Les (Ginger) Baker R.I.P.

[wakes123]

Sounded like a character from some of the messages. RIP Shrimper.

 

[ColinMorrisWalksOnWater]

Sad to hear of another passing.

Condolences to family and friends.

RIP

 

[ozzie]

More sad news about a top lad passing.Always got on well with Les (and the Hockley lads)
Dont think any "sane"person would want to get on the wrong side of Les.
Remember working on a site in Eastwood, 1976 ,and an older Scottish bloke who i worked with (also ginger)lived in Hockley and knew Les.
He once said to me"you know big Les Baker".I replied "yes, great bloke he is metal"
The Jock laughed and said"thats strange,he said the same about you"
Les was not the same after his awful accident where i was told if he had not been so strong,he would not have survived.
RIP big Les...up there with Carl,Podge,Steve...heaven help them

 

[Piledriver]

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.

Yes knew Les well back then , a bit of character to say the least , Rip Les old mate

 

[Piledriver]

More sad news about a top lad passing.Always got on well with Les (and the Hockley lads)
Dont think any "sane"person would want to get on the wrong side of Les.
Remember working on a site in Eastwood, 1976 ,and an older Scottish bloke who i worked with (also ginger)lived in Hockley and knew Les.
He once said to me"you know big Les Baker".I replied "yes, great bloke he is metal"
The Jock laughed and said"thats strange,he said the same about you"
Les was not the same after his awful accident where i was told if he had not been so strong,he would not have survived.
RIP big Les...up there with Carl,Podge,Steve...heaven help them

Yes I remember his car crash survival story and exactly that mostly normal mortals wouldn't have survived but not Les, strong as an Ox , although it may have made him a bit more of a Raging Bull.

 

[tia]

RIP fellow shrimper

 

[E for B and Billy Best]

Another funny Les story was the Cricketers trip to the Belgium beer festival in 1978. We are all on the coach Sunday morning except Les who is arguing the toss about his bar and room service bill. He'd run up such a bill that not only did he not have the money to pay it, the whole coach put together didn't. In the end they gave up and Les got on the coach, but to be honest we had caused such havoc for 48hrs they were glad to be shot of us. The brothel in the hotel got knocked severely as well.

 

[Harry Bullocks]

Another funny Les story was the Cricketers trip to the Belgium beer festival in 1978. We are all on the coach Sunday morning except Les who is arguing the toss about his bar and room service bill. He'd run up such a bill that not only did he not have the money to pay it, the whole coach put together didn't. In the end they gave up and Les got on the coach, but to be honest we had caused such havoc for 48hrs they were glad to be shot of us. The brothel in the hotel got knocked severely as well.

Nice play on words there !

 

[Dutch Branch]

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.

 

[Dutch Branch]

Very sad news. Good lad was big Lez, actually used to be my neighbour many moons ago in Hockley. I dare say he will earn his place on the Spa pubs wall of fame. Bit of legion was our Lez. RIP big fella

 

[dusterman]

Feel like I bumped into him fairly recently. Did Les used to stand at the back of the West by the Blue Voice? Did he also feature in the Wembley playoff YouTube video - BBC Essex one I think?

Anyway RIP fellow Shrimper

 

[E for B and Billy Best]

Nice play on words there !

Thank you

 

[THE SEVENTIES NORTH BANK]

Feel like I bumped into him fairly recently. Did Les used to stand at the back of the West by the Blue Voice? Did he also feature in the Wembley playoff YouTube video - BBC Essex one I think?

Anyway RIP fellow Shrimper

That's Ginger Lee who stands at the back of the West near the Blue Voice. He's lost a lot of weight and is not so well nowadays, but he's still with us, and still supporting Southend.

 

[Tinks]

sad to hear of fellow supporters passing.
Deepest condolences to his family and friends.

I sometimes read on here people that have left us and wish I could put names to faces.

 

[dusterman]

That's Ginger Lee who stands at the back of the West near the Blue Voice. He's lost a lot of weight and is not so well nowadays, but he's still with us, and still supporting Southend.

Ah, thanks for correcting me :)

 

[annie1954]

I didn’t know les but sounds a right character with many friends, so sorry to hear this sad news my thoughts with les and his family

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

sad to hear of fellow supporters passing.
Deepest condolences to his family and friends.

I sometimes read on here people that have left us and wish I could put names to faces.

Les was a regular at Roots Hall, before a serious car accident nearly killed him in 74 or 75, & it took a long time before he recovered.
Back in the day, he was about 6ft 1*, est 16 stone, usually wore a Levi denim jacket & jeans, with shoulder length straight ginger hair.

 

[Billy Bests boot laces]

Yes I remember that, our fans made more of it than it really was hence the song Ginger is a jigsaw! I remember him trying to get involved in scraps every time we played Southend home or away. That pub was called the Drury, sad times after we moved from Layer Road it couldn't survive without the football trade, it is now a Sainsbury's local! RIP Ginger.

Although you've mentioned the wrong 'Ginger' probably because of your age, i find it pathetic that local cowards had the gall to chant about a guy they slashed with knifes?.
Where's the bravery & courage in doing that?. If you haven't the confidence just to use your fists in a situation, then run away?.
The guy you refer to, put alongside Les whose just passed away, put them side by side & i've no doubt they could have handled 6-8 of your crew no problem ( obviously if they had the bottle not to use a weapon?.

 

[ESG]

Although you've mentioned the wrong 'Ginger' probably because of your age, i find it pathetic that local cowards had the gall to chant about a guy they slashed with knifes?.
Where's the bravery & courage in doing that?. If you haven't the confidence just to use your fists in a situation, then run away?.
The guy you refer to, put alongside Les whose just passed away, put them side by side & i've no doubt they could have handled 6-8 of your crew no problem ( obviously if they had the bottle not to use a weapon?.

I've saw Les knock ten bells out of an ex army boxer outside The Spa once. And he didn't spill a drop doing it either.

 

[Colchester and proud!]

Although you've mentioned the wrong 'Ginger' probably because of your age, i find it pathetic that local cowards had the gall to chant about a guy they slashed with knifes?.
Where's the bravery & courage in doing that?. If you haven't the confidence just to use your fists in a situation, then run away?.
The guy you refer to, put alongside Les whose just passed away, put them side by side & i've no doubt they could have handled 6-8 of your crew no problem ( obviously if they had the bottle not to use a weapon?.

Sorry BB I did wonder after I had posted it if I had the wrong man, no offence intended I was not one of the guys who chanted that song. Admin please go ahead and delete my previous post I had no intention of upsetting anyone. Mind you it was a different time back then our bloke's used a Stanley knife knife your lot used tear gas in the Drury pub.