The Knowhere Guide

Local Heroes in Loughborough, Leicestershire*

Loughborough, Leicestershire Famous Residents

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

• Tory boy Seb Coe and Paralympic superstar Tanni-Grey Thomson both went to the university when it was still a Polytechnic.
• the runner....whats her name...paula something. dunno if she classes as a celebrity though.
• Paula "Loser" Radcliffe, Sebastian Coe went to Loughborough Uni, thats about it really. the bell for Big Ben was made in the loughborough Bell Foundry.
• i saw ahmed from big bro at luffbra station
• paula ratcliffe? no she rather shoddy now........
• john skillen. world renown martial artist..seb coe...paule radcliffe..mark scrutton also known as manchester mark ex world class runner..the sock man also known as micky kean..
• err, loughborough = shithole. we dont get celebrities, not even that Parma tarma Tomkinson or whatever. actually paula radcliffe sometimes comes.
• Paula Radcliffe lives opposite me. Shes not there often so don't talk to her much. You can sometimes see her running around Napantan. She is friendly and will say hi .
• Pauyla Radcliffe used to live in Loughborough. Seb Coe too.
• Apparently Dave Gorman ( of 'Are you Dave Gorman?' fame)'s sidecick Danny Wallace came from here....and Posh and Becks NEARLY bought the windmill the other side of shepshed. So we were NEARLY famous......
• James 'The Real Deal' Hogg lives somewhere in loughborough (former record holder for the four pint challenge).
• ***lee one of the ex-big brother 3.
• ben challenger, gb high jumper, goes to the uni.
• Seb coe
• Gareth Turnbull, Silver Medalist in World student games 2001, runner, like so many in Loughborough and general messer. Also tends to claim responsibility for anything in which he has a bit part.
• Paula Radcliffe lives in Nanpantan!!
• Lou (can't remember the surname) - the waitress who shagged Mike Gatting in that hotel in Mountsorrel. Regular at the 3 Nuns during the late 80's. Terry Chimes - ex-drummer with the Clash, ran drum lessons via the Beatroute music store (Hi Dave, if you're out there! I used to live above your shop wiv Simon!)
• Ben Challenger, athlete, competes in international competitions is a local lad
• Johnnie Johnson, who achieved the most kills by a British pilot during WW2 used to go to LGS. According to legend (I think this is true, but I don't want to slander the name of a late great man), was found in the school with a lady friend and thrown out of the school, but was later welcomed back with triumph.
• Rosmary Connoly lives in or ownes Quorn house.
• Vivian Prince, drummer with 60's R&B legends The Pretty Things, friend of the Stones and being stoned. Black sheep of local motor trade dynasty Arthur Prince.
• Roy Cropper from Coronation Street comes from here!
• Local Hero - Matt Grace - Loughborough Student's 1st Team Hockey Captain. The Peter Pan of the Loughborough community, resident since 1994. Graduate, friend, socialite, international sporting legend (literally - he plays hockey for Wales) and all round good egg. A man who makes the town richer for being there.
• oh dear god. They had Beppe (eastenders) to open club Xs.....
• Paul M. Farrell, drama and dance teacher, revolutionised the practice of teaching Expressive Arts at Burleigh Community College between 1992 and 1994. A devotee of theatre legends Ronald Harwood and Simon Callow, Farrell was as equally adept at knitting his own jumpers as he was at cracking lame witticisms concerning bus drivers, bastards, babies, and the boob. His love of Callow was revealed after an off-the-cuff admission that "he's got a nice bum". Harwood's influence was manifest in Farrell's casual disdain for style, wit, or aplomb. Farrell's greatest legacy at Burleigh College is his unique repertoire of vocal warm-up exercises, some of which are still in use today. These include: "Buggerneckerbuggerneckerbugger";"miniminiminimini"; "rhimineyrhimineyrhiminey"; and the standard singalong number, "Jean Harlow (Momma's Gonna Walk, Momma Talk, Yeah)" Farrell's wanton eccentricities often left his students completely bewildered. He referred to fellow Mancunian artiste Morrissey's single "You're The One For Me, Fatty" as "I Love You Fatty", advised his students never to trust anyone with two first names, and at one point in a lesson said "Oooh my dear, I feel so queer", for no discernable reason. Farrell was, after all, happily married to Jane. After a number of controversies, including poor mock exam results, a general low standard of teaching, and an alleged liaision with a former student, Farrell was hounded from the Expressive Arts office, and left Loughborough for good, never to be seen again. Perhaps he has finally now found inner peace, and returned to his home town of Salford. He will never be forgotten, except by anyone who knew him.
• Steven Vernon and Oliver Laws are famous runners. Steven managed an unprecedented six consecutive appearances in top magazine 'Athletics Weekly'. Oliver Laws' loping running style has been noted as not being dissimilar to Carsten Jorgenson AKA 'the moose'. There is another famous person called Gareth Turnbull who prays to the fridge.
• Ex-England cricket captain and television "personality", Lord David Gower once lived on Valley Road.
• Jo Koolman, singer with girl group Suga. Heard of 'em? No? Well, they've been 'up and coming' for the last two and a half years, although sadly no records have been released yet. Their greatest triumphs have included: Being briefly financed by Lottery winner/ex-con Lee Ryan, appearing on tour with Peter Andre, and Jo being seduced by DJ Nicky Campbell, only for their affair to be emblazoned across the News Of The World. "I was shocked to discover Nicky wasn't wearing any underwear...it's a good job I'm supple", Jo said when asked about their sex life. Success for this girl and her group is surely just around ther corner.
• somebody told me that David, guitarist with the Sundays ("Here's Where The Story Ends", "Can't Be Sure" etc etc) is from round here, but I can't guarantee that's true.
• Seb Coe went to the university and then became a politician tosser.
• 'It is too late, don't give up the fight, NO DIRECTION .. etc' CHRIS NEEDHAM KICKS ASS Tracey Smith is in a film which was also filmed near here - it's called 'The Girl With Brains in her Feet' and Fat Bob is Mr Loughborough
• Tim from JUST MUSIC was once in the hugely successful 'VIVID'
• Javelin ace Steve Backley, and most of Showaddywaddy (Burleigh College alumni).
• The only famous person from Loughbrough (indeed, the only reason why Loughbrough shouldn't be bombed into oblivion) is the mighty Chris Needham, lead singer of thrash band Manslaughter and star of BBC2's Teenage Diaries. (In Bed With Chris Needham) Quite easily the best TV programme ever made. The last I heard Chris is working in a fishing tackle shop - a shocking waste of talent. Chris, if you're out there, big respect. As the man himself said; "That kind of SHIT gets me DOWN. FUCK YOU if you even think about THAT. Don't bother ME with that SHIT"
• Sebastian Coe. Sports 'personality' and Tory MP. Says it all really.

Buskers, Street Entertainers

• There's three that spring to mind - the older woman with ill-fitting clothes and bright ginger hair, the scary woman with shaved head and bovver boots who says the F-word a lot and rides around on Kinch buses, and the hippy-ish chick who plays a penny whistle on the main strip near Wilkinson. The corner of Market Place outside the sports shop (opposite the town hall) seems to attract a lot of buskers of varying quality...
• EVERYTHING SAID ABOUT MARIO(HAIRDRESSER) IS TRUE!! HE ONCE WAS TRIMMING MY BIG HAIR WITH A CUT THROAT RAZOR WHILE LOOKING OUT OF HIS WINDOW AT WOMEN!!!!! I WAS SHITTING MYSELF!!!
• oh hell...the guy with the sax. i once gave him a box of chocolates my ex gave me and he was like ecstatic. every time i see him now he waves...*sigh* he's cool. the big issue sellers r boring as hell...but the guy with the guitar is gr8 2 sit next to fri/sat night...get him drunk on el cheepo whisky and he'll give u his guitar 4 a bit. rock.
• there was a rasta guy selling the big issue but he seems to have disappeared. theres always that guy shouting "QUALITY, FRESH BANANAS" unless hes retired or died or somthing.
• big mikey mike mike
• Tramp who sings Oasis! Only knows words to Wonderwall and Dont Look Back In Anger!
• got to be the ledgend in the unicorn on a monday night! about 100 years old and can still move like michael jackson in the 80's chamoun!
• bernie berns he's the electric guitar man in the legends part...
• the guy that lives in the big house on top of the big hill, now thats spooky
• Outside Peacocks in the small hours on a friday night that 'homeless' woman with a mullet and a couple of scary looking dogs, will belt out a ahem.. 'individual' version of 'Wonderwall' on a battered guitar. Strangle a cat with a sore throat and you'll get an idea....
• Sarah likes the jeans i gave her!! lol. Her dogs stink.
• chris mullins is the co ordinator of beastwatch which is a well known organisation within the uk, he has appeared on many radio shows, news broadcasts and is even on the bbc news website.
• beware of the dreadlocked kiwi who is often seen in the lufbra pubs... especially if you're a female art student...
• is that pedo still about in the robin hood costume
• lil midgets
• Flash/magician/talking problem geeza!! yes yes
• little old big mike
• theres that sax player outside the town hall, hes good
• Ash, Craig, Ron and the Crew from herbies
• Bill Brookman!!! Loughborough's version of entertainment.
• Adam Vandenberg the Dutch Fiddle Player
• Just to agree with the above dont give nomey to the begger with the stupid hair and the two dogs (AKA sarah skank head)shes on the dole and housing benifit. The professer an Ex Uni lecturer who rants as he walks in his blue rain mak, Listen to this guy follow him descreatly hes got something to say. Mr Soft, one of drugs victims, cream coat, bad hair,walks like Mr Soft blows rasberys at everyone, but hes happy truely happy you can tell.
• they beg for ya dosh sitting there with fags, beer and they throw abuse at you. dont waste ya time.
• 2 OUTSIDE TOWN HALL WATCH OUT FOR DEREKKKKKK, TALL BLOKE WIV GREY HAIR
• Did some maypole dancing with BILL BROOKMAN when I was younger which was a giggle!
• Beware who you give money to. Kinda makes you think twice when youre over in Norfolk on the big green only to spot one of loughboroughs most recognisable homeless, the lass with the viscious pitbulls and mullet, holidaying in the same destination. i had to cough up a tenner to get a lift over there dammit.
• The Bearded Saxophone player give this guy cash he is rad!!!!!!!
• Loughborough has some real characters. There is one guy who will let you play his electric for ages if you give him a fiver. This was discoverd by a mate of mine known as BigD during a night of drunken debauchery.
• Avoid the Halifax at all cost, they are bunch on useless fuckwit non-entities (some would say)
• Lots of beggars. Avoid big issue sellers other than the skatty looking woman with ginger hair. All the others are skag head travellers whose mummy and daddy pay for their upkeep on the sly..go on ask them.
• The smelly, bearded, waster....who plays the most fantastic moody jax saxophone ever. Give this man more money. On the other hand, don't give any to the girl who it has taken several years to master a basic tune on her tin whistle (this is true!).
• Mat Bowen, excellent rendition of the snooker theme tune.
• There's a tramp who swears viciously at anyone who catches his eye.
• Lots of bums who cause lots of trouble.

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Last updated: 2006-12-22