THE JESUS MAN
Geoffrey Brindley aka the 'Bradford Hermit', 'Jesus Man' ,'Holy Joe' or 'That Nutter' passed away on 24th August 2015. Prior to that time - even though half the county had probably encountered him at some time or other, few people actually knew who he was! Yet his death was a shock to many - myself included. He somehow seemed to embody Bradford and its surrounding areas in a profound way he was such a part of local tradition, of what it meant to come from Bradford, that he seemed somehow to transcend time and mortality itself. The idea that he obviously would grow old and die was quite absent from most peoples minds. He seemed eternal.To talk with Bradfordians - even old and grey ones in places far removed from Bradford - the Bradford Hermit (as my generation called him) was one of the constants of Bradford life. He bore witness to a prosperous, culturally rich city that with the decline of its traditional industries fell on hard times, was vandalised long ago on the altar of tacky modernity , and progressively fell into a torpor of grey drabness.
Happily though, today's Bradford with its amazing individualism and cultural diversity is starting to turn things around. As an emigré Bradfordian I wish them well. The Bradford hermit, who symbolised both those things, should be part of that brave new City. In Sowerby Bridge, not far from where I live, an old man called 'Jack O'The Locks' forever pulls on a lock gate with a small boy. He is made of bronze. How nice it would be to see a bronze Geoffrey Brindley waving at folk in front of Bradford Town Hall - while walking on the water!
Jim Jarratt Feb 2016.