Hard Men Of Maidstone
Boo Jones Country: Thailand Maidstone I remember it well: Boo Jones, hi Peter thats an interesting subject, based on many situations however one of the hardest men I ever met in Maidstone was from the gypsy community, from the Mathews family, he was Tom Mathews who was the father of Wally Mathews who run the scrap yard top of Stone St, Hunts back of the Eagle pub, when Tom was a young man he worked for the fairgrounds, the attraction customers could break a road kerb over his chest with a 14 pound sledge hammer, wow try that for fun you hard men ha ha amazing, the next contender would be our lovely Barry Hines because when I used to box for Westree Boxing Club, welterweight he was heavyweight and used to beat me up and plenty of witnesses ask Jock Henderson, oh lovely days I loved a whack from Barry, only joking big guy any ideas on your hard man Barry cheers for now Boo.
Stan Edwards Maidstone I remember it well: I have known a few hard men and could tell a few stories but a name that a lot of you may remember is Boy Boy Smith sadly no longer with us also his younger brother John grew into a bit of a handful other names that come to mind who were no push over are Les Wallis and Phil Wood who even now in their mid to late 60fs can still look after themselves.
Not related to Sammy and Barry was he Stan
Freddie Burgess Maidstone I remember it well: Seeing Stan mention Les Wallis if it was the same Les who went to Southborough school you had a bit of a dilemma as he was the hardest lad in the school & also the fastest runner.fortunately we were mates.keep up the good memories. Freddie Burgess
Stan Edwards Maidstone I remember it well: Hi Freddie we are talking about the same Les he did go to Southborough, I went to Oldborough with his younger brother Pete and we were great friends which meant I met Les quite often but knew when to keep out of his way, he used to eat a loaf of bread and a jar of jam in one sitting and still get through a couple of Mars Bars but far from putting on pounds of fat he just seemed to grow muscle. I saw him on many occasions get into scraps especially at the old swimming baths or the Rat Trap in King Street. I remember Pete and I visiting the fair when it was in Mote Park and one of the tough guys who worked on the octopus was showing off to a couple of girls he gave Pete a rough time and as happened more than once Pete said if he did not lay off he would get his brother I remember the reply as if it was only yesterday he said get your brother and I’ll do him as well or words to that effect you understand ha ha, when Les arrived the guy took one look at him and tried to make a hasty retreat but as you say Les was quick and caught him in no time he was about to land a punch but Pete grabbed his arm (not a wise thing to do) the fair ground fella took his chance not by hitting Les but legging it as fast as possible and managed to get away, as with all hard men Les could not only give it but could also take a hard punch I never saw him go down to one or lose a fight.
barry hynes Maidstone I remember it well: Hello Boo,i remember well the fun we had at the old westree club some tough old boys wernt there?I believe Eddie Henderson was probably the hardest maidstone had seen for years but he kept a low profile.I remember his sparing with guys like Robert Xavier a menacing looking man who looked and was built like Mike Tyson and a really nice man to go with it but Eddie happily obliged them even though he was 20 years older than them. i must have sparred hundreds of rounds with Eddie and as soon as i thought i was getting the upper hand he would catch me.I remember making his nose and mouth bleed he smiled at me then cracked on of my ribs and i was useless for couple of weeks so there you are Boo Eddie got me back lol.Eddie is 68 now and still a handfull he's a trainer at the westree still and gets on the heavy bags and you can see how fit and strong he still is even the youngsters are in awe of him. My son Sam 18 is a good heavyweight now and he spars with some real classy fighters. Hes got me sparring with him now and due to a 42 year age difference i have to resort to what sam calls dirty tactics ie nutting ,and using my elbows but as i stressed use all you have just dont let the ref see,hard old game isnt it? Sam has joined me up at a big boxing club in Aylseford where we will train together and spar his mate is coming too big Benny Fankham he's 6ft 4ins and over 20 stones fit so that will be fun for me wont it Boo,and if you come back on holiday here i can get you fixed up for a good spar keep you on your toes wont it boo lol ?keep well Boo always good to hear from you x
Boo Jones Country: Thailand Maidstone I remember it well: Boo here, nice one Barry our Jock could hold his own with anyone, I will always remember we were at an Amateur show, was the place called Greenfields London Rd ? anyway there was fight outside the ring I got whacked in the toilet taking a pee pee, sorry Peter for the foul laungage and Jock was also in the toilet, as I stumbled out he said there you go Jonesie, if you had not been training that punch would have knocked you out ha ha magic, what a guy come on guys lets have a few more comments on this subject, Barry who was the guy who was always in a battle I believe he came from Barming somewhere, remember seing him in a battle at the nurses home Tonbridge Rd one night believe his first name was George, always had a drink but loved it all cheers Boo.
barry hynes Maidstone I remember it well: hello Boo,yes i remember the evening well at Greenfields london rd.I also remember when the battle outside was at full swing eddie stood at top of the steps and got the attention of all those involved in the punch up to inform them there were still plenty of sausage rolls and sandwiches left so hurry up with the battle who could have got away with that lol and george you mention was georgie holmes the horizontal champ of maidstone bless him but he was a trier. All for now Boo and i look forward to hearing from you take care mate
Boo Jones Country: Thailand Maidstone I remember it well: Boo calling Barry, I remember a guy called Brian Hynes was also a bit tasty, I think he was a bit faster than his brother, he had to be if the brother caught him with a blockbuster look out ha ha, another gentleman of the robust nature was Dave Kirby he was so strong, one day we were all in James Hunts scrap yard and the guys was trying there weight lifting skills with the old 56lb weights one in each hand push/ups laughing Dave Kirby tied two together 112lb each hand and quietly pushed up twenty times each ha ha the chalengers all went quiet, a lovely man Dave sadly passed away whilst living in America, he was also a noted song writer and singer cheers to all Boo.
barry hynes Maidstone I remember it well: Hello Boo,yes my brother was a handful he was 6ft 3ins and 11st 7lb a middleweight,he was so tall and skinny but he was deceptively strong and hit like hell with both hands. His claim to fame was beating a marine who had been combined services champion for 4 years on the trot and skinny Brian knocked him out. He only lost a couple of fights at middleweigh as he would rather fight heavyweights so he would go up to 12st 7lbs and fight as heavyweight.He never lost a fight at heavyweight and as one big muscular heavyweight said to me after brian stopped him how does someone so skinny hit so hard and as a man who fought all across europe said to me when you spar with Brian its a war, he's never known anyone so aggresive in the ring and fearless and this fighter was 17st.Brian liked big men as he was so fast and he was either handed so what you thought was a jab was like a letter bomb exploding on your nose,how i hated sparing with him i wish i could have fought him in a phone box id have beaten him then. Well all for no Boo i look forward to your next article.Take care mate.
Boo Jones Country: Thailand Maidstone I remember it well: Boo calling, another gentleman of fisticuffs was the gentle giant the Honey mummy of the Holy Bush our Micheal the landlord, another big one, one paticular session he was confronted by another lovely guy Kenny Chiesman who had been drinking for medicinal purposes found that Mike was being unreasonable ha ha and found it necesery to hit Mike with a house brick, just missing him Mike quietly came behind the bar and hit Kenny right over a table, which in turn allowed the more serious drinkers to continue, the only person that took on Mike and won was his wife Moner or something like that but she was also a contender for this award although a lady ha ha happy days cheers Boo.
Boo Jones Country: Thailand Maidstone I remember it well: Boo, Another famous name from the old days was a legend in two areas, firstly dancing and then the no fear factor of having a rumble when felt necessary Roy Sevenoaks, he could outdance anyone around, jive wow he could really go for it and under normal circumstances a great guy but look out if he got upset, pound for pound he was lightning quick as Im sure the guys who took up the challange would agree, he was a two handed fighter that could hit you 3/4 times before you hit the ground,always the gentleman he always apologised after and dusted you off love him ha ha Boo.
Freddie Burgess Maidstone I remember it well: This may not come in the Maidstone hard men but it shows the quality of the police in the early 1960s my mate Lennie (the mouth) Pullen was walking up the high st on a saturday night well drunk & a copper said to him keep it down Lennie who replied your only hiding behind that uniform the copper said to him tell you what Lennie come up rose yard if you do i say nothing if i do you the same so they went up rose yard the copper stood there & said go on Lennie do your best he took an almighty swing hitting the copper who just stood there Lennie knew that he was for it then he came out of rose yard looking like he had been run over by a steam roller with cracked ribs & a face you wouldnt recognise. The thing was though he had to tell his mum that he had jumped over a wall & there was a big drop the other side he lived opposite me in Coombe rd lovely lad but a bit of a nuisance when drunk i wonder where he is now as i have been away from Maidstone since 1967 Freddie Burgess
Yep that qualifies for Hard Men Of Maidstone
Stan Edwards Maidstone I remember it well: Just to update on a few postings of late on the Hard Men area, to Freddie Burgess I visited the Hazlett with Les Wallis and our other half's Sunday (Buddy Holly) and mentioned this great site and your name to him he remembers you well and I am sure he will visit this site and may be in touch. Boo it was great catching up with you mate and will be back in touch soon anyway I had a chat with gentleman Eddie Henderson at a boxing tournament not so long ago he along with Brad trains my grandson at Westree’s who helped him become Kent School Boys Champ 2011, like you I trained at Westree's and the club celebrate their 50th year this year and long may they continue. With regard Roy Sevenoaks as you rightly say he could dance the socks off most and this did not go unnoticed by the ladies but after a few heated words he declined the invitation to do a few twists and turns when he and Les came close to blows, unfortunately big Sammy Halligan on another occasion was not so wise and paid the price having hit Les for no apparent reason with what we thought was a great punch but it was not good enough as although Les looked surprised he hardly moved but the reply was devastating just one punch and a broken jaw and several teeth later, cheers for now
Boo Jones
Country: Thailand Maidstone I remember it well: Boo Jones, hi Stan yes indeed your mate Les was a fearsome guy and 8st-7lb as a youngster thats me best left alone ha ha, I met many horizontal champions on there way down in Maidstone wow including a guy who was named after a bear and one who could hit round corners on the retreat, however one chap that needed no prompting on giving you a doboy was a guy called Gordon Thomas, who at that time and era claimed fame to helping names such as Boy Boy, Eric Avis and others to the floor, known for his header of the nut was able to finish conversations over very quickly, bless him sadly no longer with us, no diss-respect intended, just thought that he would laugh at my little mention on this web/site take care all Boo.
dennis miah Maidstone I remember it well: hey barry hynes when i had my first drink in town being all of 15 n not knowing much , with a few mates teddy marney lenny friend n gipsy joe taylor was in the star tap and in walked tony buckingham ,i was so pleased to see him as he went to my school senacre and i shouted out oi buckingham he swung round n walked straight up to lenny the mouth n punch him in the head they was fighting for hrs no one could split them up i felt so guilty about it as i did feel sorry for lenny
Freddie Burgess Maidstone I remember it well: I think Dennis might be getting confused over the Lennys Lenny the mouth was Lenny Pullen real name Terry not Lennie Friend. Lenny the mouth was able to get a 2oz tobacco tin & a mars bar in his mouth at the same time. Keep up all the good memories. Freddie B
Boo Jones Country: Thailand Maidstone I remember it well: Boo another hero and dear friend of mine always a smile and gentleman Dave Downs, feared no man but never looked for trouble but on occasion if required was able to extinguish the problem very quickly, one night to remember we was on the search for female company in a very naughty place in Margate, late night venue with certain extras available should the customer wish provided, however during our drinking part of the evening we where confronted by two rather large thugs that was a little upset regarding the special treatment from certain ladies we was enjoying, leading to a request outside, Dave quitely lent over to me saying you keep the ladies amused I will deal with this, which did not take long Dave returning rather upset due to his tie looking a bit ruffled, the other party never to be seen again mmm, sadly my dear friend is no longer with us but will always be remembered with a smile. Boo
No wonder you live in Thailand you must have been fleeing the country you old rascal. Pete dennis miah Maidstone I remember it well: hey freddie it's my writing m8 ,but i do know the diffrence between lennie friend n lennie pullen im sure he got the name from lennie the lion who was on the box all them years ago don't you agree Eddie Henderson Maidstone I remember it well: Eddie Henderson M/stone hi Boo remember you well: got 1 of my boxing trainers Lee Owen to thank for finding this website hope you are well boxing club going well as for hardmen to me all that got in that square ring were hardmen in there own right i remember the night at greenways more fights outside the hall than in could have saved me a lot of bloody trouble matching the show if i had known that was going to happen hope this reaches you Boo i am still a novice at this. Lee Owen Maidstone I remember it well: Keep the old boxing stories coming gents Lee Owen Maidstone I remember it well: Great stories gents, be good to hear your memories of Jonny Smith etc, thanks Boo Jones Country: ThailandMaidstone I remember it well: Boo jones, Hi Eddy great to hear from you and Westree is going strong,the club is a credit to you, still keep intouch with Barry the big one ha ha,not drinking what does he do now, as for the night at Greenways I only wore that velvet jacket once, no matter I looked like a fern tree in it, green yuk so for now you be lucky regards to all cheers Boo. Eddie Henderson Maidstone I remember it well: Hi Boo hope you are well still see barry h.now and again smashing bloke remembered the velvet jacket u looked smart in it,lost touch with Frank Owen used to have the pub in loose think he went to spain mayby somebody out there will know,anyway take care mate spk, again soon. joe smith Maidstone I remember it well: my grandad was the best man 2 walk maidstone Boo Jones Country: Thailand Maidstone I remember it well: Boo, hello again to the hard men list, well it seems as if the memories of days gone past have brought some great stories around our old Maidstone, glad to see the name Smith mentioned and Joe be proud of your grandad, that's what this site I believe is about, the hard men of our town in most cases where hard working men who had a few certain rules that had to be obeyed, mainly respect and should anyone forget that rule, was reprimanded, there will always be a few bullies in that batch but they soon become apparent and was also dealt with within time, George Crick was an enforcer of good behavior married to my mothers sister many many years ago, who at that time owned and run the kip houses in Stone St, full of homeless undesirable people from all walks of life, that was yes down and out but the rules were you have to pay for your lodgings, only a couple of bob a night, again try collecting the rent due on a Friday night WOW even my Aunt Salle had to get stuck in, these and many more memories I hope will come to light on this site regards Boo. |