WTF

who the hell is this birdman fella turning on the christmas lights this year in Plymouth?

Angry, you obviously haven't frequented the Plymouth city centre/barbican pub scene for the last 45 years. He still plods, nay strides, up through Beaumont Road into the town for a dalliance. London uses it's own locals for their lights, so why not here. It's a shopping thing, something I do find rather amusing, it's all the rage. Apparently, the Winter lights attract more folk to spend their money, filling Mr Rapson's chalice of joy.
I'm not a natural shopper, so from a distance, I assume it all goes off swimingly.

Sir John Hawkins wrote:

Angry, you obviously haven't frequented the Plymouth city centre/barbican pub scene for the last 45 years. He still plods, nay strides, up through Beaumont Road into the town for a dalliance. London uses it's own locals for their lights, so why not here. It's a shopping thing, something I do find rather amusing, it's all the rage. Apparently, the Winter lights attract more folk to spend their money, filling Mr Rapson's chalice of joy.
I'm not a natural shopper, so from a distance, I assume it all goes off swimingly.

i avoid the nightlife of plymouth like the plague sir john so thats probably why i have never heard of him. what does he do to be a celeb then and when can we expect his column to start in the herald?

Columnists come and go. I think the Herald first twigged the usefulness of the Argyle pleb column with Ryles on the Road, and he was certainly a better read than that president chappie. The Western Morning News had a rather more middle class local columnist for a long time, Hugo Young, a local left winger, and a sweet guy. He was elbowed out a few years ago, maybe because they found he was rather more left than they imagined. He did well to survive so long in disguise.

Where have you got your nightlife entertainment over the years then Angry ?  I have tended to do it away from the city for the last 25 years, but aforementioned birdman was well known back in the 70s, particularly where there was a bit of music. He used to make a spectacle of himself, a bit like Webb and Nool have done recently, but not online.

Surprised they didn't get pie face to do it

Maybe the city centre company, or whatever they are, could get Nool to do a freaks and weirdos thing on All Hallows eve.

Sir John Hawkins wrote:

Maybe the city centre company, or whatever they are, could get Nool to do a freaks and weirdos thing on All Hallows eve.

Sir John (forelock my doffing) you are a naughty boy

Birdman is something of a one-off. You could say he's a bit of a character. As SJH says he's been rattling around Plymouth's nightlife for years. Always smartly dressed he walks very quickly and has much of the manner of a bird about his gait.

I was in The Dolphin one night, maybe 3 or 4 years ago, and in comes Birdman on his own. Orders a pint. Stands at the bar drinking it quietly and then started humming. His humming increased in volume and he started tapping on the bar. Next thing he's singing quietly to himself the opening bars of American Pie. Gradually he picked up tempo and volume and started clapping. Within a few moments the entire pub was singing along and clapping too as American Pie was belted out by all and sundry. At the song's conclusion he finished his pint and left.

I guess you had to be there but it was one of the more astonishing things I have had the pleasure to witness.

He'd slot in nicely at the fanfest with full kit on

A threesome with Rick 'n' Dave ?

He hardly looks any different to when I used to see him down the Barby on Saturday nights in the 80's

harvetheslayer wrote:

He hardly looks any different to when I used to see him down the Barby on Saturday nights in the 80's

Was gonna say the same. Not having a care in the world is vastly underrated. Recall always seeing him in The Tube and Castaways on a Sunday night - last bus home and school the next day with a Stella hangover.

Good times.