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RIP Fred, The Wolverhampton Ring Road Tramp
Wolverhampton lost one of it’s major landmarks yesterday – Fred, The Ring-Road Tramp.
Not his real name, but it was the only thing he answered to. He lived in a tent pitched on the central reservation of the Wolverhampton ring road for over 30 years. The local Asian community regarded him as a holy man. In the late eighties, practical jokers erected a satellite dish outside his tent – he obviously didn’t care though, as it remained there for several years. He spoke very little English and seemed fearless of traffic.
He tended his patch contentiously, collecting litter and sweeping the leaves around St Johns church. He was visited by meals on wheels daily and often dropped by the soup kitchen my dad works at, which was how I’ve stayed up to date with his news, despite being many miles from Wolves (a much more reliable source than his facebook group). He was also well looked after by the reverential Asians too, and had a bank account set up to receive his pension (which he never touched).
His story: Jozef Stawinoga was born sometime around 1920 in Poland. He fought in World War II and may or may not have been held prisoner of war by the Russians. He arrived in the UK in 1946 and worked as a hospital orderly in Wales and later as steel worker in Bilston in the 1950s. In Wolverhampton he met and married an Austrian woman, but she left him after a year and it was around this time that he stopped turning up for work and went to live on the streets, eventually settling on the ring road.
This is the commonly reported story, but seeing how he spoke very little English, refused contact with social services, and now is gone this is probably the only version of the facts we will ever have.
Traumatised by war time experiences he developed a fear of confined spaces and eventually set up home on the one spot where he felt comfortable – on a narrow stretch of grass between 4 lanes of high speed traffic.
Fred was like an émigré from another life. Not only had he found a different way of living, and managed to survive to a ripe old age doing it (he’s was 87), he did it right in the heart of the urban hive – as an example to us all. Thousands of people passed his tent every day on their way to work.
He was offered social housing many times, but refused. He had made his life under canvas. He was a reminder that there are other ways of living on this planet, that the trappings of urban living aren’t necessary to our survival, or peaceful existence. This is why he’ll be missed more than we realise.
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November 1st, 2007 at 4:10 am
I am inside now, but I lived outside for most of 16 years, mostly in Wisconsin, but three other(US) states as well. I survived without any welfare, either, living on cast off clothing, blankets, backpacks, cigarettes ( smoking bans in office buildings are a boon to
the cash-light), books and food. Thanks for posting on Fred. I still fondly think of the old days, before I became domesticated.
November 1st, 2007 at 9:24 am
Thanks for your comment. Fred was a rare thing – a homeless celebrity. A most visible example of an invisible social problem. There has been talk of a memorial.
I’d like to hear the story of how you became domesticated Christ.
November 6th, 2007 at 3:36 am
I was expelled from the parents house when I was a kid and State raised, and State restrained until I was 23, so when I got back to the street I didn’t want any walls near me. I had never worked a real job, so had no skills or resume to entice anyone to hire me, which re-enforced the decision to stay under bridges and scrounge for necessities. Before I realized it I was out there a year, and then five years; I was in the groove by then. I knew how to gear up for winter and how to protect myself from the other feral animals who shared my environment. I knew where to get fresh food from dumpsters, scrap metals for sale to recyclers, clothes from University dumpsters at end of semesters. Which office workers who smoked left the longest butts. I also became a drunk. I have thought about it for years and have come to the conclusion that I stayed drunk out of frustration with my choices. I have always been a reader; half the weight I carried around was always books. But I was so caught by inertia that I was unable to change directions until I was forty years old. That’s when I finally ran the string out and, exhausted, stopped. Nine years later I am living in the same apartment, working the same job and relatively content. I always knew that I would die outside, was fated to or some such nonsense. I don’t resent the time, because it is what it is. It helps me in my job as well, as the Program Manager of a recovery home. 60% of my residents have lived on the streets and/or been in prison. All are drunks or dope fiends with no experience being an accountable adult. I have run in to only a few men who I could not relate to directly.
How’s that?
March 6th, 2008 at 11:59 pm
I know that the British are looking for his relatives. I know one of them…
March 22nd, 2008 at 6:21 pm
a living legand was fred….
March 24th, 2008 at 6:41 pm
I remember Fred, whilst growing up in Wolverhampton. I’m 26 now and live in London. He was a landmark our Fred and the local community in Wolves looked upon him as a veteran, sometimes or a poor sod, at other times. I remember the famous story that went round how a businessman had dropped his wallet near Fred’s pitch. Fred, walked miles and miles to this man’s house (which was past the motorway) in order to return the wallet. He was offered money in fact, compensation for his good deed. Though Fred refused this. Wanted nothing of it.
It always made me think about what kind of a person he was. I never knew, until reading this blog, that Fred was Polish. He reminds me a little of Lady Alexandra that can be seen in Wolves, another Polish lady who has difficulty seeing and requests that you count her money for her. Having not been back to Wolves for sometime, I know not of her situation anymore. All I remember is she asking for me to count her change in a bag. All that could be seen was her hands rubbed in talcum powder. Her story was very interesting,..
July 21st, 2008 at 10:16 am
What an example to all the materialists in us all, who cant live without the latest gizzmo,s cars ,mobiles pc,s ect, R.I.P.Fred.
July 28th, 2008 at 10:13 am
I have lived in Wolves all of my life im 33 now and I remember Fred I always thought the satellite was connected though!!!. Its funny how a man can fight in World War 2 survive being a prisoner of War move to a hole new country but when the woman you love leaves you, you turn into yourself and retreat.
I think Wolverhampton is a beautiful place full of history and love, its had a bad rap with the gun crime but I live on a street were the neighbours are great kids can leave the bike on the lawn and wake up the next day and its still there.
Fred is what Wolverhampton is all about; we work hard and love each other, what more can you ask for in a city.
August 13th, 2008 at 8:54 am
jozef stawinoga
i think ive spelt his name right if not sorry
anyway he was a gentle kind warm hearted fellow people embrassed him as one of there own
October 8th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
my man repd wolvo
November 10th, 2008 at 11:46 pm
Hi everyone, a really lovely website with wonderful memories. God put on my heart a really lovely man called Phillip (Tramp) who lives in King George VI Park, Ramsgate, Kent. Being a regular ‘Dog Walker’, I have known of Phillip for several years. He is very gentle, non assuming and seemingly a really nice guy. A lot of people look on him with a kindly heart and even leave money in the seasonal cafetera which a nice middle aged couple run and is located in the park. One of the nicest moments for me is when I saw him in his leafy dwelling place beneath an evergreen hedge a few months ago in the middle of this summer. It was around 11am to mid-day and I asked him if he had eaten – he replied that he hadn’t, so I asked him if he would like me to buy him a breakfast? To my delight he said yes he would like that. The weather at the time was showery and we made a bee-line together with my two dogs over to the cafe’. We both ended up eating a wonderful fried breakfast of 2 eggs, bacon, sausage, fried bread, mushrooms and all washed down with a large mug of tea. Whilst in the middle of our breakfast together, (we were seated on a wooden park bench) the rain started to come down and before I realised it, the middle aged lady who was a co-owner of the cafe’ (with her husband) appeared standing behind us holding up an umbrella over our heads to protect both of us and our breakfast from the rain. It was amazing, it wasn’t planned or pre-empted’ in any way. Our conversation had been mostly of a one sided nature with me asking the questions. He said that he was married, (and still is) and that he still saw his wife occasionally. I have the impression that Phillip is in his middle to late forties. He has a long matted mousey beard and long matted mousey hair. He appears to be fairly well educated and I was left with the impression that he really would like to live somewhere with a roof over his head – but something seems to frighten him off actually taking that large step into asking for some help. I can’t wonder at it, as today I managed to speak to what appears to be the only organization in East-Kent who are trying to do anything for homeless people. It appears that if people appear to be tramps they are assessed by a Psychiatric Nurse (at least) in order that they are allowed Night Shelter. This is for the safety of the other people staying in the same night shelter in Canterbury which is 16 miles from Ramsgate where Phillip wishes to remain. Our local Thanet District Council have stopped funding this our only organization for homeless people – perhaps because “Homelessness appears to be a word that has a ’stigma’ attached to it”? I’m not certain as to the precise facts – all that I know is that our local Labour MP for Thanet South – Dr. Stephen Ladyman is trying to pull out all of the stops to get our Local Conservative run Thanet District Council to reverse their decision and once again begin funding this much needed local homeless people’s charitable trust.
Back to Phillip, I spent much of today trying to help him and in the end could only manage to buy him Saithe and Chips which I purchased for both of us at a local fish and chip shop opposite Ramsgate Harbour. This time we were without our middle aged lady friend holding an umbrella up above us – instead I joined Phillip in his leafy lair. The ground was so wet, I could taste the wet earth as we ate our lunch. One thing that I have learned, is that as a Christian, I have had my eyes opened to three different so called C of E (Church Ministers) and their lack of Christian Commitment to help Phillip. I had telephoned two of these ministers and asked for their help. The third vicar, I was not able to speak to but left my message on his office answerphone a few days ago. None of these so called christians have had the decency to come back to me or returned my telephone call. I felt as though I was walking on familiar ground to Jesus Christ over 2,000 years ago when he was the only one prepared to visit the Lepers’. Perhaps it is my time to instigate my own crucifixion by telling these men of the cloth a thing or two. It appears that there are more good christian like minded people outside of the church than actually within it. Keep your Blog going – it is good to see that I’m not alone with my concerns and hearty feelings for the homeless. It is but for the Grace of God – go I .. that we, have not found ourselves in the same situations as those homeless “Tramps”. I personally could not have slept with the noise of all that traffic going past my tent pitched in the central reservation of such a busy road. There are a lot of people who are “Busy being Busy” but have nothing to show for their so called enterprise or social conscious. I seem to know a lot of people who are busy busy people going from one social gathering to another one. Their little finger held high whilst drinking the toast to other busy busy people who are busy do nothing for anyone else other than themselves.
Roger S (Ramsgate, Kent)
February 5th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
Fred Rocks!Yeah!
February 24th, 2009 at 9:28 am
Hello
Jozef was a good man, i fell in love with him when i was the age of 45, i am now 67 and i deeply miss him. Sadly jozef didnt ever accept my offer of a relationship, i found he was comitted to his dedication of being a tramp. I think that he should be very very proud of himself and the whole of wolverhampton should look up to him as an example of a Ledgend. The talk about these footballers and singers their nothing compaired to freddy. If you had neill collins next to him, collins is a discrace. However, i once stayed a night with freddy in his tent, hes tent is very plesent and insulated with insulation foam. He has a camp bed with a sleeping bag for his bed. Thats all i have to say.
love you freddy
May 24th, 2009 at 4:08 am
i never actually seen frank but i was going past the ring road the once on my way back home and nanna told me about the story of the man that lived on thr ring road it was really intresting and its nice to know how much of a good man he was.
July 1st, 2009 at 12:54 am
he sounds like some huy like! r.i.p freddyy