The Knowhere Guide

Local Heroes in Colchester, Essex*

Colchester, Essex Famous Residents

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

• 2ND TIME AROUND I WENT TO MUSIC SCHOOL WITH AMANDA ROOT SHE PLAYED GUITAR AT COLCHESTER INSTITUTE I DONT KNOW ABOUT DRAMA LESSONS THOUGH SHE NEVER LET ON THOUGH SHE WAS ALWAYS FOCUSED...JON
• Amanda Root (Actress):::I used to go to saturday morning school,Colchester Institute...Amanda used to have Guitar lessons,in a group session...She was fairly good but obviously steered into a different genre'. Her dad Ken use to own the papershop and food store at East Bay/East Gates...Nice guy a bit of fun,quite dry humored...Anyway best of luck to her::: Im still waiting for my big break as a Film/Tv Composer...www.etribes.com/campbell-vencarto...Ciao 4 Now...Jon
• Dave Smith a local car dealer once tried to buy colchester united .Areal one off a cross between arthur daley and deboy with a touch of the terminator if you cross him.
• The Prodigy are from Braintree I believe.
• dermot o'learly used to go to my boyfriends secondary school, St Benedicts. And of course Colchester football lcub manager Phil Parkinson (who probably wont live here much longer as he know manages Hull).
• Well didn't Blur come from Colchester? And I and know the Prodigy were from just up the road in Braintree. I drove a Porsche of Kieths once which he'd traded in the Lancaster Porsche on Ipswich Road. It was fibreglass shelled and did it shift.
• I remember Damon Albarn from Blur at my school (Stanway Comp) In a play of 'Guys and dolls' I still don't like Blur.... Darren Days mum lives in Aldham, I bet shes really proud! Dermot O'Learys parents live in Great Horksley
• www.specialduties.co.uk
• DAVE SMITH COMMONLEY KNOWN AS "MAD MAN FINGERS" DODGY CAR & GREYHOUND DEALER ALSO APEARED ON TV ON "THE LYING GAME" SAID HE WON THE LOTTERY LIVES HERE IN COLCHESTER
• Steve Lamacq (radio 1 DJ - used to be cool, looks like a damp shrew)
• an ex-col u player lived down my road Peter crawley i think it was
• Think the fact that Darren Day lost his virginity in Tesco's car-park is probly the worst think... (thats 'apparently' - i wasn't a witness!).... Or the fact that Peter 'the twat' off Fame accadomy pushes past people in bars saying "sorry don't you know who i am - i was on telly" Whoopdie-feckin-doo!
• yer colchester isnt tht great but dermot o leary did go to the six form at philp morant school!!
• Damien from Blur
• Hey, doesn't that cute guy Peter Brame from Fame Academy come from somewhere round here in Colchester??
• The divine Graham Napier of Essex CCC lives somewhere round here
• Twink, drummer and vocalist with the Pink Fairies and the Pretty things - the Original punk - lives here
• JOhn Cooper-Clarke. Yes! The Mancunian godfather of punk-poetry lives here. (Saw him in the butchers last thursday, honest!)
• Steve Harley from Cockney Rebel is from Colchester, and still lives locally. Also i think the former lead guitarist from Whitesnake is from these parts as well.
• Darren Day = went 2 my skool! Dermot O'Leary = pwhoar!! Also, Abs (from 5) didnt cum from ere, but I met him @ Pineapply Dance Studios in London and he was rly rly nasty 2 me.
• The woman who invented funfax lives in wivenhoe.
• Blur.
• The beautiful Dermot O'Leary is from Colchester - what a claim to fame!!
• The twins from Night and Day live in Colchester ( but Im not telling you where - they are only ten!)
• Modern English who had a few minor hits back in the 80's and a few successful albums in the US sort of got going in Colchester and was formed from mainly local residents. There's also Reg Webb who has played and toured with loadsa rock stars and still plays local venues along with the former members of various local bands from the Colne Lodge era.
• Dermot O'Leary!
• -Dancing Man Dancing Man. You will have seen Dancing Man. His appearances - just as mysterious as his method of dancing. His method of dancing - just as mysterious as his appearances. Perhaps you've attending a local music event such as the Colchester Free Festival, or one of the bizarre things they sometimes hold in that square near Boots. He is there. He is at music events, and he dances. He wears an orange hat. He dances. He wears an orange jacket. He dances. He drinks soft drinks such as Dr Pepper, and presumabely takes impressive quantities of hard drugs. He dances. You know who he is. -John Cooper Clarke John Cooper Clarke, the original punk poet. he lives in Colchester, but I've only ever seen him once, at a gig. He even managed to get one of his poems into a GCSE textbook. He is great.
• Well, aside from the obvious.. there used to be a good band called Ripley. I think they became Seven Star Green after a while. I used to end up hammered with them far far too often. So, for the sake of the old days (this must be 6 odd years ago now) - Big shout out to Matty, Kes, Nathan, Jimmy and Matt. Good people. Last I'd heard they signed to some label or other...
• Graham Coxon, poor boy.
• Dermit O'lerey (from "big brothers little brother") used to go to colchester 6th form college on north hill
• i'm sure prodigy came from somewhere round here
• John CooperClarke= one of the nicest punkpoets I have had the pleasure to meet modest and extremely funny if he happens to be in your area having a gig please go see him you wont be disappointed Damon Albarns mum and dad (dad was head of art at the colchester institute) both creative and innovative and greatly missed sinced they left town especially his mum an accomplished artist who could make furniture out of your sunday newspaper an excellent art teacher with great enthusiasm and a good friend to many
• Damon Albarn used to live in Aldham, just outside Colchester - i read that he hated it due to its narrow-mindedness.
• the person out of the weatabix advert lives in wivenhoe just out sid e of colchester
• nope cant think of any except me
• How about Brian Eno? Best of the bunch I think. I dont remember Amanda Root at Lexden Primary School.
• I hate Damon Alburn. What is wrong with Colchester, if you dont like it shut up!
• damon albern ,darren day!
• Most notable politician is probably Bob Russell (Lib). Very active guy, although a little out of touch with almost everything that matters to people on a street level. Claims to not remember the 60s (I asked him once) - we can only wonder why.
• Girl from 2.4 Children/Girls' High was called Clare Woodgate. Changed her name to Georgina Cates for Awfully Big Adventure and hasn't been heard of since...
• Damon bloody Albarn
• Urm... the band Blur are from hear (damon was in the year below my mum!)
• Mrs Stewart was and indeed still is a complete dragon. I remember a very amusing time when I had a German exchange visitor in class. I instructed him to introduce himself to her but told him her name was Frau Clitoris, he duly obliged and sent the entire class into hysterics. When things calmed, however, I was sent to my head of year and got an after school detention.
• Mrs Stewart of the Gilberd School, is seriously the most evil thing you will ever come accross, its people like her whom spoil it for everyone else!. I agree with the statement about A.Fairclough and Adnam, your sorted if you know them but if you dont, whoa there really scary. (Honestly)...
• Claire - can't remember her surname. She was the girl with the auburn bobbed hair who was the first actor to play the daughter in 'Two Point Four Children' (after her, one of the twins from Grange Hill stepped in). Claire went to the Girls' High, and was four years older than me. She used to wear really cool moddy clothes, i remember, such as an amazing black and white pvc rainmac and white plastic earrings. The lst thing i can remember her being in, she pretened to be from Liverpool to get part in a film with Hugh Grant about a rep company staging 'Peter Pan' (an awafully big adventure'?). Mrs Pearson and Mrs Davidson (the hip-swaying dram teachers at the Girls High) thought she was marvellous and got very excited when CLaire sent them Christmas cards. Oh, and Jean Hickson - Miss Marple to you and me - lived in Wivenhoe. I have to say that here s there's no Wiv'no pages...
• Carol Leader, the woman who was on Choc-a-bloc! Oh, and me!
• Adnam- friend of everyone. Andy FAirclough- the Grant Mitchell of colchester, comes package with dodgy cars, and dodgy social habits!!
• Just thought i'd point out that MRs.Stewart is still at the Gilberd and everyone hates her as much now as they always have done. I haven't met anyone who likes her.
• Dave the drummer from Blur was also in Colchester - he went to my school, the Gilberd - which was, and probably still is, a hell-hole. I wonder if he knew Mrs Stewart, and hated her as much as I did. When I was at 6th form college, Blur came and played a gig there as a favour to their old music teacher. Weird.
• I seem to remember being in the same class as Amanda Root (Jane Eyre, Persuasion, Mortimer's Law etc.) at Lexden Primary School in about 1970-72. I think she also went to Colchester Institute to study drama.
• Jay Kay from Jamiroqui went to Oxford House Prep School And when Ripley become famous they will abandon Colchester as well The person who wrote Humpty Dumpty and Twinkle Twinkle little star is from Colchester
• The University was Constable country. Judge Dredd artsists known to frequent the area.
• Martin Newell (Wivenhovian poet), of glam rock group Cleaners From Venus and Brotherhood of Lizards fame, hangs out at the Greyhound and, for the price of a pint, would gladly let you buy him a pint (buy his poetry books - 'I Hank Marvinned', 'Under Milk Float' and 'An Illegible Bachelor' all from U of E press - they're very good).
• John Cooper Clarke (punk poet-type fellow) has been known to hang out after 3pm.
• It's also the home town of children's TV presenter and Joseph star, Darren Day.
• Both Damon Albarn and Graham Coxon, from BLUR, come from Colchester.

Buskers, Street Entertainers

• we have a bloke who wears a jamaica cap (he's as white as the next person) and he varies where he stands everyday but he only plays two songs...is the way to amarillo and wonderwall by oasis. and he says armadillo instead of amarillo. there is also a man who occasionally sits outside the post office at the top of north hill who says hello and asks every person that pasts a riddle and a question. we have a lady who walks up and down north hill several times a day but never actually goes anywhere. colchester has quite a few loonies...
• It's got its fair share of Junkies and Mentalists.
• I saw in the local paper last year that Derek the busker had died of his alcoholism, one of my friends told me of one time they had bought him a suit to play a gig with them, only for him to pawn it for more booze. RIP Derek, such a talented musican.
• there is a rasta man on a bike wiv a troller always around town he looks hard as but quite old
• the canadian guy who plays greenday, he's suck a legend! we give him money now cos he plays some damn great songs.
• colchester is full of grungers and goths and then rite on the other side of the spectrum the townys with there awfull joggers and gold 'bling'
• The old man that wears the yellow jacket (so he's easily spotted by the council) and rummages through bins I see him nearly every time i'm in town and he nearly ALWAYS swears at me.
• The orange dancing man as mentioned.... Real name Peter Rabbet. Oh yes. He hates me, because he's in love with my best friend. His album is inspired.
• Some dodgey old bloke called 'Dodgey Lodgey' often found hanging around outside the drome on a friday night.
• Hah the Dancing Man is also known as Pete Rabbit/ Orange Pete/ Tango man or just plain Pete! Forms half of the truely bizarre but entertaining band "The Two Rabbits"... Look out for his dancing partner Dizzy Dave!
• just skate
• Special Duties "Up the U's" are from Colchester - Im not However! Prodigy are from Braintree Buy the way - The still frequent a local pub there and sponsor the local football team (See the Ant on the strip) Albran was born in Leyton, but moved to Colchester a wee man and thought he was a cockney - later called the town a bunch of racists. Cockney Rebel was from South London but again moved to Colchester as a journalist and used to busk before becoming famous. Now lives just outside the Town.
• The dancing guy is a god!!! you'll occasionally see him wandering the streets of colchester, where he's going- nobody knows! Recognisable features: orange puffy-jacket, orange or yellow 'fishermans' hat, slightly mincing, slightly deranged walk and odd facial expession, probably from too many littl'uns back in the '90s. i first saw this guy at colchester's free festival a few years back dancing like a loon and just generally doing his own thing, i've also seen him at a couple of wivenhoe fairs and a few other hippy type festivals. if your extremely lucky you'll catch him with Dave the perma-smiling busker with the red bandana.
• White Lightening always available from the friendly chaps outside the bingo hall.
• GET RID OF EM!
• Not many
• Chris Steinhauer lives on and off in Colchester. Great bluesman , one man band and dancing puppets sometimes too. You can often see him in Lion Walk or outside the Baptist Church. If you see him he likes four sugars in his coffee.
• The rambo/star gazer tramp who trundles every where.
• essex gals aint no street entertainers
• Heather! Bob! I don't live in Colchester any more - but..Heather! Bob! Heather once offered my mate Charlie a blowjob for 20p, when he sad no she pissed on his shoes...marvellous. That pair were the life and soul of any drunken tramp party in the town. They were great - and very, very, ugly and smelly. Heather died in police custody poor old girl.
• Teenage Goths with baggy corduroy flares
• Underneath underpass off crouch street. all along high strret at night
• the bag pipe player he plays on the highstreet on saturdays
• all buskers or hobos are armed and dangerous so just walk on by as quick as u can
• all buskers or hobos are armed and dangerous so just walk on by as quick as u can
• all buskers or hobos are armed and dangerous so just walk on by as quick as u can
• all buskers or hobos are armed and dangerous so just walk on by as quick as u can
• all buskers or hobos are armed and dangerous so just walk on by as quick as u can
• all buskers or hobos are armed and dangerous so just walk on by as quick as u can
• all buskers or hobos are armed and dangerous so just walk on by as quick as u can
• We get some buskers down Eld lane, ie that bloke and his dog with the funny specs.
• Some pretty good buskers around. Derek, our oldest busker (and severe alcoholic) can often be found in Eld Lane outside the Fruit & Veg shop. He's mostly tuneful.
• The late Heather & Bob were Colchester's most well-known street entertainers, due to unsavoury habits e.g. relieving themselves in public. Does anyone else remember them?
• Look out for Rick in the precinct - maniac ska mandolin player
• Those pan pipe blokes are always in Colchester by the Library, when they're not in Cardiff, Bristol, Bath, Manchester to name a few places I've seen them pop up.
• The guy selling the Big Issue outside Mothercare has to be seen to be believed.
• Bird in harlequin suit with her flute who can usually be found on Long Wyre St, outside the co-op.
• Derek-can play anything but then likes a beer or 10.

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!

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Credits

Last updated: 2007-09-19