RICK Welburn from Shepley asked about old Huddersfield characters of the past.

In particular, he asked for more information about a chap called Admiral and a horse rider who got arrested for riding bareback through town.

Readers, as always, responded.

Eric Wood said: “I worked on Shambles Lane from 1950-1970 and, as you can imagine, we were not short of characters.

“Engine George, who you mentioned in your column, had a two wheeled long handled cart in which he collected anything and everything that fell from the stalls.

“When we heard him choo-chooing along (George made the noise himself) we would drop something for him to pick up.

“Another one was Cowboy Bill who was the fastest draw outside of the Picturedrome. He would walk on the lane with his hands on his hips and challenge us to who was the fastest draw. Harry and Violet from Crosland Moor were two more regulars.

“Harry would push Violet round in an old Silver Cross pram.

“We also had a man who played the violin who slept in the brick kilns down the Ainleys.

“He was covered in red brick dust and, on request, he would play a tune for us for a few coppers. Some of the characters even followed us into the Queensgate market. These were happy days.”

Jeff Milner from Digley said: “Admiral North was a tatter, quite often working in the Lockwood area, where I grew up.

“At one time he lived in a scrap car in a scrapyard somewhere in the Damside area and was seen early one winter’s morning, breaking the ice on a barrel of water to wash his face.

“When someone stole his pram one time he said to me in the White Lion in Lockwood: ‘It might just be a pram to you, but it’s my bread and butter.’

“The other character was Aaron Lee, better known as Bonny Lee. He did business with his horse and cart but was, in fact, in court twice within days for riding bareback through Huddersfield.

“On the first occasion, late one Friday night, I actually followed him in my car on Lockwood Road and up Chapel Hill.

“It was amusing to say the least. Bonny and Admiral were around at the same time in the early sixties.”

Billy Kendall, of Waterloo, said: “In the 1950s my dad was the landlord of the Commercial Inn at Folly Hall, Lockwood.

“I was in my teens then (happy days). Admiral North used to leave his pram outside, have a few beers, then go on his way.

“I seem to remember he once got arrested for being drunk in charge of a pram.

“There was another fellow who used to come in, I think his name was Bonny Lee, and he would sing.

“Those were the days of pianos in pubs. People would call in and having a sing song. There were all sorts of characters in the good old days.”

Stephen Pickup recalled a chap called Hopkinson of Aspley Basin. “He travelled around with his horse and cart and used to sell everything from pottery, china and firewood, even Dolly Blue,’’ said Stephen. “We called him The Pop Man.”

Mary Chambers told me: “Admiral North and Bonny Lee both came from Lockwood, where I was born, and they were lovely, lovely gentle men.

“Bonny would bring his horse to our house for a visit. He would put his arms round it and sing to it. He loved that horse.

“Admiral was a ragman and one day I gave him a sports jacket and trousers that belonged to my husband Norman. I even gave him a tie. Norman came in the next day and said, By heck but Admiral is looking smart. I said, he should be. He’s wearing your clothes.”