Topic
Topic ID 4655
10/09/2009 by Marilyn
Hertford "characters" of the past.
A number of people seem to remember my fathers uncle Frederick "Elmo" Taylor of Port Hill as a bit of a character and his brother Sidney "Rocky" taylor who was the pearly king, raised a lot of money for the hospital etc..
There was also in later years Boris who had downs syndrome and lived in Bengeo, he used to walk down the middle of Port Hill with a wheelbarrow with planks of wood across it width ways.
Then there was Danny who used to like a drink I think.
Anyone want to add any more ?
Replies
Reply ID 66805
10/09/2009 by Drama Queen
I remember Boris, he lived in Church Road and one day cycled around Bengeo.. Naked! My poor mum tried to shield my eyes.. I don't remember being shocked just wondering why he wasn't wearing any clothes.. He was harmless and sadly missed
Reply ID 66841
11/09/2009 by buzz
Boris could cause chaos! I remember, once, when I was a cop in Hertford, Boris shed his load of planks at the Old Cross junction bringing traffic to a standstill. I issued him with a "driving licence" for his wheelbarrow and told him that any more antics like that and he would be disqualified! As for Danny, I could be walking along Maidenhead Street, in uniform, and he would shout after me, "Hey where's that £5 you owe me!" On another occasion he was up before the magistrates for some misdemenour, and they decided to be lenient. Danny was dismayed "Your worships", he fumed " I always spend Christmas in prison,....you're rascals!!"
Reply ID 66843
11/09/2009 by alxleeks
saves cooking i guess!!
Reply ID 66844
11/09/2009 by Marilyn
quote:
Originally posted by buzz
Boris could cause chaos! I remember, once, when I was a cop in Hertford, Boris shed his load of planks at the Old Cross junction bringing traffic to a standstill. I issued him with a "driving licence" for his wheelbarrow and told him that any more antics like that and he would be disqualified! As for Danny, I could be walking along Maidenhead Street, in uniform, and he would shout after me, "Hey where's that £5 you owe me!" On another occasion he was up before the magistrates for some misdemenour, and they decided to be lenient. Danny was dismayed "Your worships", he fumed " I always spend Christmas in prison,....you're rascals!!"
So it wasn't my imagination he did take his barrow load of planks into town, never did find out where he was planning to take them!!
Don't know what happened to him after his mother died...........
Poor Danny I wonder where he did spend that Christmas[?]
Reply ID 66847
11/09/2009 by CSP
If I remember correctly, he then went and chucked a brick through a shop window and was finally given his wish to spend Christmas in prison.
I also remember a time when me and my then toddler daughter were walking along Fore Street. As we passed Danny's bench he said "Jaysus Ian, what a little beauty, wait here." He then shambled off to Jenners and (presumably) shoplifted a Bounty bar which he ceremoniously presented to my little girl. She thought he was the bees knees and a true gentleman. She always thereafter stopped to pass the time of day with "our Danny".
Reply ID 66848
11/09/2009 by exiled_in_Reading
that's a nice little story :)
Reply ID 66914
14/09/2009 by Kitty Kat
I remember Ernie Marsh and the meths drinking gang that used to hang about town on the benches opposite the Barge or in the Castle grounds.
Also Smelly Nelly - I think her name was Audrey
Those were the days - no good tramps in town now, just Chuggers and the Big Ishooooo man [:D]
Reply ID 67091
20/09/2009 by homeless
Aaaaah Boris!! - I'd forgotten all about him and his wheelbarrow, so thank you for jogging that memory!
As a schoolboy in the mid to late 60's I would travel regularly on the 333 up to Bengeo on the same bus as Boris, who generally sat at the back, on the right hand side. He would 'entertain' us by setting up a rhythm of clapping, banging on the window and on the side panel and whoop-whooping - he could do it for the entire journey. I think we may have encouraged him a bit.
To be honest, I'd forgotten about Danny too.
...then there was 'Matey-Mo' in the gents' outside toilets opposite the Corn Exchange - you know, the REALLY SMELLY ONES that are no longer there, thank god. He wasn't always there, but it seemed like he was - and when he was in there it was an even worse place to be than it normally was. I won't type any details.
Then there were the two elderly brothers who ran CULL'S, the newsagents next to the Salisbury. Always in white caps and suits, they carefully placed the individual Woodbines (3d each) right next to the penny sweets and showed no hesitation in selling them to naughty little 12-year old schoolboys like me. I'd like to thank them for their part in helping me to take up smoking!
And then there was that 'Peter Ruffles' bloke... Whatever happened to him?
Edit - Anyone remember 'The Welcome' sweet shop (roughly where Halfords is now). The lady who ran it was lovely. Then there was Donohoes Chip Shop near to the Evergreen Club - a 6d bag of chips soaked in vinegar, to be eaten on the way round to the bus station, then don't forget to drink the pool of vinegar at the bottom of the bag (boys!!).
Then there was Ernie Wren [:)]
Then there was Old Man Sparks, who ran the Ware Road Dairy and whistled the same four 'out of tune' notes, all day, every day. I did a milk round for a while as a lad and I will never forget Mr. Sparks' son David driving his white van hell for leather down Fore St, with me as the passenger and driving straight into a little old lady who walked out into the road - there were little old lady and potatoes scattered EVERYWHERE.
8 replies