Local Characters

[LS13]

roundhegian wrote: Around Meanwood and Headingley in the 1960s there was a guy who dressed in a cowboy outfit and rode around on a palamino horse .I was once in Safeway in Headingley and saw him in there buying groceries . When I went outside " parked " in the lay-by in front of the store was a western stage-coach with four horses between the shafts . Remember him! used to swing his lassoo(?) outside St michaels church. I remember watching him as a nipper in late 60's early 70's.

[Si]

I was in Natwest, Pudsey branch the other day, and there was a bloke with a bloody great parrot on his shoulder talking to a manager. I thought it must be the ale from the night before. He was wearing the top half of a jumper over his shoulders, and the parrot's leg was attached to his belt with a lanyard. When he left, everyone in the queue acted like it was the most normal thing in the world. He also had a stripe of fresh bird sh*t all down his back. Anyone else seen him, or was I hallucinating?CheersSi

[scooby]

wiggy wrote: has anyone heard of harry bendon? he was the window cleaner for the market buildings and half of town by all accounts.he was also a real tough nut scott,well known in all the town pubs.whilst cleaning windows on vicar lane,a friend shouted hello to him from the top of a bus,harry simply picked up his ladder,propped it against the bus and held a lengthy conversation at eye level with the top deck,bringing the trafic into chaos!now thats a character. Hi i would like to know as much as possible about Harry Bendon. He was my Grandad and i never got to meet him due to my dad (his son peter) divorced my mother and i never saw him again after that. The only information i have of him is that he died in july 1994 aged 73 in Bradford, if anyone knows what links he had there, it would be helpful, my cousins in Leeds had the privlidge of knowing him.

[LS13]

Hi i would like to know as much as possible about Harry Bendon. He was my Grandad and i never got to meet him due to my dad (his son peter) divorced my mother and i never saw him again after that. The only information i have of him is that he died in july 1994 aged 73 in Bradford, if anyone knows what links he had there, it would be helpful, my cousins in Leeds had the privlidge of knowing him. See my post above. I know my dad worked with him cleaning windows in Leeds in late 1940's/early 1950's. I believe he worked fro Frank Stubleys cleaning company. Also, he was a club 'turn' in those days. Maybe try posting on the 'pubs' section, see if any old timers remember him?

[carrotol]

Does anyone remember the road sweeper guy who used to walk aroud the Armley area a long time back. When I was a kid he was always around with his cart and sweeping brushes and if he saw us open a sweet wrapper he would always ask us to put it in his cart. He was quite a small guy and always cheerful and chatted to everyone. I remember him being on the news because when he should have retired he didn't. He carried on doing the job for a number of years for nothing because he enjoyed it.

[zip55]

Scandy & JanCee, I went to a Slade gig at the Poly too, but earlier than '73, would have probably been '71 or '72. The support was Skid Row. Same gig?    

[Baggins]

LS13 wrote: JanCee wrote: I remember a lot of correspondence about Woodbine Lizzie in the YEP and also about some huge copper known as Rocking Horse.A lot of letters in the YEP were written by someone who signed himself 'Fresh Air' of Kippax. Or I might be getting him mixed up with Sam Wood. Durr, confused meself now. Edit: or was Fresh Air from Swillington? Rocking Horse is mentioned in Kester Aspdens book on the death of David Oluwale--"the memory of PC568 William 'Rocking Horse' Bartle, who policed the Richmond Hill/Bank area between 1907 and 1933, endured long into the 20th century. Elderly residents on Quarry Hill flats remembered with affection the bobby who'd clipped their ears as kids;swinging his great cape around his head he'd scattered many a rabble.He avoided the starchy formalities of law and settled matters with his lump hammer fist."Other later police characters from the 50's and 60's mentioned are Eric 'moose' walker,Derek 'Big Red' Holmes and Eric 'Buffer' Brailsford. They sound more like contenders for the World Darts Championship that upholders of the law!

[Baggins]

LS13 wrote: JanCee wrote: I remember a lot of correspondence about Woodbine Lizzie in the YEP and also about some huge copper known as Rocking Horse.A lot of letters in the YEP were written by someone who signed himself 'Fresh Air' of Kippax. Or I might be getting him mixed up with Sam Wood. Durr, confused meself now. Edit: or was Fresh Air from Swillington? Rocking Horse is mentioned in Kester Aspdens book on the death of David Oluwale--"the memory of PC568 William 'Rocking Horse' Bartle, who policed the Richmond Hill/Bank area between 1907 and 1933, endured long into the 20th century. Elderly residents on Quarry Hill flats remembered with affection the bobby who'd clipped their ears as kids;swinging his great cape around his head he'd scattered many a rabble.He avoided the starchy formalities of law and settled matters with his lump hammer fist."Other later police characters from the 50's and 60's mentioned are Eric 'moose' walker,Derek 'Big Red' Holmes and Eric 'Buffer' Brailsford. They sound more like contenders for the World Darts Championship that upholders of the law!

[Trojan]

LS13 wrote: I've got a couple--Big black guy, used to play on the giant chess board outside the Art Gallery in the 80s. Used to be bare foot all year, and for most of the year bare chested too. Sometimes used to see him walking from town up towards Scott Hall/Chapeltown.Also, a more recent one--Stud man. Middle aged bloke who's head is just full of piercings. I spoke to him in The Angel Pub and he told me he's got 300 piercings in his face. Put me right off my pork scratchings. He was actaully a nice bloke and let me take a picture of him on my phone. I'll put it up if someone can tell me how ...!? I've seen him or someone very like him in Morley market and Morrisons in Morley. He really does look frightening.

[Baggins]

Rocking Horse (William Bartle)was the 2952nd policeman to join the Leeds City Force. He was sworn in on the 30th Aug 1907. He was born at Morton Bank nr Howarth in 1882 and died in 1956. He was not a huge man as stated but was actually 5'9'' with Blue eyes, Brown hair and a fresh complection. He lived for some time at Penraevon Place at the bottom of Roundhay Road and later in the Elfords. He married a woman called Ethel Gertrude Sims at St Aidens church, Roundhay Road on 20th April 1918 and they lived at 78 Elford Place. He was known for his un PC (for a PC that is) methods of dealing with the baddies. Rocking Horse had the number 568 and when I was a police officer in the 60s and 70s the last Leeds City officer to carry that number was Mick Warne. Mick has been retired for quite some years now but still lives in West Leeds, I spoke to him on the phone not too long ago. There is a funny coincidence with the name William Bartle in that the first ever Chief Constable of Leeds, William Heywood, who by the way only lasted in the job for a year (he was sacked for neglect of duty) was the father of a boy to a local woman with whom he had cohabited. He never married this woman (Sarah Whitaker) and didn't pay much towards the upkeep of the child. He later married and had a daughter of his own who went on to marry into a quite wealthy family, their children having had a good education became surgeon, clergyman, solicitor,accountant. In the mean time Sarah married a man called John Bartle and the child obviously took this name, he was William Bartle!! I hoped that there might be some connection between the first William and the second but unfortunately no such luck. Still researching. Baggins