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\nRed\u2019s presence could not be ignored \u2014 his deep, bellowing voice, unfiltered and booming across the streets; his warm greetings to complete strangers; his tattooed face and hair dyed red. <\/p>\n
\nRed\u2019s presence could not be ignored \u2014 his deep, bellowing voice, unfiltered and booming across the streets; his warm greetings to complete strangers; his tattooed face and hair dyed red. <\/p>\n
Pirate or Red, he lived a life half on water, half on land. His narrowboat was camouflaged with a tarpaulin, flying a pirate flag on the Thames.<\/p>\n
A familiar figure on the benches of Abbey Gardens, he shared long hours with friends. He was hired as security at a supermarket during the fair \u2014 a presence both trusted and intimidating. I heard he was a keen gardener, proud of his small patch of green. A man who knew suffering yet still helped others. On his Facebook page, he shared a quote: “The depth of your spiritual awakening is very much connected to the amount of darkness and pain you’ve gone through in your life …”<\/p>\n
For the last decade and a half, he had been an Abingdon fixture since buying a narrowboat and moving here to start a new life. Somebody once did a video documentary of his previous life on YouTube but I don’t think its there any more. There was kindness and chaos \u2014 many saw a friendly soul, some found him threatening. In recent months, people wondered where he had gone. There were rumours about his health.<\/p>\n