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Ron 'The Hat' Clay
Guest
And if you did, what were your impressions?
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Warren 'Hatrick' (Wol) Gaunt
Guest
Cracking story.
" He then proceeded to give me a rollocking for writing to him and not coming in to see him!"
Fell about laughing at that.
" He then proceeded to give me a rollocking for writing to him and not coming in to see him!"
Fell about laughing at that.
Graham Whatmore
Senior Member
Thats a nice little story, it should be in "A fisherman's bedside book" along with all the other great little stories that have appeared on this site, that someone, someday will write,
Absolutely Brilliantly told.
And what a way to meet the man. It makes you wonder how close some of us have been to meeting people like this.
Anglers all, and never the Twain shall meet.
And what a way to meet the man. It makes you wonder how close some of us have been to meeting people like this.
Anglers all, and never the Twain shall meet.
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Fred Bonney
Guest
"A fisherman's bedside book"
What would that be for Graham,to prop your night light up? ;o)
Didn't you admit to sleeping, rather than reading elsewhere?
There must many of these,little stories around,your right though,would make a nice bedside book.
What would that be for Graham,to prop your night light up? ;o)
Didn't you admit to sleeping, rather than reading elsewhere?
There must many of these,little stories around,your right though,would make a nice bedside book.
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay
Guest
My old friend Eric Hodson fished with **** on a number of occasions as did Tag Barnes.
Unfortunately Eric is too ill to relate some of the stories but I remember him telling me of a day on the Upper Ouse.
Eric was fishing downstream of **** and very 10 minutes a Consulate stompie would come floating down the river!!
Unfortunately Eric is too ill to relate some of the stories but I remember him telling me of a day on the Upper Ouse.
Eric was fishing downstream of **** and very 10 minutes a Consulate stompie would come floating down the river!!
Graham Whatmore
Senior Member
Yes I did Fred, I'm at that age where bed means nothing more interesting than sleep, sad what we come to innit!
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Frank "Chubber" Curtis
Guest
A couple of months ago I told the of how my mate John and myself met the great man at Stoney Stratford on the Upper Ouse. John told R.W. that he was thinking buying the blanks to build a Mark IV Avon rod. About halfway through the day **** came along the bank carrying a rod and handed it to John. "Try this and see how you get on with it" he said. In the rod bag was a brand new Mark IV that John used for the rest of day. After we packed up we found **** hidden in a reed bed And John, trying not to disturb the great man's fishing, got as close as he could and laying the rod on the ground quietly thanked him for the loan of it.
**** asked him if he'd like using it and when John said it was the best leger rod he'd ever used **** just said "If you like it that much you'd better keep it."
John prized that rod until the day he died 3 years ago. His widow still has it and wouldn't part with even though it's now worth a fortune.
Richard Walker was a gentleman in the true sense of the word along with Bernard Venables(with whom I've spent many an hour propping up the bar of "The Bull at Downton")and of course Peter Stone, who was fishing with R.W. that day on the Upper Ouse.
**** asked him if he'd like using it and when John said it was the best leger rod he'd ever used **** just said "If you like it that much you'd better keep it."
John prized that rod until the day he died 3 years ago. His widow still has it and wouldn't part with even though it's now worth a fortune.
Richard Walker was a gentleman in the true sense of the word along with Bernard Venables(with whom I've spent many an hour propping up the bar of "The Bull at Downton")and of course Peter Stone, who was fishing with R.W. that day on the Upper Ouse.
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay
Guest
**** told me that I could use his hut on the Ouse any time I wanted.
And I did - several times.
That man's generosity knew no bounds.
And I did - several times.
That man's generosity knew no bounds.
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay
Guest
Let's see how much you know about Richard Walker.
1: Give the title of Walker's first book?
2: What was the first name of his first wife?
3: What name did he give to the 44lb carp from Redmire.
4: What was his address when he lived for several years in Hitchin with his mother.
5: Name another of Walker's hobbies.
There's five to be getting on with.
1: Give the title of Walker's first book?
2: What was the first name of his first wife?
3: What name did he give to the 44lb carp from Redmire.
4: What was his address when he lived for several years in Hitchin with his mother.
5: Name another of Walker's hobbies.
There's five to be getting on with.
Alan Tyler
Well-known member
Without looking in any books:
1: The Flemish Giant Rabbit?
2: no idea.
3: Ravioli
4: Bearton Road? No. 11?
5: Opera.
Enough mistakes in there to leave some for the rest, I'm afraid!
1: The Flemish Giant Rabbit?
2: no idea.
3: Ravioli
4: Bearton Road? No. 11?
5: Opera.
Enough mistakes in there to leave some for the rest, I'm afraid!
R
Ron 'The Hat' Clay
Guest
Very good Alan
You have 1, 3 and 4 correct.
His first wife's name was Ruth (I've forgotten her maiden name) who bore him 3 boys, including twins.
His other hobbies, which also took up a great deal of is time was the breeding of Siamese cats and in his younger days - Flemish Giant rabbits of course. He made quite a bit of spare cash from cats and rabbits.
He loved classical music of all kinds, opera especially.
You have 1, 3 and 4 correct.
His first wife's name was Ruth (I've forgotten her maiden name) who bore him 3 boys, including twins.
His other hobbies, which also took up a great deal of is time was the breeding of Siamese cats and in his younger days - Flemish Giant rabbits of course. He made quite a bit of spare cash from cats and rabbits.
He loved classical music of all kinds, opera especially.
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay
Guest
To be pedantic it was 11, Bearton Avenue.
Derek Lewis 5
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hi all,a big thank your to every one for the nice comments regarding the richard walker article,never wrote anything in my life like that before,but i remembered the events that day so clearly.just one other thing,in 1972 i left british rail and went on the buses{united counties}and one of my routes was hitchin to baldock,taking in that same road going passed **** walkers factory{llyods}again,strange how things work out in life.he had 3triumph 2000 cars 2white ones and a blue one a vanden pla princess and a metallic green bmw p reg.the record carp was called clarissa,and every time i drove the bus passed that factory i always looked in that window,and pat his second wife i think had my mate wally{driving instructor}for her driving lessons.all the best to every one.derek.
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay
Guest
I remember his big Austin Pricess van den Plas. It was black with tinted windows and ugly.
Inside that car was tackle he never knew he possessed, as well as a hatch of flies like no other. The boot was solid with 200 packs of Consulate menthol cigarettes. He used to smoke them because as he said: "They tasted so awful they helped me smoke less!"
Inside that boot were also many packs of "Long Life" canned beer. He loved the stuff. he also liked Beefeater gin and tonics. And when he went fishing he drank Lucozade in vast quantities.
His second wife was of course Patricia Marston - of the Marstons of Fishing Gazette fame.
They went to live in Flitwick - Beds and from there to Bigglewade.
I have forgotten the exact addresses but I wrote to **** on and off when I was living in SA.
Inside that car was tackle he never knew he possessed, as well as a hatch of flies like no other. The boot was solid with 200 packs of Consulate menthol cigarettes. He used to smoke them because as he said: "They tasted so awful they helped me smoke less!"
Inside that boot were also many packs of "Long Life" canned beer. He loved the stuff. he also liked Beefeater gin and tonics. And when he went fishing he drank Lucozade in vast quantities.
His second wife was of course Patricia Marston - of the Marstons of Fishing Gazette fame.
They went to live in Flitwick - Beds and from there to Bigglewade.
I have forgotten the exact addresses but I wrote to **** on and off when I was living in SA.
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay
Guest
One of these days I an going to drive down to Hitchin and go straight to Number 11 Bearton Avenue. I shall be dressed in my best clothes with my best English accent.
I shall knock on the door and tell whoever is living there that here lived one of England's most famous and respected gentlemen and would it be possible to come in and have a look around.
I might get told to bugger off, but on the other hand I just might be welcomed.
In any event it would be a great experience.
Wouldn't it be a let down if some Brummie or East Ender was living there now?
I shall knock on the door and tell whoever is living there that here lived one of England's most famous and respected gentlemen and would it be possible to come in and have a look around.
I might get told to bugger off, but on the other hand I just might be welcomed.
In any event it would be a great experience.
Wouldn't it be a let down if some Brummie or East Ender was living there now?
R
Ron 'The Hat' Clay
Guest
And finally, as some of you know, Barrie Rickards is in the final stages of writing a biography of Richard Walker.
It is perhaps very appropriate that a Yorkshireman write this biograpy as **** loved Yorkshire people.
**** was a plain speaking man himself, although his Yorkshire accent was pretty awful as the late Colin Dyson once ascribed.
For many years, my dear friend Eric Hodson tried to get a proper memorial to the life of our greatest angling writer.
Perhaps, through Fishing Magic, we can get somewhere, a fitting tribute to the life of Richard Stuart Walker.
We owe that man so much.
It is perhaps very appropriate that a Yorkshireman write this biograpy as **** loved Yorkshire people.
**** was a plain speaking man himself, although his Yorkshire accent was pretty awful as the late Colin Dyson once ascribed.
For many years, my dear friend Eric Hodson tried to get a proper memorial to the life of our greatest angling writer.
Perhaps, through Fishing Magic, we can get somewhere, a fitting tribute to the life of Richard Stuart Walker.
We owe that man so much.
Derek Lewis 5
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hi ron,all interesting stuff about richard walker,another little bit i didnt mention was my mum and dad moved to sussex in the early seventys,as they wanted to be near my sister and brother,so they exchaned houses,but i stayed in hitchin for a little while,being that my job,fishing,and mates where in the hitchin area,so i had to rent a room in somebodys house,not the greatist time of my life,the room in the house was in lancaster avenue,which was the road at the bottom of bearton avenue,?10 per week then,and when i looked out of the window i saw this lovely garden with a camoflauged hut and nets hanging from the tree,and it suddenly dawned on me that it was **** walkers garden,its so strange how things turn out sometimes.i believe ian howcroft is trying to do a book on **** walker as well.the last time i went to hitchin was 1985,i went and bought 2 normark rods of alan browns tackle shop,someone else who knew **** quite well.still fell the tears swell up in my eyes when i see a photo of him.regards derek.
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Fred Bonney
Guest
What about a blue plack Ron, for no.11?
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Ron 'The Hat' Clay
Guest
It might be an idea Fred.
But I want to find out who lives at Number 11 now.
They might be a bunch of antis!
But I want to find out who lives at Number 11 now.
They might be a bunch of antis!