local characters

Associate
Joined
2 Jul 2016
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459
I was reading a post on a local forum asking if anyone knew what happened to the bag man of Sunderland. He was an elderly gentleman who used to walk around the city center carrying bags, filled with more bags.

bagman_400x400.jpg


There were many legends and rumors about him, some say he was once a wealthy university lecturer but ended up homeless after Scientology took all his money.

My favorite was the Ferryhill hoplite who used to do a battle patrol around the village dressed as a Centurion or Gladiator.

CuHbLVzWgAQWmc4.jpg:large


If you beeped your car horn he would unsheath his sword and raise it in the air until the police made him stop carrying it.

Do you have any characters like this where you live? or is it just a northern thing
 
Soldato
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13 Feb 2006
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--->
There was a bloke in Newton Aycliffe we called 'Mr Rhythm' who used to dance while he walked!

Whenever you saw him he was doing it, was highly amusing.
 
Caporegime
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29 Dec 2007
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Location
Adelaide, South Australia
In Finsbury Park there's a doddery old guy with a white beard who believes he will be the next Prime Minister. Sometimes you'll see him on the BBC, they've done a few stories about him.

He seems harmless enough though.
 
Caporegime
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8 Sep 2005
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Location
Norrbotten, Sweden.
My little town has got some total nutters.

A cross dressing dude in his 50s that has a minime version of him in tow. Usually both dressing in matching attire.
Some tourettes women that is just bonkers always cursing at something or someone or the sky.
A woman I call "shuffles" that wears moon boots 365 days a year, and constantly drags her feet everywhere. Poor women is also going a bit crazy and I often see her sat on benches talking to her self or just shuffling in circles around the supermarket.

Sweden is mental....
 
Caporegime
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30 Jul 2013
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Every town had the rumour about how the old tramp is secretly a millionaire but lost all his money or prefers to live on the streets. I imagine 99.9% of these stories are ********.
 
Caporegime
Joined
1 Dec 2010
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52,087
Location
Welling, London
We used to have a local character known as Chinese Elvis. Saw him all the time walking round Bexleyheath with an Elvis haircut, sunglasses and turned up collar. He owned a restaurant in Bexleyheath for a long time and used to sing to all the diners in full Elvis regalia.

He was a fixture in local pubs and turned up wherever there was a karaoke to sing Elvis numbers. He was wonderfully terrible.

Drink sadly got the better of him last year and he passed away. Sorely missed.
 
Soldato
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20 Oct 2004
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13,059
Location
Nottingham
In the village we had a guy who would crack one off every time someone gave him the thumbs up sign, perhaps not what you're looking for.
 
Soldato
Joined
30 Sep 2005
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16,526
Yup, there's a few in every town/city

We have two main ones. One bloke dressed up in the worlds biggest fur coat and someone who literally walks everywhere....constantly. His legs are like rocks.
Everytime you are out driving you see him somewhere.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2012
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8,332
we have a fella that walks everywhere, and i mean everywhere, miles and miles.

the story goes that he was rather unfit until the doctor told him "get fit or die of a heart attack" and since then he's always out walking constantly, god knows how many miles he covers in a day but it seems he does bugger all but walk around. he's getting on a bit now but still won't stop. dont think he's actually homeless though, just retired and presumably only goes home to sleep.

apart from that we're not well off for characters, we have the standard issue alcoholic homeless guy with a beard you could lose a badger in, complete with standard back story about how he was a [standard well off person] until [generic traumatic event] made him turn to drink and end up on the streets.
 
Don
Joined
17 May 2004
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12,763
Location
Telford, Shropshire
Come to mention it, I haven't seen Wolverhampton's Welly Woman for a while. Always wearing wellies and always seen in the local 'Spoons.

https://m.facebook.com/SpottedWolverhampton/photos/a.129753117228547/138490826354776/?type=3

I remember seeing 'Fred the tramp' a lot, as I used to drive past the ring road he camped on.

Basically, homeless Polish man, lived on a ring road in a tent. Lots of stories about him, about his money etc; He was apparently an officer during the war and never claimed his pension, so was worth tens of thousands of pounds. But lived in a tent for 30 years, in the hole that is Wolverhampton.
 
Soldato
Joined
5 Jul 2005
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17,995
Location
Brighton
We have many, I don't know if they have any specific names but there's:

Jamaican Guy - Hangs around by the Old Steine wearing a JBL Bluetooth speaker, blasting reggae and dancing whilst wearing Jamaica themed clothing (which mostly looks homemade).

Pull Tab Guy - Older guy who always wears the same thing, rain or shine. That is denim on denim absolutely covered in pull tabs from drinks cans. You can hear him coming a mile off.

Mad Scientist - Another guy who goes around wearing the exact same thing except it's an old white suit, white turtleneck, white shoes and he's about 6'7"/10st. Pretty much proto Rick:

5QgdGzY.png

They all seem completely harmless, if a bit mental.
 
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