SecretLeeds - History, culture and architecture in Leeds

Does anybody remember an old bloke in the Meanwood/Headingley area who had a white horse that used to dress as a cowboy? Was it the same person who also dressed as a pearly king?

That would be something worth seeing

He had a white horse that dressed as a cowboy? That would be worth seeing! he he he

I'd forgotten all about this chap! Saw him a couple of times on my way to school.    

A regular in Headingley in my childhood, along with the 'Onion Man' who cycled the streets in full, stereotypical Gallic attire selling his wares.Many years later (late 80s) there was a guy we named 'the terrorist' (I know, I know, a very different time) who wore a full face ski mask and stood 'watching' at night around North Lane and the Arndale.Anyone esle remember the house with the monkeys in Headingley?

BobRustNeverSleeps wrote: Anyone esle remember the house with the monkeys in Headingley? see it covered before here http://www.secretleeds.co.uk/forum/Mess ... ighLight=1

Here is a description that I put on another Forum that I'm in - the Meanwood Cowboy was really quite something, and didn't confine his appearances to the pedestrian mode by any means. :-"In the 1960s there was a delightfully harmless eccentric chap who lived in Meanwood, Leeds - he possessed a very tidy dark green stage coach and a lovely happy obedient horse and he used to travel around the streets (including Central Leeds) at all hours at a very fair turn of speed. He sat on the raised driver's bench, sporting "cowboy" clothes and Stetson hat and waved to everyone while shouting "Yee Haaa" and smiling happily. The horse also appeared to have a saucy grin to it but perhaps I'm imagining that . His "routes" included the road which used to go right through the Merrion Centre (where Morrisons is now) and down the slope to rejoin Woodhouse Lane - neither he nor the horse seemd to be au fait with the Highway Code and there was many a near miss. I'm glad he never collided with my bus - can you imagine completing the section of the accident report form which asks "Details of other vehicle involved" and you would have had to enter "Stage coach." I think he died in perhaps the mid 1970s and was a wonderful local character. "PS - I also chortled happily at the description of the white horse dressed as a cowboy !!     

Ok when everybody has completely finished taking the you know what.... Thanks for confirming that the Cowboy wasn’t a figment of my imagination. What about the Pearly king? Was he the same person or was the area swarming with characters in fancy dress back in the 60s & 70s?

Howesy wrote: Ok when everybody has completely finished taking the you know what.... Thanks for confirming that the Cowboy wasn’t a figment of my imagination. What about the Pearly king? Was he the same person or was the area swarming with characters in fancy dress back in the 60s & 70s? Not taking the Mickey Howesy - just a genuine chuckle at the funny things we all say unintentionally from time to time Despite living/working around Headingley at those times I can't honestly remember the Pearly King - let's hope someone can enlighten us.

Personally I think that I deserved everything I got….nobody to blame here but myself.