Red’s presence could not be ignored — his deep, bellowing voice, unfiltered and booming across the streets; his warm greetings to complete strangers; his tattooed face and hair dyed red.
Pirate or Red, he lived a life half on water, half on land. His narrowboat was camouflaged with a tarpaulin, flying a pirate flag on the Thames.
A familiar figure on the benches of Abbey Gardens, he shared long hours with friends. He was hired as security at a supermarket during the fair — a presence both trusted and intimidating. I heard he was a keen gardener, proud of his small patch of green. A man who knew suffering yet still helped others. On his Facebook page, he shared a quote: “The depth of your spiritual awakening is very much connected to the amount of darkness and pain you’ve gone through in your life …”
For the last decade and a half, he had been an Abingdon fixture since buying a narrowboat and moving here to start a new life. Somebody once did a video documentary of his previous life on YouTube but I don’t think its there any more. There was kindness and chaos — many saw a friendly soul, some found him threatening. In recent months, people wondered where he had gone. There were rumours about his health.
In the last few days, those rumours turned to news of his death, confirmed by an article in the Oxford Mail.
Those who knew him will remember him in their own way — but no one will forget him.
P.S. I must have a picture of him somewhere but used this one of red tulips in the Abbey Gardens where he often sat.
LoL – “his warm greetings to complete strangers” – not when I saw him threatening some friendly buskers playing summer music by the ice cream hut, who happened to wake him up at 2pm. Good riddance
We all have our faults and flaws, Steve, but what you said is just nasty. RIP Red.
He was always a jolly friendly fellow in my experience.
It seems some people could not get over how he looked? Judging books by the cover etc.
I don’t think it is very classy to be rubbishing someone who has just died in any case. RIP Red.
I remember the narrow boat well and seen Red around Abingdon and in the Punch Bowl . A gentleman. When I lived in Abingdon. RiP Red.
Agreed – I’ll miss him although appreciate he was a bit of a marmite fellow.
I definitely think there are times where if you can’t think if something nice to say it’s better to say nothing
He was not marmite- he was a violent thug who threatened and intimidated people going about their business – not by his looks as some have suggested but by his actions (both verbal and physical assault). While I don’t wish death on anyone, let’s not gloss over the facts
Some people seem to have forgotten the goose incident. That was not a subjective judgement.