|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
06 Aug 2004
I've never been particularly interested in local newspapers, but since I'm in a new area now, I thought I would glance at the local free-sheet that popped through the door. Little did I suspect that I was living in an area where thrilling and mysterious events occur. It seems that the local park (which is actually quite a large Country Park, rather than the typical bandstands and flowerbeds type of thing) is inhabited by a wild man. This man is referred to as 'Barkfoot'—a hilarious1 play on 'Bigfoot', but it also refers to his home-made bark footwear and bark cowboy hat. He apparently also wears a long coat woven out of reeds and grasses, and adores sausages—all of the encounters people have had with him have involved sausage-related incidents of one kind or another.
There were quite a few column inches devoted to Barkfoot, including a couple of letters from people who had experienced a Barkfoot close encounter. One even had a bit of a chat with him, and found out that his 'real' name is Larry Larch (or Larchey) and—this is the surreal bit—he used to be a bottle-opener designer in Hemel Hempstead. I think that my favourite bit was a quote from a Park official who said:
"Even though there is someone allegedly wearing bark shoes, it does not mean he or they are living in the Park."
Barkfoot (or Larchey) reminds me of the Green Man; a rather mysterious folkloric figure who is associated with the Arthurian legends, and also represents the rebirth of life in Spring and Summer. I think that every park should have its own Green Man, so long may Barkfoot continue to enjoy his sausages in the copses.
1 Well, it is a local paper. (Retracted—see comments.)
1
Hello There
Loved the piece about Barkfoot but not the 'Well, it is a local paper' reference which left a sour taste. Listen Love, having a scoot around your website it is obvious you have lived a few places and enviable IQ and enough letters after your name to spell barkfoot backwards! therefore you should not judge a book by its cover, or in this case the newspaper by its wrap-around. The paper you refer to is the best in Britain and is a fantastic paper that puts its competitors to shame in the brilliance of its copy! I suggest you keep reading 'The Obo' as you will find more about the great area you have moved into!
Adam----- Adam Smith: You're probably right to pull me up on that remark, which did come across as a unecessarily snide. However, it comes out of the generally poor experience I've had with local papers in the areas I've lived in before—I never found much to interest me in the Oxford Times, for example. What I hope did come across was my surprise and delight at finding an interesting and well-written local paper (which is also free, unlike the Oxford Times). I actually read the whole thing, and was planning to do so again even without your prompting (especially as I see that there's more coverage of Barkfoot in today's edition). I do still think that 'Barkfoot' is a pretty poor pun, but perhaps that wasn't the paper's invention. So, I retract the statement, in case it gives people a poor impression of 'The Obo'.
In the spirit of exchange, can I pull you up on something too? I know this wasn't how you meant it, but most women I know have heard the phrase, "Listen Love..." preface a patronising or sexist remark often enough to bristle as soon as we hear it, irrespective of what comes after it. Only fathers (and grandfathers) can get away with it when they are addressing their daughters.
by bsag @ 13/08/2004 7:08 pm • Permalink •