Thirtypockets
There was a tramp in Inverness back in the 1940s known as thirtypockets, on account of the fact that his coat had a silly number of pockets on it.

Local school legend had it that he carried a knife in each one. And parents would say to their badly-behaved offspring that if they weren't good, thirtypockets would get them.

We bought my late mum one of those "back in the day in [your town here]" books (in this case, Inverness) for Christmas one year.

When she was flicking through the book and saw his picture, it's the one and only time I ever saw her terrified.

And I'm including both times she was diagnosed with cancer - the second one terminal - with that.

(Maybe I should add, she was a career nurse - very matter of fact about the cancer - but the childhood bogeyman, no.....)
(Capo, Fri 3 Jul 2009, 0:18, Reply)