chissitt wrote:
Talking of unsavoury people there was a lad who was deaf and dumb called Richard Field who was around at the same time as Sykes, his brother was Ernie Field a pro boxer who once fought for the European Middleweight championship, Mr Sykes always gave Richard a very wide berth with good reason when they were up town on a Friday night, as you say the police found Sykes easily tamed unfortunately that was not the case with Field as I'm sure your brother would testify if he was around at the same time, most Friday nights when he kicked off the meat van as it was affectionally called would roll up with a minimum 8/9 policeman plus a dog for good measure to try and arrest him which I personally witnessed on a couple of occasions which would have been funny had it not been serious, rumour has it, and I say that because if you weren't there and saw it that's all it was, but having been refused to be served in the Talbot & Falcon with the terrific strength he possessed he pulled two of the beer pumps towards him leaving them parallel with the counter egged on by his entourage of hangers on, not a pleasant person when under the influence and honestly made Sykes look like a pussycat.
That was probably before his time, even Sykes was on the start of his decline but I’m sure older officers will have mentioned him.
My brother always states it’s not the loud ones who are the problem but the sulkers. Those who hold grudges at the merest slight. Them and the real gangsters who strike only when necessary and usually it’s terminal for someone.
Wakefield used to be full of the moody types who you just couldn’t read, especially after a drink. I remember working at the old Asda whose warehouse faced onto the back of the old Speak Easy. We were having a good natured snowball fight with some of the regulars and they were fine. Then securicor arrived to collect the takings and one of the snowballs hit one of them.
He took offence, it was unnecessary as it was just a laugh but not as unnecessary as what came next. Despite wearing a helmet the lead guy from Streethouse put him in hospital with a fractured skull. I’m sure they would have killed him if the Asda manager hadn’t talked them down and we hadn’t manage to drag him in the warehouse. It was 2pm! Absolute nutters yet on the surface ok, they are the dangerous ones.
My brother was there that day and I reckon that’s what made him join up. He wasn’t a hard case or especially brave just a bit stubborn with a tendency not to run even when the odds were overwhelming. That cost me my front tooth on one occasion. I honestly don’t know how he dealt with these people, my nerves would have been shredded. He’s long retired from the front line and thank god for that. With drugs now heavily in the mix I can’t imagine how bad it now is, probably makes Sykes and Field look like reasonable guys.
Your story also demonstrates just how tough you needed to be to be a pub landlord in those days!
