which you refer to are most likely filled with pasties;):D and that's the only good thing I found about Basingstoke girls.

A friend of mine summed up Basingstoke nicely -"Teenage mums and roundabouts"

Out here with have some mental preachers that preach to the world at 7am in the centre of Rio de Janeiro, and many regular homeless folk swatting around the city...
 
Well our town - St Helens - has churned out Johnny Vegas (sorry) who we often see around town, The Lancashire Hotpots (great comedy band - see 'em on YT, "Firewall" is a great geeky song and "Oh no, he's turned emo" amongst others), and the best rugby league team evar. :cool::D It's also the stomping grounds of the famed Purple Aki, but the real local legend has to be the local vagrant.

He's known variously as Johnny, Michael, Welly Man (for his penchant for the particular style of footwear), John Welly etc etc. I've been giving him spare change whenever I see him about time since I was around 8 years old. He's friendly enough but he does have his funny days. That just adds to his character though, he's a bit of a local legend. :D

 
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starfighter said:
There is a woman that lives in the village that I used to live in and now go home occasionally to visit my parents, I used to see her on the bus every day. She doesn't look that old but dresses like a Grandma, long flowery skirt, massive bag and a really horrible purple coat.

Seen her at the bus stop 5 years later at the exact same time in the exact same clothes.

I am no fashionista nor do I have the most exciting life but I imagine it must suck to be her.


If you are talking about crazy homeless, there is a guy in Burnley bus station that used to just let his pants fall down and then would just scream for a while before picking them up and walking off. Not seen him for a few years now, probably dead.
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You're not talking about Rawtenstall are you? There is a woman matching that description who is always walking about around there. She ofter shouts random stuff to you as you walk by.

There's a guy near me who looks the spitting image of Jimmy Savile, and spends his whole life running about. He gets up early with a packed lunch in a rucksack and just runs slowly all day. He even runs on the road, like a cyclist.
 
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