The Knowhere Guide

Local Heroes in Rugby, Warwickshire*

Rugby, Warwickshire Famous Residents

Cringing Cult of Celebrity (Famous residents and ex-residents.)

• Billy J Kramer married the secretary of his fan club, a Rugby girl, and lived with her in Bilton during the 70's. I met him in the Black Horse once. Perhaps he's still there.
• Remember House of Love? No? Well, you have to be a certain age. However their lead singer was one Guy Chadwick, a Rugbyite born and bred. He and his chums started as a punk band at the beginning of the punk era. Think they were called Flying Teeth - used to play upstairs at the Woolpack.
• Joel Senior of the mighty No Remote, he also worked in thresher next to GT opposite Lawrence Sheriff School
• the dude who used to play the fat beardy florist from eastenders lived here before he kicked it.
• spacmen fucking three.
• Thomas Hughes..author of 'Tom Brown's School Days' went to Rugby School and based the book on his own experiences. Sir Frank Whittle..inventor of the jet engine. William Webb Ellis..inventor of Rugby football. Rupert Brooke..WW1 soldier, pupil of Rugby School, poet. King Edward VII..opened the temple speech room in 1909. Harry Enfield..i cant remember why,he may have gone to rugby school.
• Michael Keith Dachtler - former resident of Fisher Avenue, Michael has had an illustrious career in television -- with numerous appearances on the Flintstones Series in the US (not out here yet, im afraid) He is currently working as a researcher on Bargain Hunt
• PINKERTONS ASSORTED COLOURS!
• Spiritualized are a rugby band, the keyboardist went to my high school
• the police man off Allo Allo
• Sir Frank Whittle (inventor of the jet engine) and loads more that i can't be bothered to mention
• Alice in Wounderland was written in Rugby The holagrame was invented in rugby A P.M. came from rugby The jet engine was invented in Rugby The spark plug was invented in Rugby
• Dave Tree, from 70's show 'Up The Tree'. This shite cost him his career.
• Ex-England Hooker Richard Cockerill used to play for Newbold RFC (my old club)
• Peter Purves moved to Rugby for about 6 years from about late 89 onwards, he lived in the old vicarage in Bilton and sent his daughter to ashlawn school
• As documented elsewhere, Jason Pierce and Pete kember met at rugby art college, to form Spacemen 3, a seminal important alternative band from 1986 - 1991, after taking far too many drugs than is healthy (the music press nicknamed the town drugby) they split to form spiritualized and spectrum respectively, spiritualized were awarded album of the year by the nme in 1997, whilst Spectrum havent done anything listenable since. Wisely, Pierce has chosen to leave the town, whilst Pete Kember, Pete Bain and other members of the various line ups of Spacemen 3, Spiritualized and Spectrum can be spotted watching bands at the back of the Fitchew & Firkin. Kate Radley former keyboardist in Spiritualized is now married to Richard Ashcroft of the Verve. Judy Simpson (Nightshade From Gladiators) went to Dunsmore School For Girls, not the Harris, as my mum taught her...
• How could you all have forgotten the famous bands that started in Rugby - especially Spiritualized and the others that lead up to it. The members of these bands used to hang about in my house with my kids day after day in the '80's. To be truthfu; I can only remember that one name but there seemed to be a lot of them and they changed every week or so.
• As you will realise if you pick up a copy of the local newspaper(without putting it down quickly again), the Rugby Advertiser, Rugby likes to think of itself as a great place to be, it uses the fact that lots of dead blokes once either lived here (for very short periods of time) or once passed through having gotton lost on the way to somewhere much more exciting for example lets say anywhere. Probably the most famous person from Rugby who's alive, if not the only famous person, is Arthur Bostrom, of course how could you forget this wonderful character actor who has not been of our screens since he was a small boy, or wait of course you will have forgotton him as he only played the English bloke pretending to be a french policeman in 'allo 'allo.
• Peter Purves of Blue Peter? Before I believe that I will need the address and the dates. I lived in Rugby 1960 - 1978 and I never heard he was knocking around.
• richard cokerell - england hooker(rugby team) judy simpson - nightshade william webb ellis andy king m.p - been on central weekend!
• Nightshade from the Gladiators Rupert Brooke William Web Ellis
• William Webb Ellis, Rugby schoolboy who cheated at football and so invented the game of Rugby. True. Rupert Brooke, War poet Mr Bostrom, the policeman from "'Allo allo"
• Rugby people don't do fame
• Peter Purvis (ex-Blue Peter presenter) Judy Simpson (athlete)
• Nightshade from 'gladiators' went to Harris school

Buskers, Street Entertainers

• What happened to that bloke that used to stand outide WH Smiths singing his heart out?. We called him the Clock Towers Crooner.
• personally the best busker i have seen i think died so you missed that one, there is abloke with a recorder near the bank but he just gets annoying after awhile. oh and your guarenteed to be harassed by someone selling the big issue outside whsmith
• Loads of Stick-wielding, Tune-Crooning, Anorak-Sporting, HEADERS. They're only in-breds, quite harmless. But, the tunes are seriously offal.
• Some weird woman who wonders about stoned. Always worth a laugh!!!
• The bloke outside McDonalds has pissed off so theres none. We get some tramps thinking they can sing but they can't so no-one gives them cash so they piss off too.
• Cool old guy who sings ballads outside WH Smiths
• Rugby's crowning glory is a little man who stands on the corner of WH Smiths and sings very badly and very loud.

The Knowhere Guide started out as a list of places to skateboard in the UK. It is a compilation of (unedited) information and views supplied by users like yourself. It is not a conventional tourist guide!

In most cases, the information in each section has been submitted by more than one contributor (the credits at the bottom of the page list some, but not all, of the contributors) and some of it dates back to the 1970s.

We make no claims as to the accuracy of the information in the Guide - our only purpose is to provide a forum for users to share their knowledge and opinions. So please keep a large bag of salt handy and be prepared to read between the lines!

If you disagree with a comment, or information is out of date, please submit an update! The contributors come from all walks of life, and their opinions are bound to be subjective, so if your view isn't represented, please speak up and contribute to the balance of the Guide. See below in the 'Have Your Say' section for how to add your voice.

If we have helped you out or made you laugh you can buy us a pint.

Have Your Say...

You can tell us more about Rugby. This is also the method to use if you want to correct some of the information already here. (But please remember you're not mailing the person who actually wrote whatever-it-is.)

You can use the add an event form to tell us about events happening in Rugby.

Or, if you'd just like to leave a message for other users of this site, take a look at The Knowhere Board (handy if you're just trying to get in touch with someone).

Credits

Last updated: 2007-06-26