Gordon the Tramp

First of all, the main question must be, is he a tramp or not? According to various members of this group, Gordon the Tramp lives in a house like you and me. He has a website. He also has over 2000 Facebook friends and there are over 13,000 people in his Facebook group, which has seen coverage on Channel 4, the BBC, in the Daily Mail, the Daily Telegraph and the Sun, to name but a few. Members of this group refer to him as a 'tourist attraction' and a 'local treasure' while a thread discussing a suggestion for a bronze statue in Gordon's honour, shows an overwhelmingly positive response. A popular thread on the discussion board discusses 'Personalities Of Bournemouth' (which is Gordon's stomping ground) includes other characters of the area, such as 'Charlie Chaplin', 'Strumming Joe', 'Mad Stuart' and 'Bird Lady', to name but a few. News of Gordon's stroke and recovery also made it onto the discussion board. There are over a 180 images in the gallery and links to video clips featuring Gordon himself. So what is Gordon's charm? Why did this man's somewhat eccentric take on life win him such a devoted fan base?

What's great about this group: It celebrates the local flavor of a region, as personified by one of its better known inhabitants.

Update (25 October 2023)

The group does not seem to exist anymore, and it's difficult to tell whether Gordon himself is still alive. If so, he would be in his nineties by now. He has his own page on Wikipedia, which you can visit here.