Huddersfield eccentric Jake Mangle-Wurzel will be 80 on Sunday.
Even he admits he’s lucky to be still here after a life which has had its fair share of ups and downs.
Jake says: “Considering I could have been dead at 18 in 1956 I am delighted to be still enjoying more than 60 years of rescued time. As a genuine Marshan who won’t make it to 90 I recently gave myself the birthday prezzie of a first ever tattoo in a very prominent place, clearing messaging ‘up theirs’ to the many earthlings who disapprove of what they think I’ve been doing with my life, rescuing it from suicidal despair 40 years ago.”
And he has now summed up his life in one quote: “For over 40 years I’ve been entertaining and educating myself by design and the rest of the world by accident.”
He added: “This makes a lot more sense than some of the quotes churned out by A and B list celebrities.”
In more recent times Jake has been dogged by bad luck ... but he’s carried on regardless.
A fire gutted his cottage at Peat Ponds on Lindley Moor in July 2010.
He moved into a static caravan next to his home but that was destroyed by another blaze in April 2015.
He now lives in another caravan there with his dog Willie Wurzel.
Jake was born John Gray on May 20, 1938.
The former lorry driver, who served in the RAF police, was married in his younger days but divorced shortly after his wife had their daughter.
Earlier in his life Jake suffered severe depression and his bizarre new life helped bring him back from the brink.
He changed his name to Jake Jonathon Zebedee Mangle-Wurzel although this is just one of his assumed names.
Jake has also been called Sir Thomas Henry Erasmus Occupier, or THE Occupier, possibly to confuse the postman.
He added: “May I wish all Huddersfudlians a very happy weekend and toast Harry and Meghan’s special day while not forgetting old Jakey, Willie Wurzel and their friends.”
