Nottingham eccentrics


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excuse my non pc description of that shop keeper but red indians was the name used when I was a kid, just like Bodica, not some Booodicka. It would have been very rare I'd have thought for any American to be living in Old Basford pre 1939? come to that any foreigner?

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When I was an electrician for the Co-op, we had an old joiner who was as mad as a Parrot!

His name was Freddy Wiggley (Great name!) and he was from Kimberley.

He would tell us stories of when Wild Bill Hickock brought his wild west show to Kimberley.

No one believed him but I remembers someone actually saying that it was true.

Is it true or not?

If so it would account for a drop off at Basford? Perhaps a child of

one of the performers, or one of the perfomers themselves?

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Or Boadicea even !!??

Now, she's alive and well and lives up my road, after burning Colchester she went to ground in Braintree, no-ones had the heart to tell her that the Romans have gone. She's a right pain in the arse when she's trying to park that chariot in Sainsburies car park though.

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Or Boadicea even !!??

Or even Boudica...

"...Until the late 20th century, Boudica was known as Boadicea, which is probably derived from a mistranscription when a manuscript of Tacitus was copied in the Middle Ages. Her name takes many forms in various manuscripts—Boadicea and Boudicea in Tacitus; Βουδουικα, Βουνδουικα, and Βοδουικα in Dio—but almost certainly, it was originally Boudicca or Boudica, and is the Proto-Celtic feminine adjective *boudīka, "victorious", derived from the Celtic word *bouda, "victory" (cf. Irish bua (Classical Irish buadh), Buaidheach, Welsh buddugoliaeth). The name is attested in inscriptions as "Boudica" in Lusitania, "Boudiga" in Bordeaux, and "Bodicca" in Britain.[4] Based on later development of Welsh and Irish, Kenneth Jackson concludes that the correct spelling of the name in the British language is Boudica, pronounced [bɒʊˈdiːkaː][5] (the closest English equivalent to the vowel in the first syllable is the ow in "bow-and-arrow"). The modern English pronunciation is /ˈbuːdɪkə/.[6]..."

Who knows where she is buried?

Cheers

Robt P.

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mick2me: Itchy-coo was a homeless person, who wandered all over the city. He looked like a pile of rags that walked, jumped, twitched and generally scared the little kids. As far as we know, he was quite harmless.

Hi,

I lived on Valley Road near the High School playing fields and in the early/mid 50's there was a similar described chap used to walk past the house early in the morning, he used to scare me, swearing and jumping around, I think he had ginger hair. Apparently there was a hostel type place up the road at the City Hospital where he used to stay and then they kicked him out early doors.

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Yep he came to Kimberley.....i'll see if I can find a date. ( Buffalo Bill that is )

Freddy Wiggley had an 'NSU Quickly' pon which he travelled to Kimberley.

He must be a well remembered figure around your neck of the woods?

quickly.gif

http://www.nsuquickly.com

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Or even Boudica...

Who knows where she is buried?

Cheers

Robt P.

Well it ain't under platform 10 at Kings Cross staion as is the theory in the popular urban myth. More likely to be in Hamstead, although this cannot be agreed upon.

http://fanzone50.com/Tales/Boadicea2.html

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Hi,

I lived on Valley Road near the High School playing fields and in the early/mid 50's there was a similar described chap used to walk past the house early in the morning, he used to scare me, swearing and jumping around, I think he had ginger hair. Apparently there was a hostel type place up the road at the City Hospital where he used to stay and then they kicked him out early doors.

MartynE: sounds like one and the same. Used to see him on Mansfield Road, a lot. He used to hang out in the bombed-out houses at the bottom of Sneinton Road - he'd make a little fire in there.

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  • 4 years later...

I have lived in Sherwood near the Five Ways since 1952 and like MartynE remember him very well He quite often went into the shop where my friend worked on Woodborough Road to buy a pound of lard which he used to start eating whilst still in the shop Word was they found his body one snowy winter's morning in St Andrews churchyard Mansefield Road/ Forest Road

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Not pre-50s and don't know whether "eccentric" is quite the right adjective but I do recall Jack Redfern (of the family owned carbonated drinks manufacturers, top of Ingram Terrace, Bulwell). I'm going back to late 60's, early 70's. I presume he suffered from some medical condition that affected posture and speech. He was crouched over, leaning to one side and it was near impossible to make out what he was uttering. This made him appear a bit scary to us kids. However, if he approached you, he generally just wanted you to light a fag for him and was quite harmless.

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