Forums Forums Wirral History : Chasing the Past Wirral History Local Characters

Johnny gold, I think he is known as.

Fascinated to know his story. I used to live down there, he was always really pleasant and friendly, despite the fact that he had glued plastic farm animals to his jacket

I have a video of Parrot man on one of my old phones. He was in Liscard Village having a full blown conversation with an apparent ex-boxer who lives down Leasowe way called Joey.

"Mad Pat" in Hoylake was a local legend during the 00s, she would seemingly spend the entire day walking up and down Market St before spending the early part of the evening in Weatherspoons. Before she got barred from there for apparently hitting someone with her walking stick. Halloween was always funny because it was her birthday and she would spend it wearing a witches hat. She hated spiders and would quite literally throw a two pound coin at you if you gave her one in her change and demand it got changed for pound coins.

Sadly she passed away about 4 years ago.

Another couple of infamous characters from Hoylake include Noel, who drives a pretty fancy car, but spends most of his time asking to borrow ciggies and money off people. As well as Tim, who once apparently walked into his local newsagents randomly yielding an axe, and I witnessed him trying to set a skip alight with a blowtorch, only to end up pointing it towards himself and narrowly avoiding his own face when using it


More recent than that though, has anyone had the pleasure of bumping into the "pest" who patrols Birkenhead, usually around the Hamilton Square area? I remember a couple of years back I would see him once a week and he had no idea that I'd told him to get lost the last time I saw him. He seems pretty harmless but he always had a different "hard luck" story for asking people for money. The first time I saw him he came over and tried the "not going to lie, I've just got out of prison and I haven't got anywhere to go or any money, could you spare a couple of quid for some smokes/food". My favourite story that he tried to blag though was one where he had apparently missed the last train from Hamilton Square to Chester and he needed to get to Wrexham to his home but he had left his wallet on the train and so he didn't have any money on him for a taxi and was worried he would be stranded for the evening.

I remember seeing his picture in the Globe saying he had got an ASBO for basically being a pest. I was wondering if he is still around.

Sorry for posting this late, George lived in Palermo St Seacombe, with his sister, In the 60s and 70s, sometimes he was totally sane, other times he would be completely out of it. He died in the toilets at Seacombe Ferry.

One of his traits was to slap his head repeatedly, if you said to him "who smashed Nico's window" Nico had the chip shop in St Pauls road. Rumour had it, that George had broke the chippy window. George used to have a nap on the low walls outside the houses on New St, in the summer, he would curse and swear at you, if you woke him up, but he would never touch you. He looked a bit build wise like Norman Wisdom. I've forgotten his surname, but he was around for years and was at times sad, and at other times hilarious.

George had the accident hitting his head on the boat, not kiss a penny. Brazil

I used to work in old Bidston road Abba would come in to the garage for a cup of tea . Some people said he woke one night in a bombing raid and found his sister dead and never said another word.

Does anybody the guy who had the piece of land on the gypsy ( lane in the northend,I think his name was Hubert he was dripping in gold he to drink in the comet

Yep remember Binks lively and Ricky Arnott he used to eat glasses and plates, I remember coming out of B&Q and the tranny was standing by the doors on the way out, when we got outside I said to Mrs Casper did you see the TV she said I didn't see any telly, Doh!