Swindon Characters
Anyhow, I was wondering, where’s all the old characters gone to like, you know.
Oh we used to have them about here.
There was Raggy Powell, George Franklin, Harry Austins, Little Joe, Reuben George, Happy Rowlands, Ogie Cane, Uncle Burt, he was another one. And some of us kids called him Old Flapper, I’ll tell you about him in a minute.
There was old Raggy Powell – he done a lot for Swindon, one way or the other, educational way. I didn’t know much about him of course, but he did, he’d done a lot for Swindon.
Then there was old George- he was always drunk. Had a nose like a beetroot.
I was telling you about George Frankin wasn’t I.
As I said, he’d do anything for a bob, he used to get up the cattle market, all the old auction places that would sell bits of furniture. If anybody wanted a bit of stuff took down on a trolly or a truck, you know, three parts the way across Swindon, George would take it for them. He’d take it all for a tenner.
Then there was old Harry Austins – he was what they called the People’s Mayor. He wasn’t a bad old stick, old Harry Austins. He was a window cleaner by trade.
“Why should I wear a collar and tie” he used to say.
“Never wore a collar and tie on my job, don’t see why I should wear one now.”
Mind I never hear him say that, I suppose he did wear a collar and tie, but that what he supposed to have said at different times.
Then I told you about Little Joe. Well he was a road sweeper, and everybody in Swindon knew Little Joe. Seems to me, Little Joe was the only road sweeper in Swindon. He stood about four foot nothing. I've often wondered what happened to him, I suppose he must be dead now, blimey.
Then there was Rueben George, he was another old Mayor of Swindon. That’s going back a bit. Well when the put up the, I forget when it was now, but I remember it, when they put up the old diving board out at Coate. It’s still up there. Well, he was in office then you see. And he said
“Right, I’ve got to open the place. What I’ll do, I’ll dive off the damn thing.”
And I don’t think he could swim. He could paddle perhaps but that’s about all he could do. I know he had somebody down below him to save him in case he was drowned. He dived off the top of this board and he couldn’t even swim, let alone dive. Ah, that was him.
Then there was Happy Rowlands. Old Happy. He’s dead and gone now. Jim would remember Old Happy, so would anybody else down this way. Never known to do a day’s work in his life. Always had a pair of wellingtons on. And nine times out of ten, an old mackintosh. Happy used to come down here and he used to roam the fields down by the old canal and he always had a catapult in his pocket. A catapult was his gun. He could hit a matchstick on a post at 20 yards. He used to go fishing with this catapult, no kidding you might not believe it – he did, you ask anybody that knew him.
Then there was Uncle Burt. Never see him without a (??) his bag. Always had a rabbit in there, or else water cress. He never did anybody any harm, they was all alright.
Then there was Bogey Cain. Well, he was a proper Swindon character. I don’t know much about him but I can just remember him. I can’t say much about him because I don’t know hardly that he had anything to do.
(??) was hanging about – I don’t know his name, I can’t think of his name now, but he had no arms see. And he used to get up the cattle market. I’ll tell you how he lost his arms, I think. Working in the saw mill. He got one arm trapped, and trying to get him out, he got t’other trapped. And the consequence was he finished up with no arms at all. He always used to wear a white smock, and you’d see him up the cattle market, and if anybody wanted any cows bringing, say from Highworth, Blunsdon, anywhere. He used to just, well he had no arms right up to the armpits, but he had something there he could flap. He used to flap these horses, and drive these cows, away they’d go, that was he’d done for a living.
There must still be a few characters around somewhere, but you never hear of them do you?
