Anyone remember the 'pen man'?

[Marx]

He accosted me on Chapel Walk.

[Plain Talker]

Also the blind chap who sold shoelaces and matches out side ,was it, Suggs on the moor.Another one was the bloke who gave away Old Moores Almanacs and when you took it off him he wanted a donation,think his name was Littlewood.

 

(my bold)

The Blind chap was not a nuisance like the pen man was. The blind chap just stood, peacefully outside Suggs/ Cambridge Arcade, with his tray of bits-and-bats, like Spills for lighting the gas, matches, and pens. he never pressed his wares on you like the pen man did.

 

We helped the blind chap, and his wife, some time ago, (must have been about 1976/7, and he must have been in his seventies, then!)

 

His wife collapsed, one really hot summer day, at the top of the Ponderosa, near the Winter Street hospital, and we went to their aid. I seem to recall that they lived in sheltered housing nearby, and that the Missus was also blind.

 

We got an ambulance for her, and stayed with them, and tried to reassure her, until the ambulance turned up and took her to hospital. I don't think she made it, though.

[maxwell1945]

Like you say Plain Talker the blind chap never bothered anybody,perhaps in hindsight I should not have associated him with the other street sellers.

 

There was another chap who used to stand outside Castle market selling his wares ,cannot remember what he sold, think it was razor blades

[top4718]

Can anybody recognise the Pulp song that mentions him, it's during one of Jarvis's spoken word parts (I think).

[Steptoad]

I remember the pen man, I once saw him "give out" too many pens at once and then chasing the receivers up the road trying to get them back.

On another occasion, he "gave" me a felt tip as I passed and asked for 10p, my mum who was with me said "he can't afford it, he's unemployed", so the pen man insisted I keep it FOC. Unfortunately it was yellow.

[dawn19run]

yeah he accosted me at the bottom of chapel walk,and handed me a felt tip pen i looked at it and gave it him back,his face changed from smiley hello miss world,to something from a Stephen king novel,horrible little man.

[alan carr]

i remember the pen man he used to stand near walshes.it was funny the look on peoples faces when they tried to give the pens back.i also remember the blind guy he used to stand at the top of the arcade which ran between norfolk street and the moor near barney goodmans

[manxbiker]

Like you say Plain Talker the blind chap never bothered anybody,perhaps in hindsight I should not have associated him with the other street sellers.

 

There was another chap who used to stand outside Castle market selling his wares ,cannot remember what he sold, think it was razor blades

 

Used to be 10p a pack of five JEWEL blades he is still selling at top of dixon lane with Keith Littlewood selling dishcloths

 

Both must be 70 plus now