General Notes

Obie lived in an old caravan in Back Lane, Monks Eleigh, with his father Billy. When Billy died, Obie got rid of the caravan and replaced it with an old blue bus. His cousin, Chris Fosker, lived with him in the bus. The bus still had its engine, but the wheels had long since gone. The passenger door served as the entrance and several of the seats still remained.The bus was heated by a stove, located behind the drivers seat, which had a chimney going up and through a hole in the roof. Piled high on each side of the stove was wood, coal and paraffin. A space had been cleared at the back of the bus, as a living area, with table and chairs. Both useful and less useful articles were piled within the bus, the aquisitions of a lifetime. There was no sign of a bed, running water or lavatory. All their water was collected from a nearby spring.

Two following two stories, attributed to 'Obie', give you some further insight into his character:

1.  He was thought to be a cripple as he was always seen in an old bath chair with push-pull levers to propel it. However, one day he was seen returning to his home, pushing his chair, with a bucket of spring water balanced on it. When asked why he needed a bath chair, he replied "Well I went to Hadleigh to buy a bike, but this was cheaper".

2.  I have also been told that when tackled by the police about a dog licence, he promptly sold the dog and bought one!