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Tuesday 8 October 2013

Fair Scarborough !





I was on holiday last week - I had no internet access and I watched no TV.  I remained blissfully unaware of the fact that Thursday marked the first anniversary of the screening of 'Exposure'.  I was in North Yorkshire and found a bit of time to visit Scarborough one of my favourite places in England now !
The first time I went there was in January, I wanted to see what drew Jimmy and his mam to the place.  I thought that it must be special - and it is ! It's like going back in time and the architecture and views are amazing !


This is Wessex Court - Jimmy's flat is the one with the small balcony on the 3rd Floor (one floor from top).

Directly across the road from Jims and below is the view he will have had from his window albeit I'm on the ground !







The good people of Scarborough thought that Jimmy was kind of special too.  Among the many tributes paid to him one that would surely have touched his heart would have been the naming of the path he used daily on his walks and runs and cycles after him ! Yorkshire Post Radio announced the erection of two signs bearing the name 'Savile View' in an article dated 27th Sept 2012.

Scarborough has honoured Sir Jimmy Savile by naming a path after him.

Savile's View is a previously un-named route leading from the Esplanade to Birdcage Walk on South Cliff.

The same article went on to describe another memorial dedicated to Sir Jimmy

It is close to where he had a home and comes after a plaque was recently put on his home.

 http://www.yorkshirecoastradio.com/news/local-news/777114/scarborough-names-path-after-sir-jimmy-savile/

Notice the date on that piece folks - I think that there are 30 days in September - so that means that the signs were put up just a week or so before - Exposure !

Just 3 days after the broadcast, council workmen removed the signs and the plaque the latter having been daubed with hateful graffiti. 

I don't have a photo of the signs and the plaque in place but I do have these shots of how the sites look now (note the 2 black marks where the legs of the sign was).  This pic is just yards from where Jim stood in the first pic above and is directly opposite Wessex Court !





The boys in Scarborough were certainly busy in the latter part of September 2012.  On September 20th a fine headstone was unveiled in the town's Woodlands Cemetery.  It cost  £4000 and was 6 feet wide and 4 foot high !  The Daily Mail was certainly singing Sir Jimmy's praises  when it described this wonderful event duly the words of Jimmy's nephew

Sir Jimmy’s nephew Roger Foster, 67, said: ‘His legacy will be long-lasting. The Jimmy Savile charity trust will soon start giving money to good causes.

‘The headstone will become a tourist attraction. Dozens of  people have already been coming to look for the grave even though there was no headstone.

‘He was just an ordinary bloke from the back streets of Leeds but everyone loved him and wants to pay their respects.

 http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2206085/Sir-Jimmy-Saviles-friends-fix-headstone-remember-complete-unexpected-gaffe.html

In the small hours of October 10th 2012 Jimmy's headstone was removed and sent to landfill so, this is what I found in my first visit to the site














I just couldn't leave Jimmy like that so the next morning before I left for home I paid another visit to the woodlands.  Strangely enough, I did not think that I'd have time and I hadn't seen a flower shop in my wanderings the day before but, as I set out to the town centre just beyond the Grand Hotel I happened upon wee flower shop wherein a lovely lady insisted on taking no payment for her effort. Seeing one of those yellow charity things near the till I donated the pound I wanted to give her - thinking that Jim would have approved of this gesture ! I jumped on the next bus back up to the cemetery and this is what I did




 That was nine months ago - the outline of the turf has faded somewhat but that hasn't deterred another hardy soul from planting their own tribute to a man he or she obviously loved.  I hope that that person does not mind me showing you their little tribute.  It's so nice to know and show the world that some of us still care about Jimmy and i think that that persons words speak for many thousands who still hold their memories of Jimmy dear.







I scattered my white rose petals on top of Jimmy and I told him of our plans for Leeds.  I gave him all mine and your very best wishes.  It was dull and it had been raining when I arrived there last Friday morning.  The sun had come out by the time I left.

I know that there is still such a thing as the Scarborough Fair - and I'm sure that there will be such a thing as the fair in Scarborough ! See y'all next Time !

Addendum 

I updated this post following information that I had made an error in regard to Jimmy's headstone.  Thought I'd add a few more pics whilst I was at it and, whilst I'm no photographer and I only have a small point and shoot, I really wanted to share the images of this magical place !

I'll be doing more posts about Scarborough and Leeds - There's so much to share - Take care all !






12 comments:

  1. That month of September the papers were full of stories, so it was not suddenly "revealed" on the night of the broadcast. Why the sudden reaction the next day? It seems very co-ordinated in retrospect. I'm guessing the same morons used a ladder to reach that plaque that used to be up high on that wall. In the same way his Scottish cottage was painted on, but that was done by supporters of some scandal or other that's been bubbling away for years.

    Seems likes there's some kind of Mafia at work on the internet, arranging their ugly activities, and they're quite clever so not moronic at all. I still wonder what would have happened if Saviles gravestone had been left, and attacked. Is Britain such a sick place that even that would not have stirred the decency in the oh-so-silent majority?

    Maybe the "great British public" is just a myth, and it's all ugliness out there. Certainly seems that way just now.

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  2. @Moor - is it really possible that the DM were unaware of 'Exposure' ? The boys in Scarborough Yes - but one of the lowest of the Low tabloid rags ???

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  3. Lovely Rabbit, thank you. Just one important correction, the stone was paid for out of Jimmy's Estate, not by Scarborough Council - it took months to create and one night to destroy. The only positive was that it was taken down overnight, and the disgusting, moronic "thrill" seeking media missed it! Their faces were a picture when at dawn they arrived with their broadcasting vans, to tell the waiting morning breakfast programmes that they had missed the "scoop" of the year. Three cheers for the wonderful people who worked through the night to save the dignity of SJS, his family and the families of those buried in the cemetery.

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    1. Bless you - sorry about the mistake - the press bleated so much about the price of the stone, I naturally thought public money had paid 4 it ! Yes the folk in Scarborough are lovely - another walk perhaps - next time 'Savile's View' !!! 20 days to go - the press won't get any big scoop this time either - our walk will be a dignified affair - Big Hugs to you !! xx

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    2. Rabbit. A lovely, very fitting piece about Jimmy's long standing love of Scarborough. Please, though, can you amend your blog as soon as possible as it was not Scarborugh Council who paid for the headstone but the estate of SJS as has been mentioned by 'Anon'.
      I have photos of both the plaque on Wessex Court and the street sign 'Savile's View' but have no way of getting them to you. You are welcome to use them if you wish.
      Ellen , on Moor's blog knows who I am so she could direct you to my email address.

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    3. Thanks - I'll amend as soon as I work out how to - I did this in a hurry cos I know people are really interested at the mo - get back to u later Damian - got so much on at the moment - tweeting as many as poss etc xx

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  4. nice post.

    the truth will out some days and you chaps are doing your part.

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    1. Thank you but we need as many folk to walk or tweet for Jimmy on the day James Savile is on Twitter now @Justice4Jimmy xx

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  5. Get your facts right you idiot Our flat is the one with the small balcony on the 3rd floor. The 2nd floor with the large balcony was his! It's bad enough the trauma the residents have been through already with having that evil monster living in the same building, then idiots like you paint a target on our family property. You should be locked up!

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    1. Thank you for correcting my five year old mistake mr unknown. Better late than never and I trust no harm came to you or any of the other occupants of Wessex Ct in the interim !. Less of the rudeness next time

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    2. Well said Unknown - its shocking this site is lying about which flat was JS's - its bad enough this site promotes and glorfys sexual abuse of people. Shocking, really shocking.

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  6. I am truly shocked....I looked up to this man when I was younger.( I really wish I hadn't)..I feel disgusted from what I learnt following his death.....a vile pedophile creature !!!!

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