The Knowhere Guide

Local Heroes in York, North Yorkshire*

York, North Yorkshire Famous Residents

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

• The only two I know of are Dame Judy Dench (who protects the ducks on the river and has a bit of street named after her) and a guy called Berwick Kayler - who appears to be really famous in York and is the star of all the panto's but has never been heard of by anyone outside the York ring road - a bizzar phenomenon.
• John Baker, crime writer, author of the Sam Turner novels, set in York. Jenny Roberts, crime writer, author of Needle Point.
• Script writer of Space Island and Truth or Dare, James Richards
• Mark Addy! Main star of Hollywood flump, The Flintstones, Viva Rock Vegas, and The Full Monty! What a guy...
• Dame Judi Dench
• Harry Enfiled is usually in york and rio ferdinand loves the place, i must have seen him about 5 times.
• ERIK BLOODAXE
• hunter off gladiaters - faggot. pierce brosnan - pierce mccavity more like. who cares about these vacuous sluts?
• Guy Faukes
• Howard Marks has recently moved to the city. I lugged a tv down to his flat for him, and he signed my copy 'Fuzzy Logic' by Super Furry Animals, then offered me a joint. Very nice bloke
• Dame Judy Dench
• David Bowies fuckin Dad
• Timothy Burke of york is now one of the leading gay rights activists in Britain. I saw him on the telly yesterday.
• Shed 7's drummer lives down my street
• shed sevens drummer lives down my street! i can see his house from my bedroom window!
• Hi, I am Trevor Rooneys sister (looney rooney). To update you, he is now living in Rotterdam after travelling the world busking etc...I passed your site over to him, maybe he will comment :) Bye Janet
• Mark Addy of full monty fame. Many an underpriveledged person will readily bore you with stories of "when i served Mark Addy...."
• I know a band called 96 Pages who live in York- seriosly cool stuff.Rock music.Very cool.
• Five time Oscar winning composer John Barry was born here.
• Cyanide - best signed punk band to ever come out of York. Bob D - what a front man. Anybody remember those legendary gigs at the Grob and the Munster Bar? Passion Killers - best unsigned band to ever come out of York. Anybody remember them?
• The one and only Steve Webster MBE, Sidecar World Champion 1987,88,89,91,97,98,99,2000. The greatest ever, brought up in New Earswick, now lives in Easingwold.
• Paul Robinson, leeds goalkeeper and england no. 3
• Jon Champion (football commentator)
• Harry Enfield went to uni here. Shed 7 formed here (at uni).
• Like them or loathe them Shed seven have done more for the music scene in York than any other individual or group. And personally I like them.
• Actress Dame Judy Dench. The guy who invented the Hansom Cab. Hunter from Gladiators ( Sorry 'bout that ! ).
• W H Auden!
• Hunter, Berwick Kaler, some bloke form the Brittas Empire, erm .... that's it.
• Judi Dench
• once Oasis rivals shed 7 (they don't want your pity!) Joseph Rowntree of choclate fame Dick Turpin hanged and buried (v law abiding place York) that bloke who played Colin in Brittas Empire (whohe?)
• i saw paul daniels once!
• Shed Seven. See Black Lion Pub. they go there with their grannies and there little kids. I know, I have seen this.
• Geoff Cooke ex England Rugby Manager, Harry Enfield - York University
• Shed Seven. Avoid these people at all costs. Dick Turpin. Dead dude. Famous highwayman type. His gravestone is in the very middle of York and seems to be York's best-kept secret. Dustin Gee. If you remember who he was, please keep it to yourself. Social leprosy is a terrible thing.
• The Acme Blues Band - where did they go when the John Bull closed?
• Chris Helme of the seahorses hangs out at the lowther sometimes, (used to work there and have seen him in there, its true)
• Mark Addy......the fat one in The Full Monty & also stars in The Thin Blue Line
• W.H. Auden was born here. They're not celebrities but a lot of London music executives claim to have grown up in Tang Hall.
• Shed Seven - the best band EVER! if anyone knows what pubs they frequent, please post!
  To the person who requested info on Shed Seven's hangouts: Try the Cross Keys in Goodramgate; we have often spotted Rick Witter in there of an evening.
• Dick Turpin (I think, at any rate he is buried here).
• Shed Seven. Three-quarters of the Seahorses.
• Guy Fawkes.

Buskers, Street Entertainers

• The old man quoting the bible(tm), I've told you already. Its still free!
• Occasionally you may see the yellow man. Yellow by name and unbelievably yellow by nature. Not sure what his purpose is in life, (just being yellow I think, and standing incredibly still untill he feels that some unsuspecting granny walking past requires a heart attack.)Although I think recently he's turned blue!!
• Quiet a lot, but unintimidating.
• Guy with the barking dog at the end of Stonegate (Its better than it sounds!), the sax player outside HMV down Coney street seems to have disappeared, maybe he actually stoped and listened to how bad he was. By-the way, did he always stop other passers by and get them to go and buy his evening press for him? The band Huge always seem to be playing in the street too.
• Tons of homeless people - except they're not. They can see you coming a mile off. Give them a fake tenner so they get nicked when they try to blow it on booze.
• My wife and I went on one of Looney Rooney's Ghost Walks about four years ago. At that time he was on the point of going to Boston (USA, not Lincs) to start up something similar there. I don't think he's back yet, which is a shame as he is incredibly entertaining.
• The guy who does the witch. Scary.
• There's a man with a dog and a tent that's always good value for money. The saxophone player outside the old church opposite HMV can vary in quality. Zombies used to be good, but then one left, the masks fell apart and there nothing more than a plastic bag on a stick now - v.disappointing.
• Buskers, street entertainers - if you want to get involved in York Carnival - York's biggest street event - on 2 July call the Carnival Hotline on 01904 552013
• amazing growing zombies that hoot, and the bloke who sings opera badly outside m&s are worth looking out for
• The funniest sight you ever have to see is the God Squad who frequent the fountains... Oh yes.
• This is the best city for weird and wonderful buskers. My personal favourites spotted in York - the Balloonatics (balloon modelling), a strange woman who did nothing but whip herself and scream, and a bloke who pretends he's a robot.
• Try and avoid those "entertainers" who are simply beggars playing "Three Blind Mice" on a penny-whistle continually for SIX hours a day.
• The would-be operatic bass who sings outside M&S hasn't got a clue. The Andean pan-pipe ensemble now seem to turn up every week. Occasionally there's an amusing outfit dressed in tails playing old standards. The street entertainer who regularly plays Kings Square of a weekend is dire: his act hasn't changed for years but he still doesn't know how to ride a unicycle
• Watch out for the autoharp guy. If you hear something that sounds like two banshees, fifteen half starved cats and 40 feet of razor wire being churned around in a cement mixer then you are much too close! Do not under any circumstances buy a tape it only encourages him.
• Trevor Rooney is a York icon (is he still there?). His Ghostly Tour of York is excellent (he's a natural entertainer). Hope he's still doing OK.
• While visiting York [one of those awful Yank tourists] I came across a fellow in the Shambles playing a fiddle and bouncing this devil doll attached to his knee. It was very clever and amusing.
• There's this man who dresses up in a big black sheet, and scares passers by whilst playing tunes and dancing. You really have to see him to understand and appreciate him.
• Best city in the country for buskers. Regulars include the jugglers and circus acts in King's Square. Failing that take a wander down Stonegate and/or Parliament Street for music, song, dance and theatre.

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Last updated: 2007-06-15