Every town and village in the country surely has it's own fair share of local characters, real or imagined. Carlisle is no different and one of our most colourful folk heroes is Jimmy Dyer, 'The Cumberland Bard' who, in the late Victorian times and up to his death in 1903, could be seen on the streets of the city (and others across the county) entertaining passers-by. Jimmy was a regular at festivals, race meetings and the like with his fiddle, his Gladstone bag stuffed with copies of his own verses (which he would sell to those enchanted by them) and his tatty clothes. This itinerant troubadour (or busker, depending on your point of view) was a well-known sight on the streets of Carlisle, an ex-sailor who had numerous run-ins with local magistrates but who, nevertheless, became something of a cult figure. He was such a local celebrity that this card (and others) were issued to commemorate his life and in 1986, at the opening of The Lanes shopping centre, a statue of Jimmy by sculptor Judith Bluck was unveiled. It remains in the city to this day, now outside the new Debenhams department store. This card is based on a photograph by J. Robson and was published by the local firm Nicholson & Cartner. The verse reads
"By Road an River, Country Side and Town, I wander over With my Fiddle brown"
The card itself was posted from Caldbeck in May 1906 and reflects the huge popularity of the postcard at the time. Annie writes to Eva of her collection of almost three hundred postcards and expresses a penchant for those of actresses which were extremely popular at the time. Both sides of the card prove that 'celebrity' certainly isn't a 21st century craze.
If you have any further info about Jimmy Dyer, please let me know by leaving a comment below.
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