This is not a very clear image but its of a well known, well liked character that lots of people seem to remember Giggy Moon. He followed the Portrack Shamrocks, the local football team and he always had time for everyone.
Photograph and information courtesy of Bob Harbron.
Does anyone remember another Stockton character Billy Cockle ?
Hi never ever saw him but heard lots of tales of him chasing people around Bowesfield Lane and Parkfield area.This was in the mid 1950s.
I remember Billy Cockles. He lived, I think in Moat Street in Parkfield. He used to wander the streets, was very bad-tempered and would yell at us kids. We were scared stiff of him!
I remember him well, around Portrack, sometimes with his sister Doris Moon.
Does anybody remember the African-Caribbean homeless fella that used to wander Stockton High Street in the early to mid 1980s? He would walk up and down the street literally all day and night muttering to himself and pointing at things. He often had a guitar. He had access to money because I used to see him at the cash machines withdrawing cash.
I have always wondered what happened to him because he just seemed to vanish and was never seen again.Who was he? What was his story? Anybody know please?
Yes I remember him, we knew him as “Jamaica Joe” but I don’t know if Joe was his actual name. He was always around Dovecote street area. Sorry I don’t know anything about him or where he went.
I think his real name was Edgar.
I know somebody that worked at the Hostel he used to stay at.
Your right he would walk around pointing at things and mutter.
He used to wear a light khaki army type jacket he seemed pretty harmless.
Funny how people can drift in and out of the community without people even knowing their name and yet are still remembered by some.
Bit like Big Hec turning up in the pubs in Stockton in the 80s and shaking his charity bucket for your spare change!
We knew him as Edgar the itinerant rastafarian
I remember him his hair was all over the place there was another old fella he was called Dennis.
Giggy Moon Stories bring back memories as an nine years old going to see the Man in the Iron mask at the Empire Cinema about 1944 waiting in the line up to get into the stalls seats at 6 pence, Giggy asked me for a Penny, Giggy asking this time, not a fag as was his usual greeting, I gave him a Penny and on getting seated in stalls eventually found Giggy waving to me from the dress circle with a big smile on face. A love able Character sometimes abused by those that did not know him. Giggy also had a Knack of getting into wedding photos outside the Old Church in the High street Stockton . My brother has a beauty of him looking into the wedding car. This Cinema trip was very clear in my mind as half way through the picture I felt very hot and dizzy so I went straight Home and it turned out I had double Pneumonia. The doctors in the ambulance that took me to Hospital told my mother not to expect me back as it was so serious, but I recovered as would have it…
Thinking about my Hospital stay of about three weeks I lived on Lucozade and MB tablets, whatever they were, as there was no penicillin at that time. After recovering I found out that for the first two weeks in the ward I had been in the bed next to the exit door as I was told later they always put the patients in the bed nearest to the exit door that they expect to die, so that when they come to recover the body for the morgue they do not disturb the rest of he patients in the ward. Whether this is true or false I am glad I did not know this snippet while I was sick.
In the 1950’s when football teams were playing on Tilery rec Giggy would run the line waving his hat and shouting off side. Sometimes causing a bit of confusion
In another post I mentioned if the playwright William Shakespeare had been born and brought up in Stockton and produced his famous plays at the Globe Theatre, Stockton, instead of the Globe Theatre, London, then I surmised, Shakespeare might well have written a play called “Romeo and Juliet meet Giggy Moon.” I would hazard a guess that if a present day Stockton Amateur Theatre Group did put on a such a play as a Xmas Pantomime, it would be a big hit in the Stockton, Billingham and Thornaby areas?.
Gizza fag, Gizza fag. I think they are the only words I ever heard Giggy utter. Real Stockton character back in the day.
Gigi used to scare us. We lived in the same circle of houses in Victoria. Gi’ tab was all he said. Doris used to shout like hell if we were anywhere near the back step she guarded. The elder brother was tall and thin with a cap. Raymond I think he was called.
i remember them all. The good old days.
Ruthie used to operate in the Parish Churchyard when I was a young boy in the late 50s. We used to dare each other to sneak up to her workshop behind an outbuilding and ran away when discovered. Early carnal knowledge.
Another local character was Ruthie Bollands… anyone have any memories of her?
I remember Giggy, he lived on the Victoria estate, in the 60s, lived with his sister and brothers.
As I age, it is becoming more and more difficult to sit back in an armchair and recall people’s faces, more often than not, I end up saying “I recall the name but not the face.” Which causes me to ask: “What was it about Giggy, that makes us able to instantly picture him?.” Why does his face come to mind immediately, and we can visualise him stood outside the Odeon, stood on Dovecot Street Corner, or wandering around the market? I’m certain I once saw him selling newspapers outside the Odeon? and looking very smart coming out of a Nursing Home at the top-of-Durham Road, R.I.P Giggy.
I remember Giggy in Yarm telling stores to us kids and making us laugh. He used to sit in the bus shelter and tell his stories and then say “giz a tab” to anyone passing. He used to get them from us when we were in our teens.
I remember my dad telling me stories about Giggy Moon, Shimmer Nelson and other characters from Portrack. My dad was Amos Lambert. Does any one remember him from Bailey Street Boys?
Alan, are the you one that served his time as a fitter at Head Wrightsons, Thornaby?
I would suggest that to be ‘a true Stocktonian’, meaning a man or woman of impeccable Stockton Town credentials and provenance, then, you would have known Giggy Moon, or you should have seen him out and about in the High Street, and/or the real clincher for you to be allowed to enter the winner’s circle, was to have been asked by him in person to ‘giz a tab’. What people should remember about Giggy is: He was never depressed, he was always happy and cheerful and having met him you ‘smiled’ maybe for the first time in weeks, he was Stockton’s own George Formby, Norman Wisdom or Jimmy James all rolled into one.
About going to watch the Shamrocks play I remember getting into a big car which held about 10 people, the headlights where like footballs. I used to be in the same class as John Cuttler, his dad Jacky played for the Shamrocks. We were only kids at the time but they squeezed us in the car. Good old days.
I remember Doris falling over outside of Dunns shop on the cobble streets and she laid flat out and would not move until Jack Dunn came out with the brandy bottle that brought her around I think it became a regular occurance.
Regarding Lesley Moon (Gigi). He was a character of Portrack. My dad used to take him all over (Freddy). Good memories.
I can remember both of the Moons making regular trips to Yarm, always saw them on the Cross Keys side of the town but never the other. ‘Giz a tab’ often heard when Giggy was about.
Im 13 years old so I dont know ‘Giggy’ myself but my Granddad once told me about when he was going round with the blind card and he crossed the names out, he would go round and say ‘whats your name’ and cross it out. My Grandad said ‘he was a good laugh, always in The Portrack, good times’.
GIGGY’S ELDERLY MOTHER HAD TO GO THROUGH TO GET HIM.
Re. Giggy and the nasty tricks people played on him. When Stockton High Street was being relayed 1950ish he would mix with the workmen and they gave him food. The workmen put laxative chocolate in sandwiches for him.
Yes poor old Giggy did have quite a bit to contend with in his life. I remember an incident about 1960/61, Giggy was in the snack bar situated in the Empire arcade (any one remember it?) near to the entrance of Sloan’s snooker hall and some unkind person pinched the cap from his head, Giggy got very distressed over this incident. But this dumping trip in a strange town must have been a real nightmare for him, does anybody know how he managed to get back home or who indeed would do such a thing???
Pete’s snack bar my Mam Mary Quinn worked there.
Giggy’s name was definitely Leslie. I am sorry to say that every so often there would be a gang of small kids in the 7-10 age range, walking after him and calling him names. Giggy would turn and shamble towards them, making a not very effective effort to get rid of them. But if one of the older adults from Portrack saw what was going on, they would shout and chase the gang off. This contrasts with the degenerative behaviour of the 1970s. By that time Giggy would have been quite old, adding to his other ‘challenges’. As a ‘treat’, he was given a trip to Thirsk and then dumped and left to find his own way home.
Lesley was his brother.
Raymond was his brother.
I do not know this gentleman but have read he followed Portrack Shamrocks. My Uncle Henry, Henry Mason Harris played for that team. Do anyone know or remember Hi? Sandra Dover
Yes Henry Harris worked at Stockton Forge, he also played for Head Wrightsons & Primrose Hill, he also played cricket for Head Wrightsons.
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I read with interest the comments about ‘Giggy’ Moon – my mother, who was born in 1926 remembers him well and told me that my father would often buy him a pint and some cigarettes in the Portrack pub and sometimes in the Prince of Wales pub, as did many other people who lived in the Portrack area. Regarding his first name, my mother is quite certain and without any doubt that Giggy’s first name was Lesley – but she also confirmed that he had a younger brother called Raymond and two sisters, one of which was called Doris.
The Moons moved from Portrack to St. Marys Close, my grandparents had the flat above them. Lesley, Raymond and Doris were all characters, and harmless. Their mother was a lovely lady, Gran would take me down to their flat to chat to mrs on and the flat was spottlessly clean. Unfortunately after Mrs Moon and Doris died I believe Lesley and Raymond had to go into a nursing home.
My Grandparents lived in the flat above the Moons, Leslie, Raymond and Doris were characters, but very harmless, their mother was a lovely lady, Doris looked after her mam very well. The flat was spotless, but very small don’t know how they all managed to fit in. I believe once their mother died, Doris looked after her brothers, sadly she died and the boys went into I think a nursing home.
I had some of the best bank holidays and new years in the blood tub in the early 70s & then we used to go in the Prince. The bus trips Dot Patterson had, God they were good times! I lived near Giggy and his family on Victoria, I think they lived in St Marys Close they had a sister who lived in Paxton Close.