The Knowhere Guide

Local Heroes in Farnham, Surrey*

Farnham, Surrey Famous Residents

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

• Heavy rock band Reuben, and poncy emo types Furthest Drive Home are from here
• The Vapors (Turning Japanese) used to hang out in Farnham and play in the maltings and the coach. Origanal guitarist Rob Kemp is from Farnham.
• I've seen Johnny Depp around. Shops in Sainsbury's, or so it's said. Think he has a house down the road in Bently
• MAD ERIC!!!!! I SAW HIM IN MENS TOILETS IN ELPHICKS ONCE I RAN OUT AS QUIK AS I COULD...
• Me- guitar player and songwriter,with Barracuda,Mirage,Marble Orchard and Mick Dorey and Sirens.Writer of film score for 'the Debt'winner of Silver Bear at Berlin filmfest in the 80's. Pete Hobson,and Phil Lockhart,2 great Farnhamian drummers.
• Probably laods cus most people are minted.
• JHK - john henry knight made a brick building machine (wall from it can be seen as posh Barfield School in Runfold) and had to stop cos it couldnt turn corners. William Cobbett, got his pub and a school named after him - Johnny Wilkinson played rugby round here and my uncle fixes his dads car - robbie williams everyone claims to have seen and apparently once took the microfone at borellis one night - the gallagher brothers have been here - alan titchmarsh occasionally goes in cafe rouge - graham thorpe (England cricket) was my mums boyfriend at school and The Cure (if you know your music) lived in Bentley at one point
• nun well not that i no of
• The original two Ronnies, Size and Corbett, shared a house on Coopers Terrace in the early 80s.
• I have seen phil starr in the plough a few times
• Robbie williams has a house here and johnny wilkinson was born and played rugby here till he was eighteen.
• noseslide enthusiast mr. paterson used to live here. Seven curbs at the station baby!
• there's a guy seen in town a lot, beard, glasses and black hat, said to be some kind of rock music author and authority on the beach boys, not something i'd want to be famous for but there you go.
• Footie legend Ronaldo attended local Catholic school 'St.Polycarps' (Class of '88)
• The eminent 20th century Logicist Eric Erikkson was the recipient of the Nobel Prize for Mathematics in 1947. He can usually be seen wandering aimlessly in and around the town centre - His senile babble has in recent years landed him the nickname 'Mad Eric'
• Jon Harflett Singer/Songwriter and co- founder of the semi- ledgendary Folk Rock Band "Dawnwind" was brought up in Farnham.
• Check out the Wall Of Fame on the Sainsbury's in South Street.
• William Beldham (1766-1861), a.k.a. Silver Billy, the W.G. Grace/Ian Botham of his day, that day being the second half of the 18th century. Scored a bucketful of runs, took a hatful of wickets for Hambledon (or anyone who would pay him) and eventually retied at 56 to Tilford as landlord of The Barley Mow. Died drunk in a ditch at the age of 95 or so. The sign of The Cricketers in Wrecclesham is copied from a photograph of him. Strange how one of Farnham's most famous sons gave his name to about the most deadend road in Farnham - if you're living in Beldham Road, your at the bottom of the shitheap, pal.
• non as yet thank god but Robbie Williams has been seen around
• Phil Collins (unsubstantiated), Trevor McDonald. Plenty of others probably as the villages to the south of town are very exclusive/ millionare belt.
• In the surrounding areas we have hhmm Chris Evens, The guy who does Goldfish Cards, Well Jacobs studio has always got Rock stars there, They had Napalm death the other week. ggggrrrrrrrrrrr
• Mad Eric a ledgend and Mum
• Mark Stedman - front man of Puskas lives in farnham apparently.
• Just the tramps... They are some what famous within Farnham...
• William Henry Pratt played cricket many times at the ground just by the castle in the late fifties. Never heard of him ? Bet you know the name Boris Karloff, though. Until he moved to Glastonbury, Guy Bellamy, excellent comic author who based most of his books on the town and surrounding area.
• Snowy White (Pink Floyd, Thin Lizzy etc...) certainly used to live in Farnham.
• William Cobbett, famous 17th-18th century political writer, journalist, farmer, soldier and politician. Born in the pub that bears his name. In one of his works he critised the introduction of tea for bringing people off beer.
• Robbie Williams supposedly owns one of the pubs in Farnham and visits regularly, but hes a twat anyway.
• Ya, Mungo Jerry (the singer of the no. 1 hit 70's song- 'In The Summertime') lived in Farnham up until 1994, and still visits on occasions
• Liz Hurley drank in the Cobbett Antiseptic, her drunk boyfriend of the time
• Matt Bray lives in Farnham.
• Liza Goddard, John Noakes, the bloke from LA Law - he had a dippy secretary.
• World Class (I'm biased) sporting legends Graham Thorpe (cricket) and Johnny Wilkinson (rugby) are Farnham men, as was Mike Hawthorn, Britains 1st F1 world champion. Erm, Robbie Williams is always hanging about the place too. Michael Ball went to the college, Liza Goddard went to school opposite my house.
• King Charles I (for one night), Montgomery (down the road at Bentley, actually), Genesis rehearsed in the Maltings in 1969.

Buskers, Street Entertainers

• Potty Eric's still around ! The guy must be, what 80 or more. Still as mad as a fish.
• MAD ERIC WILL BEAT YOU WITH HIS STICK IF U CALL HIM AN OLD MAN
• Um... theres usually either a guitarist or acordiaist at the bottom of the lion and lamb, theres also usually a guitarist at the little sainsburys. There is a a very paile women who kind of floats around farnham, sometimes on a bike. Watch out for 'Mad Eric', he shacks his stick at cars. Theres afew people who look like they havent quite recovered from the drug trip in the 70's.
• erm - white woman who cycles v slowly on white bike (how does she get up the curb?!) mad eric - always gives you a fag if you ask and comes out with the best bollocks, busker with flowery guitar, accordion guy, people who pretend to be statues and expect to get paid for it (nearly all can be found in lion and lamb yard)
• theres loadza looneys n da lokal nuttas there the entertainment coz theres nuffink 4 uz teenagers 2do
• I was a student at Farnham Art School in the early nineties. Everyone used to talk about some huge guy, who use to wander round town chatting to himself, and had the ocassional outburst of swearing; oh how the Farnham housewifes laughed. We always knew him as Mad Tony not Eric, big bloke, long black hair wooley hat. Bit scary until you got to know him.
• The crazy man with a stick.
• Mad eric is cool, and old. The woman who hits people with her handbag is cool and old. There is a busker with a accordion and another one with an accoustic guitar he is pretty good.
• Daniel Shehata a local legend from the days of the first pop idol, every week on your tv cheesy as hell. Also very well known on the local karaoke circuit if lionel richies your thing.
• Adrian Darbyshire now there a face in farnham every bugger knows Ade
• Dave is the local GNARLATRON. Fierce lines at the skatepark, hardocore slams galore, many gallons booze consumed. 'NUFF RESPECT!
• Eric! we all love him and farnham wouldnt be the same without him! the guitar man in the lion and lamb, he is so bad but never gives up! the 'sailor' at the bottom of the lion and lamb with his accordian, bad again but always happy, thats gotta be worth 5p! The old woman with a birds nest for hair, makes me sick thinking about her, just keep an eye out!
• STAR in the lion and lamb
• Buskers? A riff raff element in Farnham? No way, this is the Home counties! There may be a busker in the Lion And Lamb Yard but thats your lot. Sorry, strict council.
• Some fucked up guy at the bottom of the lion and lamb yard, Damm i dont know what is up with this guy but he is messy. Allhallows school has some nice steps around the back. There is some good roof gaps at the back of the woolmead.
• the guy i always see is the one with a guitar..and then theres sometimes those peeps who dress up as stone statues then scare all the kids when they move..
• Plenty of Squinty eyed, hunch-backed, dribbling accordian players...
• There is a man who plays the accordion at the bottom of the Lion and Lamb Yard - not bad.
• There's usually someone trying to seperate you from your small change at the entrance to the Lion & Lamb Yard.

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Last updated: 2008-08-20