I hope his fame does not lead to idiots harming him!

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He is part of Wolverhampton, simple as, you still see him sweeping up the streets at the ripe old age of 87. Now that the cowboy’s calmed down a bit and the preacher is no longer around, its good to see that one local celebrity is still going strong!

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This could pave the way for other local legends be it man or beast to have fame on facebook or other social networking sites for instance if there was a stray dog that likes to hang outside restaurants

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I’m guessing Ezra got a bit old for street preaching – he was old when I was a boy 30 years ago.

Does anyone know when Fred moved onto the ring road? I remember as a young boy he was given a spoof satellite dish!

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im a member of this group. its absolutly mint!!this guy must be 2nd 2 steve bull in this city!!joke haha.id bet he’d give him a run 4 his money!!if he had any that is!hehe we all love u ring road tramp!

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I would like to put some facts straight, about Mr. J. Stawinoga I know him since early 1950, in fact we worked together at Stewart and Lloyd in Bilston. Yes he did get married in 1952,but his wife left him shortly after and went back to her native country Austria. Soon after that he didn’t turn up for work and was wandering around Wolverhampton for good many years, pushing his pram with all his possessions, often having a rest outside saint Marks. He stopped shaving and grew ankle long beard. He hadn’t had a proper wash or a bath since mid. 1950. He never claimed any social benefits or even his OEP. He is not yet 87, since he was bourn on 15 February 1922, which makes him only 85 years of age. I with Social Services have organised assembling of new tent, every time the old tent become unusable.
He has never bin in Russia and his whereabouts during the war is only known to me and those old enough to remember war years, but that will remain a secret as I have no intention of reviling his past. regards

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what about the comboy now turned preacher? he is so funny

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This guy is a true legend, and respect to the hindu community. Lets be honest his outlived many people who are caught up with material possessions

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I live in Kentucky ( usa)I miss the British humour and characters that are missing from this part of the world,Yes i remember the tramp,and the cowboy -was this the guy with the radio?
street characters must be treasured and respected.I know Engalnd is slowly losing its traditions and its identity,but its important that we dont lose our sense of humour and characters like the tramp and the cowboy…

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Maybe it’s Ramsey!
Everyone in Walsall knows who Ramsey is!!!

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wolfmanmac,crike i forgot all out the man who used to simulate throwing hand grenades.i think it was some sort of shell shock after the war that caused this.

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This guy needs a statue when he dies, hes managed to do what so many find impossible. He receives no money, he spends no money, and he lives rent free. I agree with the calls to leave him alone as it could give local idiots a focal point for their brain cell. In the meantime give him the space he has created for himself as he has chosen to live like this for a reason and no-one has the right to invade it. If the website of him is attracting visitors perhaps they could raise some funds to help this guy through the winter and pass them onto the “E & S” who I guess will undoubtedly pass them on to the relevent people.

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I remember Ezra the preacher, I think he has retired now, and there is new blood on Dudley St. As for the cowboy, like wolfmanmac said, he is no longer a cowboy, but a born again christian, you can occasionally catch him giving out leaflets in town.

And as for Mr Ring rd man…….leave him be – he doesnt need to be exploited anymore than he is…otherwise some yobos will start to target him

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I remember this old man If you offered him money for a cuppa he would refuse to take it from you, you had to leave it on a wall or what ever and when you had finished passing the time of day and walked away then he would pick it up That was in my twenties I am 60 in Dec.He like me should be left to his way of life and be let get on with it Regards Mike

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fair play to him i think that he is great

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Nobby, you are very appropriately named. Up the Wolves !
David Bartley, Tipton.

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The setting up of a fan club in honour of someone that is completely unaware and who has quite obviously gone out of his way to not only avoid the public eye but seclude himself away from public life is surely an invasion of his privacy. He has his reasons for living the life he leads and making the man into a public spectacle is surely wrong. Drawing attention to him and not allowing him to live his life as he obviously desires is against his personal civil rights. I just hope that he remains safe as this ‘fame’ that Laura Croxford with Facebook has created could unfortunately make him into a target for people out there who are not as caring as most people within our society. Why cannot some people just mind their own business and let other people live their own lives????

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Well done Laura!
For decades this man has chosen to live the life of a hermit. We don’t know why he chose this lifestyle, and it’s nobody’s business but his own. Even Social Services respect his privacy – what help they give is given discreetly. As his presence is well-known locally, it is a miracle that he has not been troubled by local yobs.

Thanks to you, Laura, all this may change. By making his story known to a world-wide audience, you have had your “fifteen minutes of fame” on BBC radio – but at what cost to Mr Stawinoga!

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this man reli is a legend it must b hard livin in all weather conditions in just a tent im 15 an iv new abt him all my life !!!

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Laura, you really need to rethink this and I doubt that you have thought about the implications for this intensly private man. I watched the television news item on him yesterday which was filmed as a result of your website. It was intrusive to the extreme, the cameras literally spying on him in his own home. How would you like that? Please close the website – enough is enough – you have had your fifteen minutes of fame please leave it at that.

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everyone knows of him,but why invade his life like this,he doesnt want this attention Laura,-would anyone want want this let alone someone in their eighties who lives in solitude, please remove this site so not to bring harm to JOSEF STAWINOGE. SHAME ON YOU LAURA! YOUVE DONE WRONG!

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At last he’s been put on the map,not like the beggers who sit in the town pestering you for money , they all should be given a brush to sweep the town and earn a meal, anyway keep up the good work.

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Im shocked,my post wasnt vetted,there is free speach in Wolvo,see, you can live without Nanny State,or P.C. Idiots.

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well i live in london canada now but when i was a kid growing up just outside walsall there was a tramp who lived in the woods he just kept him self to him self so lets just respect these people for what they want too be still miss the pub life

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You know you’re from Wolverhampton when:

* You say ‘You am’ instead of ‘You are’
* You use ‘The Man on the Horse’ or McDonalds as the central point of gathering when shopping in town
*You barely batter an eye lid at football violence and your’e almost certain to know someone associated with it.
* You have participated in or seen the St Peter’s fountain full of bubble bath
* Talking of clubbing you know that Chicago’s and New York New York are grab a granny
* Major’s chip shop, Bilston is the best chips in the world
* You only go to Walsall for something to do on a sunday morning
* You know Heath Town needs blowing up
* You wonder what happened to the black guy who preached every saturday in the city centre
* Depending on what story you belive ‘The Tramp on the ring-road’ is a polish refugee that has cable paid for him and dosen’t have to pay counclil tax.
* Talking about psychos youve had a pointless conversation with ‘The Cowboy man’.
* You know that if it wasn’t for the cheap Kebab shops, Broad street would be pointless.
* You know the price of ‘Lazzeez’s’ keababs and pizzas
*You know that Tettenhall is full of posh tarts that only go clubbing in wolverhampton to sh*g someone who owns a tracksuit
* You automatically sing ‘Wolverhampton’ when ‘Hi-Ho silver lining is played at a disco’
* We were brought up to hate anything from West Bromich
* You know that catching the train to Birmingham is better than the metro as it dont break down half as much.
* You recognise that Primark is chav central but bloody great for hoodys
* You know that our train station is planning disaster from the 70′s
* We say were Black Country but were not, were part of it, but were not in it!
* We only use Telford for Ice skating
* Despite being a city, we still get shocked if get mentioned on the news or a tv programme.
* You know that Whitmore Reens is ‘drive by’ central
* You know that if you want a hooker spend 5 minutes in All-saints and youll get one
* You know the civic centre is for pensioners,skaters and imigrants.
*You’re not happy that Iraqis are in our city but £3 for a wash and dry on your car it could be Osama Bin Laden washing it for that price
* Asda is a war zone on the weekend for middle ages moms with trolleys
* You remember where you were when Mark Kennedy scored the first goal when the wolves got promoted
* St Peters church is the place to sunbathe when its sunny
* You know that Cineworld is cheapest on Tuesdays
* Everyone was born at New Cross.. well almost everyone
* You know that if your’e lost outside Wolverhampton just look for the Blue neon lights on top of Mander House to find your way home.
* When was the last time you heard someone say ‘Im moving to Ettingshall’?
* You know that weatherspoons is full of Dole dossers
* You know that Blackpool could quite easily be ‘Wolverhampton-on-sea’
* Who remembers when Goodyears was a factory and not a restaurant
* Youve been to the Imperial at least once
* Chavs hate trendies, trendies hate gangster rappers, gangster rappers hate emo, and emo’s hate everyone but garanteed you have friends from at least one of those groups.
* We have the worst Christmas lights in the world
* We hate to admit it but we would love to nick Birmingham’s big screen from Centenary Sq.

but most of all, you know your’e from wolverhampton if you agree with more than half these things

I hate to admit it, but it’s so true! :)

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“You’re not happy that Iraqis are in our city but £3 for a wash and dry on your car it could be Osama Bin Laden washing it for that price” Sunny Kanda you’re so right, people maon about all these immigrants coming over until they want their car washed on the cheap. The rest of your points are almost spot on – I dont say “you am” and I’m not that posh either! Besty – not sure bout the good night life!

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I can rememer what i thaught was
an old coat in a bin as me and my wife walked passed.
Then to my surprise the ring road
tramp looked up with what looked like a pork pie that was about 18 years ago.He looked like he was
enjoying it . And it never killed
him’

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Sadly enough i think Fred (the ring road tramp) might have died, no idea what happened but his tent was surrounded by police tape and officers. I hope it has not been anything horrible and just old age. Also the ‘You know you’re from Wolverhampton when’ piece is written by a guy in my uni class called Adam, not the person that posted it here.

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Here Here !!
The wolverhampton tramp has been a part of my life, growing up he was always there in the middle of the road tending to his “garden”. Top bloke, true legend. One that will be truly missed but who will live on in many peoples memories. Its a sad day. Rest in peace. xx

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i think its so sad that he has died i kind of miss him in a way its nice of them to give him fresh tents when his old ones were old and tatty.he wil be rememberd in wolverhampton for a long time the council should put a singn or a statue to remember him by i think it was a bit mean trowng away his posetions they could have burried some with him i think they should burry him were he was always rember as the tramp man with the tent were his tent was and put a singn next to him if he gets burried there if any one here reads my comment and goes to his funeral please wish him my luck for the futer in heaven and you were a great wonderful man and a true memory of wolver hampton xxxxx

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fred rest in piece and we all love u xxxxxxx simon age 14 good night

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Fred was a true legend, a person somehow respected by all those in Wolverhampton. I have known and seen him for most of my life. I was so sorry to see all his posessions ripped away by the council, but perhaps better than people desecrating his home. I just hope we can have some reminder of him, to me he is as important as any other person. Lets give him a private but moving funeral and a monument to his time with us all in Wolverhampton.

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I remember Fred as a child before he moved into his “des res” on the ring road, as I also remember my dad telling me about the grenade thrower being shell shocked during the war. I also remember being a bit scared of the sprint paced radio carrying cowboy as a child, I just smiled as he ran past me as an adult though. Then there was Esra who I was mesmorised by as a child for one thing I hadn’t seen many coffee coloured people let alone such colourful arm waving characters as Esra. All my memories from childhood of these characters from the streets will always be part of both my and all of Wolverhampton people’s lives no matter where they end up in the world.
R.I.P. Fred x

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fred have a new peace ful life in heaven ya legend ya will never be forgotten ya are already sadly missed n i think ur a far distance uncle or summit take caret o the wolvo ring road tramp n legend R.I.P i can remember wen i used to see u sweepin the leaves by ya tent ya was a good friendly man n every was grate ful n kind to him man ya legend of wolvo hope ur still lookin after ur ring road house where ya died take care in ya new life in heaven R.I.P for eva

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just goes to show that facebook users are a bunch of pathetic sad moron childish losers who have nothing better to do with their pathetic non-lives and low IQ’s.

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