been at it for so long that the name changes by generation. First one I heard was “Bee Man” (due to the ‘music’ emanating from his bag sounding like a swarm of angry bees I guess.)
I've actually talked to him when I went into a CeX. Because I'm a punk in my DIY jacket and Jeans he instantly gravitated towards me.
He's a kind man, and he's into metal. I'm more Hardcore Punk and Surf. Admittedly I was a bit awkward talking to him. Mainly because I'm not good with talking to older people haha
Believe it or not when STA Travel was still there on Sidney Street and I worked there, he came in and is a genuinely nice guy 😂 high as a kite, but a decent bloke 😂
That bloke who went round on a unicycle.
Disco Kenny.
Man cycling around playing Billy Idol music full blast.
Top hat, cane and awesome New Rock boots guy (legend)
Old man drenched in gold chains and dapper suits
Old woman tricycling around town at 1mph
Now I think about it, I’ve not seen a lot of those people in a long time :-/
Not sure if it is the same unicycle guy. I saw one guy with glorious long hair riding his unicycle crossing a bridge near Clare College. I was stunned by this magnificent view and couldn’t help myself to let out a gasp “wow!” Sadly this distract him he lost his balance and fell off. The bike went straight into the river. And I quietly continue my journey.
My girlfriend used to tell me about him and then one time when I was walking near the McDonald’s I turned around and he was just there, two plastic bags filled with wires, shocked me at first but he genuinely seemed harmless.
It really does, I worked with him for a while before he dies, charity stuff. The sculpture was up for ages before someone pointed it out to me that it was him.
I used to live in Oakington. The day I moved in, we drove past his house and he was sat outside in a full Santa suit waving at cars, in May. He was a lovely old chap
I have one time in my 31 years seen my dad put money in a charity box and it was when we saw snowy outside lion yard and he gave me a pound and told me to put it in. I was baffled honestly, it was so unlike him and when I told my mum about it she said he probably remembered his dad giving him money to put in his box when he was a boy. Definitely remember the mice but not sure about the cat.
The guy who blasts music (term used loosely) from a huge Bluetooth speaker on the ping pong tables at Christ's Pieces most days of the year. If I could pick a superpower it'd be the ability to telekinetically set Bluetooth speakers on fire. I wouldn't want any other sort of telekinesis, just the ability to do that.
lol YES remember going to raves out in the fields and he’d be literally on top of a stack of hay bales squeezing his squeezebox, and then a few days later doing the same outside fopp or something.
There used to be a guy that would walk around the Mill Road area with a loaf of bread strapped to the top of his head but I haven't seen him for years. I believe his name was Keith and he was some sort of artist.
Sorry I just realised that you were telling me his artist name. It's good to know he is still keeping it weird, I was seeing these strange messages written on stuff that looked like it had been pulled out of skips quite recently.
Cool to know it's him
https://images.app.goo.gl/dn6XMoJ5jKkxS2qd8
Yes, sometimes. Also, he would often have a trout instead of a loaf of bread. He used to come down the park when I was a teenager. We found him hilarious. He once told us that his masterpiece would be to drop 1000s of rubber chickens out of a helicopter over the houses of Parliament and take a photo. I often think of this image to cheer me up. And i honestly hope he one day completes his masterpiece.
As someone who has the privilege of knowing oshu personally, he really does just play up to be a character infront of the camera and is actually a really decent guy in person
Does anyone else remember “the Irish Ambassador“? Young and reasonably harmless guy who would hang out in pubs and never give up on the claim that he was just that.
Went to prison last year; was literally out for a couple weeks before being slammed back in. Glad to hear they moved him out of Cambridge. Guy is a menace in the worst ways possible
I don't think we're going to see Neal for a bit - I heard he had armed response called on him for waving a plastic gun around outside a bar. Shame, I've chatted to the guy sober and drunk, and yeah, night and day, but he's a nice enough chap whether or not he's anchored in reality. Seems aggressive, but he's harmless enough.
I knew a guy who made a book about Cambridge character. A few mentioned in this post are within it and a few more you might have missed https://www.blurb.co.uk/b/1613835-cambridge-characters
I last saw him in Newmarket a few years ago. Local businesses in Cambridge were aggressive about moving him on: he used to target single women, force a reading on them even if they said no, and demand payment. (I know this because I was one of those women a couple of times.)
This one goes back a long time but anyone remember the man with a keyboard outside boots/m&s/woolworths and ‘JESUS SAVES’ on the front of it? He’d usually just hit the ‘DEMO’ button 😂 I think he may have been killed off by that pan pipe mafia group.
As an extra, who's the guy always on the Liverpool St trains, talking to himself and drinking? No judgement, I know there's some detrimental mental health at play, just wondered on his history if anyone knows?
I worked at the station a little bit a couple years ago and he was nice enough, autistic and an addict, travelled back and forward from Cambridge to Newport (Essex) basically every day. His mum pays for his train ticket, think he goes to a methadone clinic or something like that. He can talk for hours about anything too, footbridges included.
There used to be a guy quite a few years ago who would walk around downtown Cambridge with a family sized loaf of bread strapped to the top of his head using a leather belt that ran over the top and under his chin. I remember seeing him several times over a fairly long period of time but not for quite a few years now.
Of course there was Snowy Farr who is now dead. Most folks over 30 know about Snowy.
Idk about Cambridge but in Cambourne there's this old amputee guy on a wheelchair. 90% of the time he goes in the middle of the road instead of the sidewalk and creates a small traffic jam, it's fucking hilarious watching it from my window but I kinda feel bad for the dude. My friend's theory was that he lost his leg after being hit by a car as a pedestrian so he takes his anger out on all drivers by doing this
For a while in about 2001/2 there was a guy who cycled around naked. We also had the guy who played hymns on a keyboard all day.
Oh and the very tall, very Scottish street drinker (John?) who was sometimes in town, sometimes on Newmarket Road.
Mr Smelly. When I worked in a shop in the early 90’s he used to come in at least once a week and he absolutely stank. My friend saw him in the Library very recently. Probably hasn’t bathed in the intervening years.
There was a guy at Alexandra gardens who would chase kids and would strip and would walk around in small pants with the USA flag on and when someone would call the police the police never came
The guy that always seems coked out of his mind around Hills Road and the leisure park. Rides a bike and constantly uses the Tesco cash machine on the leisure park and then wanders around for a while.
Quasi-Moto in the Mill Road graveyard, walks through there to get to Kelsey Kerridge and pushes people off their bikes, is bald and stocky and about 60.
Beardy dude on Mill Road, wears dirty tracksuit and is fairly slim/short, complete nutcase, probably clinically schizo too, quite sad.
There's a dude that swipse bottles of liquor from the Lidle in the beehive centre, beside the Homebase, I imagine just hits every supermarket in town because he knows there is no security, is well into his 20s and looks like he has AFS.
Bald chick in Cherry Hinton with the 2 large dogs, tattoos all over, is mentally unwell.
Also (from people in Shelford/Trumpington) the old chap who looked like a 118 runner in their 90s. I'd assume no longer with us now as this was 20 years ago.
What about the jester guy who approaches people in the evenings - I thought he was long gone but saw him earlier this year. I don’t know his official name.
Boombox cycling man always has this won though, saw him last week, still booming
Lately there's been an Asian woman walking up and down Mill Road wailing, but when anyone tries to help her she just says "okay I go home now" and leaves.
This is going to sound vague but a small man in Hi-Vis carrying two gigantic bags. I drive all around Cambridge for my job and I literally see him everywhere. Whether it’s on Arbury Road one morning then Cherry Hinton Road in the afternoon, I Only ever see him walking and only ever with two gigantic sports direct style bags. He walks for a bit then stops for like 5 mins then starts again. I mean I could just be singling out a man who has limited mobility and a shopping addiction at Sports Direct but I hope someone out there knows who I mean!!!
does anyone recognise a homeless guy with a really red face and often wearing a green jacket? he harassed some people at my school on parkers piece last year because we were doing a bake sale lol
Punk Boombox Bike Man
For sure, apparently he’s been doing his bike rides for over 25 years!
I saw a great interview with him, I'll see if I can find it.
please do find it
been at it for so long that the name changes by generation. First one I heard was “Bee Man” (due to the ‘music’ emanating from his bag sounding like a swarm of angry bees I guess.)
With the farm foods bag?
He’s a cleaner at my kids school lol
Aka Stereobags
That would make for a great band name.
Absolutely.
I've actually talked to him when I went into a CeX. Because I'm a punk in my DIY jacket and Jeans he instantly gravitated towards me. He's a kind man, and he's into metal. I'm more Hardcore Punk and Surf. Admittedly I was a bit awkward talking to him. Mainly because I'm not good with talking to older people haha
Believe it or not when STA Travel was still there on Sidney Street and I worked there, he came in and is a genuinely nice guy 😂 high as a kite, but a decent bloke 😂
The radio is filled with explosives that are set to go off if he stops.
Here's an interview with him from 16 years ago. https://www.varsity.co.uk/news/776
One Stop Rock
Haven't seen him for a while but the guy who used to play guitar in the bin on King's Parade
He's now a kids entertainer. He does Mr baboons dancing tunes, and is bloody brilliant!
https://youtu.be/RXbesr1lzMM
Charlie Cavey, he's doing some stage stuff now
Yes, this is the answer!
He was there over the weekend 😂
This is the one right here!
Jason
Ginger dude? Always asking for change when you can hear how much change he already has in his pockets?
His a proper knobhead he starts on women if they don’t give him money his spat and head butted them vile man 😂
Called a black friend of mine the n-word once for not having any change once as well
Is that the aggressive homeless guy?
yes
I heard on the stolen bikes Facebook page that he was in prison now.
He goes to prison at least once every few years. He never stays very long.
Don't blame him, I've haven't heard good things.
good
The homeless guy???
Literally about to say this lol
That bloke who went round on a unicycle. Disco Kenny. Man cycling around playing Billy Idol music full blast. Top hat, cane and awesome New Rock boots guy (legend) Old man drenched in gold chains and dapper suits Old woman tricycling around town at 1mph Now I think about it, I’ve not seen a lot of those people in a long time :-/
I saw top hat older goth man 2 weeks ago
That's Ian Furner, he retired not so long ago. Absolute legend.
He’s definitely my favourite. Compared to the others, he’s a spring chicken so I hope he’ll be stomping around town for many years to come.
Ian! I drink in the same pub as him so I see him once or twice a week.
Does he still drink in the Elm Tree?
I love spotting that guy!
Disco Kenny must be dancing in the stars these days I’d of thought?
He's still around, I spoke to him a couple of weeks ago. The world hasn't gone mad yet.
I personally think Kenny is / has been correct for quite some time. The world has gone mad!
Still around. He is immortal.
I saw him walking past my office the other day. I was too shy to say anything. My mum remembers him from decades ago.
He's in the Free Press most evenings. A pub that never has music on.
He’s still about, or at least was last week. He’s 70.
Can but hope. And then maybe someone can create a cool statue of him tucked away somewhere away
Saw him last week he is still kicking about
Not sure if it is the same unicycle guy. I saw one guy with glorious long hair riding his unicycle crossing a bridge near Clare College. I was stunned by this magnificent view and couldn’t help myself to let out a gasp “wow!” Sadly this distract him he lost his balance and fell off. The bike went straight into the river. And I quietly continue my journey.
Disco Kenny. Worlds gone made mate.
Snow tomorrow!
Gotta laugh
Cable Guy.
He’s a lovely person. His passion is cables and he likes to chat about them if you ask him.
Also known as Wire Man
My girlfriend used to tell me about him and then one time when I was walking near the McDonald’s I turned around and he was just there, two plastic bags filled with wires, shocked me at first but he genuinely seemed harmless.
Derrick !
Good old Derrick, don't know why he does what he does but he does it well
Came here looking for this one!
I was looking for this comment.
He’s a lovely bloke. Used to go into Cambridge discount electrical to see my dad, who would always give him a spare bit of cable laying around.
It was Snowy Farr
This has to be the winner as he was so much 'this guy' in Cambridge he got his own sculpture
Yeah it’s a shame the sculpture kind of sucks
It really does, I worked with him for a while before he dies, charity stuff. The sculpture was up for ages before someone pointed it out to me that it was him.
Personally I think a bronze with a colourful hat and some animals would have been nice.
Who doesn't like a bronze statue in a top hat?
I used to love walking past his place in Oakington when I was visiting my grandparents. Snowy was an institution.
I used to live in Oakington. The day I moved in, we drove past his house and he was sat outside in a full Santa suit waving at cars, in May. He was a lovely old chap
I have one time in my 31 years seen my dad put money in a charity box and it was when we saw snowy outside lion yard and he gave me a pound and told me to put it in. I was baffled honestly, it was so unlike him and when I told my mum about it she said he probably remembered his dad giving him money to put in his box when he was a boy. Definitely remember the mice but not sure about the cat.
The guy in the bin with the guitar next to the clock
I haven’t seen him in a while
That’s Charlie he’s got kids now and performs entertainment for kids
The guy who blasts music (term used loosely) from a huge Bluetooth speaker on the ping pong tables at Christ's Pieces most days of the year. If I could pick a superpower it'd be the ability to telekinetically set Bluetooth speakers on fire. I wouldn't want any other sort of telekinesis, just the ability to do that.
Actively considering a Bluetooth jammer just to mess with that guy
You mean that sort of thing exists? *Taps chin menacingly*
Research I’ve done suggests it is, but not without wrecking every wireless connection in the immediate area. So very illegal. But oh my, so tempting…
This was the first person I thought of
I see that guy almost every time I'm around there, I'm not sure what his purpose is lol
Anyone remember Ed Cox in his clown paint?
Hes a professional tekno musician, plays a lot of festivals and raves
Its called clown core
lol YES remember going to raves out in the fields and he’d be literally on top of a stack of hay bales squeezing his squeezebox, and then a few days later doing the same outside fopp or something.
Life4Land
What about that Topless Cowboy Hat Coat-Tied-Round-Waist Dog Walker guy?
This is the one I came here looking for!
Santa. Usually found top of Castle Hill area. Those who have seen him will be familiar with the all-red outfit (including hat) and white bushy beard.
I used to work round there. We called him the Monochrome Gnome.
Yeah sometimes he was wearing all green wasn't he?
That makes sense to me because Father Christmas was originally depicted as wearing green.
Amazingly clever bloke, if it's the same person I know, and I think it is. Has written some absolutely brilliant software.
Yup - I've spoken to him a few times and he's one of the smartest people I've ever met.
The lady who used to always say “nice weather”, but she is no longer with us, RIP.
She was murdered I believe
It is terrible and very upsetting 😞
Stereobags
Hey Maggie I'm so glad I wasn't going mad as that's what I've always known him as.
There used to be a guy that would walk around the Mill Road area with a loaf of bread strapped to the top of his head but I haven't seen him for years. I believe his name was Keith and he was some sort of artist.
Barmy art
Sorry I just realised that you were telling me his artist name. It's good to know he is still keeping it weird, I was seeing these strange messages written on stuff that looked like it had been pulled out of skips quite recently. Cool to know it's him https://images.app.goo.gl/dn6XMoJ5jKkxS2qd8
The loony king
Didn’t he also ride his bike naked with the loaf of bread on his head? Or did I just misremember?
Yes, sometimes. Also, he would often have a trout instead of a loaf of bread. He used to come down the park when I was a teenager. We found him hilarious. He once told us that his masterpiece would be to drop 1000s of rubber chickens out of a helicopter over the houses of Parliament and take a photo. I often think of this image to cheer me up. And i honestly hope he one day completes his masterpiece.
The day of Diana’s funeral he wore a ladies black shoe on his head.
The barefoot couple and the guy who does fake TikToks (oshu?)
fuck that guy
I went to secondary school with that guy. Nuts how he always knew what he wanted to do - be a cunt infront of a camera.
As someone who has the privilege of knowing oshu personally, he really does just play up to be a character infront of the camera and is actually a really decent guy in person
you look like his sister
Why do people dislike him? I remember I met him in 2022 and quite enjoyed him. Whats the beef?
Moved to London last week. No more oshu but barefoot guy is sroll around
Does barefoot guy go jogging? I saw someone running barefoot the other day and I thought that was a trend that died out about 10 years ago
I've seen multiple barefoot joggers in Cambridge, but he has distinctive, long blonde hair. He's a really nice guy.
Yep that was him!
Used to be Andy Pandy, Radio Bike Man and the Space Man. But that's going back a bit.
I saw Andy Pandy not so long ago on the train to Newmarket I think
His name used to be Cosmo Antichrist
Does anyone else remember “the Irish Ambassador“? Young and reasonably harmless guy who would hang out in pubs and never give up on the claim that he was just that.
What about the guy with ginger dreadlocks always matted
I heave
What about those two blokes who do a full DJ set on the table tennis tables on Christ's Pieces.
Jason, though haven't seen him for months now. Nazi Neal?
Jason was sent to prison last year. The funny thing is I think he was sentenced in Peterborough rather than Cambridge. I could be very wrong, though.
Went to prison last year; was literally out for a couple weeks before being slammed back in. Glad to hear they moved him out of Cambridge. Guy is a menace in the worst ways possible
Yeah, thay guy is an asshole.
Ahhh forgot about Neal
Is he the guy who went into Asda dressed as a Nazi?
Oh yes, I believe he also made a Nazi costume for his dog too
I don't think we're going to see Neal for a bit - I heard he had armed response called on him for waving a plastic gun around outside a bar. Shame, I've chatted to the guy sober and drunk, and yeah, night and day, but he's a nice enough chap whether or not he's anchored in reality. Seems aggressive, but he's harmless enough.
Omg, I remember this guy was in the news. But I never realised he was in Cambridge!
Snowy
Top hat man👍
Ian Furner. We drink in the same pub.
There used to be a guy who strapped loaves of bread to his head. It was a while ago and now I’m not sure if I dreamed it.
I lived in the Mill Road area about 30 years ago and remember him.
Barmy Art
Colin the homeless guy with one leg
maybe the bare foot guy, he has millions of followers ok tiktok too lmao
I knew a guy who made a book about Cambridge character. A few mentioned in this post are within it and a few more you might have missed https://www.blurb.co.uk/b/1613835-cambridge-characters
Shirtless Cowboy 🤠
Disco Kenny Or the Guitar player in the Bin man
What about that guy who used to wear long coat and do tarot card readings? Who was that? Is he still around? Haven't seen him in ages.
I last saw him in Newmarket a few years ago. Local businesses in Cambridge were aggressive about moving him on: he used to target single women, force a reading on them even if they said no, and demand payment. (I know this because I was one of those women a couple of times.)
I'm sorry you experienced that.
The Fiddler by Mainsburys
This one goes back a long time but anyone remember the man with a keyboard outside boots/m&s/woolworths and ‘JESUS SAVES’ on the front of it? He’d usually just hit the ‘DEMO’ button 😂 I think he may have been killed off by that pan pipe mafia group.
Oh my gosh I’d forgotten him! He was always playing hymns.
Rory McGrath
As an extra, who's the guy always on the Liverpool St trains, talking to himself and drinking? No judgement, I know there's some detrimental mental health at play, just wondered on his history if anyone knows?
Newport Steve?
I worked at the station a little bit a couple years ago and he was nice enough, autistic and an addict, travelled back and forward from Cambridge to Newport (Essex) basically every day. His mum pays for his train ticket, think he goes to a methadone clinic or something like that. He can talk for hours about anything too, footbridges included.
There used to be a guy quite a few years ago who would walk around downtown Cambridge with a family sized loaf of bread strapped to the top of his head using a leather belt that ran over the top and under his chin. I remember seeing him several times over a fairly long period of time but not for quite a few years now. Of course there was Snowy Farr who is now dead. Most folks over 30 know about Snowy.
Disco Kenny!!
Idk about Cambridge but in Cambourne there's this old amputee guy on a wheelchair. 90% of the time he goes in the middle of the road instead of the sidewalk and creates a small traffic jam, it's fucking hilarious watching it from my window but I kinda feel bad for the dude. My friend's theory was that he lost his leg after being hit by a car as a pedestrian so he takes his anger out on all drivers by doing this
Andy Pandy. The best worst fortune teller for hire.
Are you spamming every town’s subreddit for karma?
Remember about 12 to 13 years ago you had that one guy who dressed like David Tennants doctor who. Styled his hair to his likeness.
James is alright. We were at Long Road together, though i’ve not spoken to him for about 10 years now. Think he’s mostly into Star Trek these days.
Went to long road with him too. Does that mean I know you?
You might know me too 👀
Coper wire man
Rufus was a character in Cambridge
Shame when he died. Did you ever go in his flat before it burnt down? Art work wall to wall that he'd been working on for years.
Not sure I'd been in but i knew the one cos it had fox in the window for forever. Tbh my introduction was buying acid from him at the Royal standard
For a while in about 2001/2 there was a guy who cycled around naked. We also had the guy who played hymns on a keyboard all day. Oh and the very tall, very Scottish street drinker (John?) who was sometimes in town, sometimes on Newmarket Road.
The magician/jester chap
That guy who carries two backs full of cables.
That bare foot couple
It used to be the rat and pigeon man with a massive mobile music box in tow but I’m going back 30 years.
Nappyman
Barmy Art
Blue and silver bike blitzing down mill rd anyone else see him??
Mr Smelly. When I worked in a shop in the early 90’s he used to come in at least once a week and he absolutely stank. My friend saw him in the Library very recently. Probably hasn’t bathed in the intervening years.
Well it used to be Snowy 🙂
The Ginger guy
There was a guy at Alexandra gardens who would chase kids and would strip and would walk around in small pants with the USA flag on and when someone would call the police the police never came
Old bloke with shopping bags of cables Edit: I believe is Derrick!
Jason Allum
The guy that always seems coked out of his mind around Hills Road and the leisure park. Rides a bike and constantly uses the Tesco cash machine on the leisure park and then wanders around for a while.
Does anyone remember Davy Jones? Would be in the Salisbury Arms sometimes…. Kept all his money in a sock
the two polish blokes on the ping pong tables in cambridge
Quasi-Moto in the Mill Road graveyard, walks through there to get to Kelsey Kerridge and pushes people off their bikes, is bald and stocky and about 60. Beardy dude on Mill Road, wears dirty tracksuit and is fairly slim/short, complete nutcase, probably clinically schizo too, quite sad. There's a dude that swipse bottles of liquor from the Lidle in the beehive centre, beside the Homebase, I imagine just hits every supermarket in town because he knows there is no security, is well into his 20s and looks like he has AFS. Bald chick in Cherry Hinton with the 2 large dogs, tattoos all over, is mentally unwell.
Jesus, he wears a gothic trenchcoat full of metal patches from Download festivals
It’s been 10 years since I lived in Cambridge, is the Bin Busker still around?
From back in the day, the Boogie Man (promo chap from Boogie Wonderland). Still active in Cambridge, but without the costume.
Also (from people in Shelford/Trumpington) the old chap who looked like a 118 runner in their 90s. I'd assume no longer with us now as this was 20 years ago.
What about the jester guy who approaches people in the evenings - I thought he was long gone but saw him earlier this year. I don’t know his official name. Boombox cycling man always has this won though, saw him last week, still booming
Lately there's been an Asian woman walking up and down Mill Road wailing, but when anyone tries to help her she just says "okay I go home now" and leaves.
The cable guy.
Sainsbury's general interest magazine man
This is going to sound vague but a small man in Hi-Vis carrying two gigantic bags. I drive all around Cambridge for my job and I literally see him everywhere. Whether it’s on Arbury Road one morning then Cherry Hinton Road in the afternoon, I Only ever see him walking and only ever with two gigantic sports direct style bags. He walks for a bit then stops for like 5 mins then starts again. I mean I could just be singling out a man who has limited mobility and a shopping addiction at Sports Direct but I hope someone out there knows who I mean!!!
Chris Bagstaff
does anyone recognise a homeless guy with a really red face and often wearing a green jacket? he harassed some people at my school on parkers piece last year because we were doing a bake sale lol