The Knowhere Guide

Local Heroes in Exeter, Devon*

Exeter, Devon Famous Residents

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

• Chris Martin is occasionally seen around and about as his parents still live just outside Exeter.
• Chris martin - coldplay!
• of course lets not forget that jk rowling went to exeter uni,and lots of references in harry potter books are to devon, eg place names-ottery-
• Dave the Growler
• Muse, Radiohead and Coldplay have all been spotted in exeter. Cavern Locals Hundred Reasons also hang out a lot. Other than that we just have tat like Uri Gellar, Noel Edmonds and some other ex-celebs. Micheal Jackson came here once!!
• It's Bob Hoskins' daughter that apparantly owns an art gallery type shop i Topsham.
• It a known fact that monty python shot some of their skectches by cowick street. Charles dickens wrote pickwick papers in what used to be the turks head, for those who don't read dickens pickwick papers is depicked on the back of the old £5 pound notes (the cricket pitch). one of the members of fleetwood mac live near and so did nik kershaw
• Joss Stone - porn star is often seen, also loads of has-been's flock to Powderham Castle to mime in the rain.
• Herbie : Used to dj at the "Plaza". Produced China's 1st hip hop and dance albums.
• chris martin frm coldplay is pretty much the only 1
• we have a newish pair of celebrities... the rather marvellous Spry family! they were on c4's wife swap thing ages ago...the one with the god-awful lizzy - the chain-smoking chronic asthmatic with about 40 kids who earned more from benefits than most people do from working extremely hard for years. anyhoo, the spry's rarely get mentioned, what with them being quiet, wellspoken, thoughtful people who just got on with it. if you want to see them they run 'starz' (used to be the fizgig) under the iron bridge. i'm told they do great food.
• The one and only World's First Classics Star, author, comic and popstar 'Prof' [Andrew Worley]!
• Radiohead and Muse are about the only ones. And soon ME!
• matt bellamy did indeed rent the flat above the sex shop on fore street... i heard he still does. you'll see him around every now and then.
• Uri Gellar has a house nearby. Joy.
• Bob Hoskins spotted in Topsham, Exeter, on the weekend of his 61st birthday, walking down the main street looking very much like a local. Either has a second home in Topsham or has family living there.
• Mr Blobby has his summer residence somewhere nearby.
• tommy cooper went to school here. uri gellar is never here and tim martin likes to say "Do you know who I am!?!?!" in the pub that he owns. (funny guy)
• i once cut up jenifier saunders credit card when i worked in virgin
• Muse(near exter), Thom Yorke went to exeter uni, Chris martin used to live in dev, the inertia
• noel edmonds' daughters go to maynard school, i was there with them. jk rowling went to exeter uni, and jennifer saunders/adrian edmondson live up the road in chaggers (chagford)
• I think Noel Edmonds used to live here.
• Uri Gellar, oh come on!!?? My Auntie's more famous than him.... come to think of it, she really is!
• The cure all live nearby I think. The drummer used to live about a mile away from me.
• well apparently Matt Bellamy (Muse) lived above the sex shop...
• Lisa-marie, Exeter born and bred vocalist. As appeared with Republica, Chicane and Billy Piper. Turned on and performed at the Xmas Lights in Exeter & Torquay. Her vocal Talents take her worldwide.
• Karaoke Bob - Writer of the Exeter City Hit Oh Exeter which outsold Sir Cliff and Robbie!! As appeared on The Big Breakfast, Kilroy, Casualty, Noels house party and Wycliff.
• Graham Stone alias Karaoke Bob - Wrote the record for Exeter City FC, went to Downing street re entertainment licencing laws and shortly standing for election. 25 yrs in showbusiness with many TV appearances and runs local entertainments agency
• Thom Yorke from Radiohead was at the University for 3 years. Legend has it he wrote 'Creep' in a toilet cubicle at the Lemmy one Friday night. Having been to the Lemmy, can't say I blame him.
• Chris Brook, performance artist, writer and KLF collaborator is new director of Phoenix Arts Centre, so maybe things changing a little....?
• The one and only Tommy Cooper. Parents moved down when he was an infant. Lived in the city till called up.
• Ex- resident Tony Mc Manus world famous guitarist was PhD Student at the Uni in the late 80s/early 90s
• Saw Stevie Perryman (Spurs captain and manager of late 60s,70s,80s walking thru the Cathedral Grounds.
• Jennifer Saunders & Adrian Edmondson
• As I used to work in the cinema (Odeon) sooner or later every famous person from the surrounding area came in to watch one film or another. Amoungst the famous people that I saw whilst working there were, Noel Edmonds, Nigel Mansell, Chesney Hawkes (apparently he lives somewhere near Newton Abbott) and Bob Hoskins (has family who live nearby so I am told).
• Eddie Lopez lives here
• Noel, Noel, Noel, Noel. Doesn't one of the crinkly Rolling Stones live this way too?
• Loads of famous people live round about Exeter including - Rik Mayall, Nigel mansell, Jennifer Saunders (Ithingk)
• Sir Francis Drake!! Sir Walter Raleigh!! Noel Edmonds lives nearby, as does Bob Hoskins! Ben Bradshaw!
• Charles Dickens' mum and Dad used to live here!!!!
• I can only speak for the bmx'ers like Mike Jory, Matt Hooper and Tim Ruck.

Buskers, Street Entertainers

• the wonderful pancake man"creperie" situ in high street,at his stall you will have best crepe ever,so reasonable 1.30 for lemon n sugar,yummy
• Dave the Growler
• There's a chap who busks in Topsham, in the style of an opera singer!!! How very cultured.
• At the mo there's this African dude on a drum, I ask you - a flippin' drum - bet he rakes it in. My 6 month old neice can do that. HMmm...
• the most biggissue sellers in the land, quite a sight sometimes having five or six in a hundred meter stretch of the high street
• dave 'awight tiger' the tramp is always wandering around shouting, funnily enough, 'awight tiger' and chasing the girl tramps.also peady, an evil character frm our childhood, has returned 2 wondering around the 'mont - ne1 who went up there wen they were bout 14 will remember him...
• there was that guy with the dreadlock hat you used to see around, havent noticed him for a while though
• Dan Deale semi pro bmx'er. He's a legend in his own right if you bump into him prepare to be ramsacked by the russian ass baby.
• Matey who carries a sword round, funny shit!
• The guy that has crazy hair! You must have seen him, he has really long completley matted hair and he always has it right over his face so you can't work out how he sees. I see him everytime I'm in town.
• A guy that looks like Frank Zappa! Walks arounds like he's lost!! If you can find him there is a guy who places a resonator guitar (all metal) and busks at night: sound guy I jamed with him once on the street, ask for his Robert Johnson style story! A guy that walks around like a cartoon sailor (i.e. with his chest out and arms swinging!) but looks like if you stared he would kick the crap out of you.
• CRazy Adie - hes been banned from drinking,warned and imprisoned but hell be back. Mario- crazy guy in a wheelchair constantly trying to score or get you to roll.
• this must come under the realm of local characters: there is a guy who walks around the cathedral green asking people for money. he has a different excuse every single time, but always has brand new clothes on every time we see him. avoid at all costs - you'll know him when you see him!
• The busker/tramp who whistles the theme to the adams family whilst his dog barks the "chorus" of the song- someone should sign up dog
• well theres the guy who bothers little girls for change and cant talk properly...funny and scary at the same time. then theres good ol'dave...you can hear him a mile off because all he does is shout 'go get 'em tiger' all day long.
• There are a few, some with eccentric hair, an old lady who goes around with 'the end is nigh' type posters who apparently used to shout a lot.
• all buskers are great and as long as you give them a quid or two they will play you just about anything, usually done by people walking the long way home from ether timpeace of areana.
• scary dude who can't speak in high street. DON'T say 'pardon'!!
• That awful smelly tramp who constantly plays her penny whistle right outside where I work every damn day. Oh and the guy with the accordion - always worth a penny. And the guy who always walks around asking people for money. The tramp who always wears a helmet.
• Has anyone heard of Alan Bamford? I last saw him in the arcade in High St. where Dellers used to be.
• alf - Knows everybody and nobody but always up for a dance. "EEeehhhh!!!"
• there a guy outside marks and spensers who does a fairly good hotel california at 2 9n the morning.
• Gordon Brown, Noel Edmonds comes down at xmas.
• Haha the guiy with the weird instrument and lazy eye. Hes classic
• the Tesco Metro Clan. and anyone near the Cathedral.
• crazy mime artist near the Catherdral
• Any of the people outside Tesco Metro
• My name is Ivonice Powell.. i;ve been a busker 22 years in Exeter.. I play accordeon/guitar and sing .. everyone knows me.. even Jeff outside M&S with his harmonica .. i;m in a wheelchair.. i;m ULTRA TALENTED,BRAZILIAN, AND GORGEOUSE HOW COME I DIDN:T GET A MENTION? :-p xxx
• That accordian player who collects money in dusty bin, yuck. Lots of crusty type tin whistle players, mostly bad. A strange bloke who sings classical stuff on the edge of cathedral green. And occasionally this zither (?) player who sells tapes.
• Great bloke with guitar and Harmonica can be found outside M and S on High street to serenade your stagger from clubs. Never seems to be there during the day, sounds brilliant when drunk anyway!!
• Loads in Exeter the blaggers are everywhere!
• really annoying panpipe crap appears with heart-sinking regularity outsife Boots on the High St.
• Of course, you have the obligatory tin whistle beggars, peruvian pan pipe players (the same ones that i have also seen busking as far away as Leicester and, would you believe it, Munich), but some of the most entertaining buskers are 1. the guy with a piano (who is sometimes accompanied by his mate on the drums) who plays a strangely energetic kind of ragtime, knees up mother brown type stuff, and 2. the smartly dressed, well spoken chap with the curly blond hair that usually stands on the corner of cathedral green or outside Barclays singing Figaro and other opera pieces unaccompanied.
• Look out for Jeff, the harmonica player who busks outside M&S into the wee small hours. He is the sound of Exeter High Street.
• Too many and far too many crusty's, beggers and general dossers in the beautiful Cathedral area.
• look out for the guy in medevil clothes he is a crazy dude his name is HENRY
• mad old dude from taunton in a w.chair. also has one for his jack ruyssel. has a huge beard and harmonica. think he's paralysed. sounds like tom waits
• Many in Exeter!!! Look out for the man who plays his accordian at weekends!! He's been there as long as the cathedral I'm sure of it!! There's also a guy who plays real old fashioned tunes on his piano outside C&A!! Many Big Issue sellers and other people dressed as weird things. Like the two people who are totally white and dont move until you put some money down! quite scary to watch!! All harmless!!
• Some of the 'Big Issue' sellers can be quite entertaining but, can get aggressive for no apparent reason, especially if they think you are taking the piss
• There's a huge number if street performers in Exeter - but you never feel pressurised into giving money. Performances include a human robot and instruments you,ve never heard of.
• Freaks, pan-handlers and other riff raff are common in the High Street. Mostly non-violent.

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Last updated: 2008-05-15