Les (Ginger) Baker R.I.P.

[Billy Bests boot laces]

Mate messaged me with the sad news ( big ) Les Baker from Hockley has passed away. Anyone on here who was around in the 70's would have probably known him.
He had his own crew from Hockley/Hawkwell, & was also a West Ham fan. R.I.P Les.

 

[rararblue]

Knew him well - a year or so older than me and every time he saw me (used to go football with all the Hockley lads, so often), I'd get a playful, how are you punch - only playful but hurt like hell. Couldn't let him see that though!
Can only be 67 or 68, so taken, way too young.
RIP Ginger.

 

[Pak Power]

R;I;P fellow shrimper condolences to your friends and family

 

[ESG]

Knew the big fella for many years growing up in Hockley. Shared some great times, adventures and scrapes with him. Still saw him for a chat and a laugh every couple of weeks. Both me and the wife shed a tear and raised a glass when we got the call on Saturday.

RIP Les we are all going to miss you

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

Knew him well - a year or so older than me and every time he saw me (used to go football with all the Hockley lads, so often), I'd get a playful, how are you punch - only playful but hurt like hell. Couldn't let him see that though!
Can only be 67 or 68, so taken, way too young.
RIP Ginger.

He was a powerful guy. Back in the 70's most of the Hockley locals used to have a game of football on a Sun afternoon. One day he had a disagreement with Tommy Raynes ( great mate of Micky Cash ) on the pitch, & Les knocked him out with a swipe!.

 

[wivs]

RIP Les. I would say gentle giant but as previously mentioned he wasn't always gentle. Diamond geezer though, knew him from my Greensward days and also suffered the friendly bicep punch in the Spa quite often. Very sad to hear.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

RIP Les. I would say gentle giant but as previously mentioned he wasn't always gentle. Diamond geezer though, knew him from my Greensward days and also suffered the friendly bicep punch in the Spa quite often. Very sad to hear.

Must admit i haven't seen him for over 10 years. Last time i did was in Rayleigh High Street, wearing his customary vest!. But he was a massive heavy lump then, & many would have said he was a prime candidate then, to have a heart attack?.

 

[wivs]

Must admit i haven't seen him for over 10 years. Last time i did was in Rayleigh High Street, wearing his customary vest!. But he was a massive heavy lump then, & many would have said he was a prime candidate then, to have a heart attack?.

Much the same time for me mate. A couple of us old Greensward boys were talking at Roots Hall only a couple of weeks ago and said we hadn't seen him for ages which seems kind of spooky.

 

[ESG]

Must admit i haven't seen him for over 10 years. Last time i did was in Rayleigh High Street, wearing his customary vest!. But he was a massive heavy lump then, & many would have said he was a prime candidate then, to have a heart attack?.

He hadn't touched a drop in many years and had dropped a lot of weight.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

He hadn't touched a drop in many years and had dropped a lot of weight.

That's nice to hear.

 

[blueblueblue]

I remember Ginger well from my youth, standing in the North bank behind the goal.

He seemed to be a nice guy and always had that little chap following him around.

He always use to look out for us younger ones at games.

RIP.

 

[blueblueblue]

Must admit i haven't seen him for over 10 years. Last time i did was in Rayleigh High Street, wearing his customary vest!. But he was a massive heavy lump then, & many would have said he was a prime candidate then, to have a heart attack?.

He was a big lump and liked a scrap or 20. I remember when he got stabbed outside the pub in Layer road.

 

[E for B and Billy Best]

Such a shame to read this news. Had some great laughs with Les and Trevor Good in the short time I worked at Thamesmouth Printing... chaos is the only word for it. I seem to remember he had an Alice Cooper make-up period in the North Bank as well. One Christmas in a packed Golden Disc, Les was in the queue and Podge crept up behind him and shoved a bottle of amyl nitrate under his nose...more chaos.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

He was a big lump and liked a scrap or 20. I remember when he got stabbed outside the pub in Layer road.

Think your getting him mixed up with Ginger lee?.

 

[blueblueblue]

Think your getting him mixed up with Ginger lee?.

Not the same guy then, you're right, I must be.

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Such a shame to read this news. Had some great laughs with Les and Trevor Good in the short time I worked at Thamesmouth Printing... chaos is the only word for it. I seem to remember he had an Alice Cooper make-up period in the North Bank as well. One Christmas in a packed Golden Disc, Les was in the queue and Podge crept up behind him and shoved a bottle of amyl nitrate under his nose...more chaos.

Podge(Neil Morgan) was a friend of mine. That's exactly the sort of thing he would do. I think Podge's goal was to do at least one crazy thing a day. Sometimes he would have a whole crazy day, and you had to watch out as you were involved somehow in his mayhem. One of his party pieces was when he was told by anyone, You can't come in dressed in those clothes, he would turn up 5 minutes later stark naked. RIP Podge, and RIP Les, although I didn't know Les.

 

[OldBlueLady]

RIP fellow Shrimper.

 

[rigsby]

For a number of years it seemed anytime you even passed through Hockley, never mind enter the Spa...You would always see Les in his obligatory power vest.....Back then every town, team and pub had some wonderful characters.

Sadly yet another passes RIP.

 

[Shrimper Brownie]

RIP

 

[Whispering Bob]

Used to bump into Les at games in the seventies (and quite often when seeing pals in Hockley). RIP big fella.