Local Characters

[amber]

jonleeds wrote: Amber I dont know if this is the same 'Selwyn' that you are referring to. The 'Selwyn' I've been talking about was probably in his 60's back in the mid-80s which would make him 90+ probably today, although I reckon he would have snuffed in the early 1990s as I dont recall ever having seen him after around then, but I moved away from Morley in 1993 so I dont know. Also the 'Selwyn' who used to sit in Morley's Windsor Court precinct used to sound very coarse and he didnt come across as an ex-public school boy. Dunno tho, might be the same guy but it seems unlikely. I never heard of this Mia woman though Tiddler. I used to live up at the top of Churwell Hill and I went to Churwell Youth Club in the mid-80s, but I never heard about her. He is the same guy as in his later days when he was in the precinct he would say to me hello Geoffrey (only he called me by my full name) how is your gran getting on) He looked much older due to his squalid life style He was only a year or so older than me so thats how I know he would be 74/75and he sure did become course and foul language.    

[joanne13]

Skinny Hulk wrote: Bluey wrote: Anyone remember this scrawny, tall, balding, bearded late-30s/early 40s guy who could be seen dancing feverishly on traffic islands/street corners/sidestreets in the mid/late90s-early 2000s (I used to call him "The Spirit Of The Dance")??? Was having a pint at the Hedley Verity a few weeks back with my work colleagues and one of my mates was talking to this bearded, grey haired guy, who eventually sodded off after a bit. I asked my mate who he was and he says "Oh, it's that guy who used to dance" and basically found out that (obviously) he'd been a heavy drughead but was now a reformed character, more's the pity. His name is Noel. He used to live round the corner from me when I lived in the Fearnvilles. He used to live with a very weird bloke called Ken (also known as The Wizard) who had some sort of obsession with Nazis and the occultFirst time I saw Noel was around 85/86. I saw him pretty much every day he was always sniffing glue and possibly on drugs. I was a teenager in the mid to late 80s and he looked about 40 then!Last time I saw him was about a year ago dancing near the bus station.     I remember Noel and Ken(the wizard) from the mid to late 80s . They were both strange characters even though at the time I classed Noel as a mate.I last saw Noel about 4 years ago and he was dancing near the bus station wearing a pair of shorts with a wellie on one foot and a trainer on the other.

[somme1916]

jonleeds wrote: Yer I dont think it was about a tree Tilly! Didnt that Selwyn also have an alchy wife or girlfriend who used to sit with him at the bottom of the precinct? Does anyone remember back in the 1970s when Windsor Court used to have like a fountain / water feature, I am sure I remember being about 3 years old and paddling in there in the summer of 1976.Tell you who I havent seen for a good few years, that 'Toothy' fellow who used to wander around Horsforth, he was quite a character, unwashed, ragged clothes etc. I expect he got finished off by the harsh winters we had the past few years.     Selwyn's "lady friend" was called Rita and she used to live at Tingley way back from the 60's when I was a kid there.She lived with what I think was her mother and sister down an unadopted street by Tingley Glasscraft,just off the "old" Dewsbury Rd.She was always unassuming,though the local kids took the mickey out of her somewhat.She would always wear a long dress,cardy and long woollen coat adorned with various badges(one being Elvis).She was forever riding an old fashioned bicycle up and down and could sometimes hold a conversation of sorts.Poor lass......must be long gone by now.

[jonleeds]

Yep, I imagine Selwyn must have got shoved into Siegen Manor or somewhere back in the late 80s / early 90s. I havent lived in Morley for a long time now so I dont know of any newer transient characters that might have appeared. I used to go to school with a kid called 'Charlie' Brown who was quite a character and lets just say that his name was quite apt. Someone told me he died of a drugs overdose a couple of years ago.

[ArmleyLass47]

I remember the Monk when I was younger walking around he was quite a big guy although probably slimmed down now due to all the walking. One of the characters of Leeds that I heard of when youngwas a lady called Fag ash Lil. She used to smoke Woodbines and sit on the wall outside the Church on Boar Lane. She used to ask for money for a drink. She always had a cig hanging out of her mouth.Anyone remember her?

[iansmithofotley]

Hi ArmleyLass47,If you use the search facilities on this site, and also on Leodis, for 'Woodbine Lizzie', you will find further information.Ian

[Jogon]

The comments on the photo on Leodis are worth readinghttp://www.leodis.net/display.aspx?resourceIde ... SPLAY=FULL

[TenDaysaLoiner]

No specific character (The Monk is the only one I have seen firsthand),but as a kid in the 60s, I remember coming to Leeds with my mum on the bus and your first impression was always that the bus station was swarming with tramps. Not 'homeless people' like nowadays but proper, out and out, old fashioned tramps. Usually fairly old (or so they seemed to me) and wearing lots of coats like Lizzie there. No-one ever seemed to move them on. As a kid I found it scary and interesting at the same time.

[book]

Probably more support for them now, they can get back into mainstream life with support. clothes for them are plentiful. Back then there was no where to move them onto. They did pong a bit, to say the least

[Goot]

Ive loved reading through this thread,so many memories,the monk,the crazy haired lady in kirkgate market in the 80s,i saw her have an argument with a mop once,i was really scared but intrigued by her as a kid,i read on here that she had a sad history and was a good looking lady in her youth.Im interested does anybody remember any of these characters from the Pudsey area in the 80S/90S"Mad Rita" - Lived on cemetary road pudsey,think her surname was hinchcliffe,very religious and sometimes violent,she used to blast opera music out and send letters to the locals saying god was coming for them etc,she had been known to attack people,she was only small but had very long grey hair,and looked scary my blood ran cold when i used to see her,i think she was reasonably friendly until her dad died then apparently used to lock her mum up,and she also spent time iat highroyds,would love to know what happened to her.Another i remember was "George and Margerie" they lived in a little house near the tunnel heading towards primrose hill school,one day George came down to the school and was getting some stick off the kids and threw a knife onto the school playing fields and chased the headmaster,he got arrested and i think he moved to burley,they would always be arguing as you had to pass there house to get home from school they were scary as youngsters,i remember margerie also living with a guy called Gordon another strange one who wore a big russian hat in summer. Another who fascinated us as kids was "Terry the Tatter' he was probably harmless and lived around the westdales but he was really scruffy with matted hair and beard he used to wear old torn suits,again i remember an incident at primrose hill school as we were playing out on the fields he was sitting not far away on a hill,and because of his appearance i remember the kids and teachers freaking out and making us all go inside.I seem to remember him smartening up a little as i got older and cutting off the hair,but maybe i imagined that.Anyone remember any of these characters?