Everyone knows Andy Capp is from Hartlepool, Reg was born on the central estate and his early Andy Capp cartoons featured the dock walls with pit props piled high above, opposite the Central. So as I drove into the Headland this morning the first row of the shops next to the Brunswick (I can’t use that daft Victoria name) has a shop in the middle of the row with a painting of Andy Capp on….with a red and white scarf around his neck

Maybe Andy was a closet Boro fan.

Wash your f@#£&%g mouth out. How dare you. …..

All time favourite comic strip was Andy walking down the road and is accosted by a lost stranger who asks “could you tell me where Smedley street is”, a disgruntled Andy replies “see the pub on that corner” the guy says “yes” expectantly, to which Andy replies “don’t disturb me while I’m trying to get there”

Class

Not sure where I read this and how true it is but as a boy Reg was at a football match, presumably pools presumably on a Saturday afternoon, the rain was pouring down and he stood next to a man with water running off his head down his face etc. when Reg looked at the man’s coat pocket there was a neatly folded flat cap. The boy looks up at the guy dripping from head to toe and asks him why he’s not wearing his cap to keep his head dry, the old fella replies “I’m not sitting at home in a wet cap all night”

That's fucking appalling - can't believe anybody could have dropped such a bollock. I'm willing to climb on board the outrage bus this needs to be sorted pronto. I'll drive up and correct it myself with a tin of royal blue, if needs be!

This is a wind up, right- as I've checked the date and it's not April 1st!

No, this is definitely true.

FFS!

I caught it out of my eye as I drove past…..thought what the hell…so drove round the block and there it was ….

what next, the monkey statue painted in black and white stripes and ward jackson park renames ayresome in respect of the towns favourite club.

The wife made it worse when I goose steeped into the house with a cob on…she said……. “Well maybe they’re a Sunderland fan”…I harumphed out. ….

I'm sure I've seen cartoons with Andy Capp wearing red and white stripes when playing football. Don't remember seeing him in blue and white.

Not the point though is it..they tried a play up in Newcastle with Tim Healey playing the role of Andy Capp….they do like to monopolise things…
Hartlepool character from Reg Smyth’s imagination living on the Central, time it was in blue and white.
Disclaimer…not that I anticipate heading down to said shop with paint brush and tin of blue paint.

imagine doing Andy Capp now. he,d be trans, woke as hell with his palestine flag, welcoming all the boats and his wife getting pissed up whilst he does the housework listening to jeremy the bike on the radio.

…and tee total.

His wife would also have to be a woman with a penis, mixed race, autistic, disabled, and a Climate Change protester.

and the kids would all need to be diagnosed with something with a few capital letters to put them apart. never mind andy what would Bobby Thompsons act be like now. he couldn,t be in debt anymore as he,d be weighed down by credit cards and would have a joint in his hand instead of a woodbine. instead of not working he,d have to have a job on zero hours contract.