I was brought up in Bradford in the 60's and early 70's before leaving at 16 to join the Royal Marines, we used to see her as boys at the market, she was scary, my mum also told me she'd been in the camps and experimented on and to have sympathy for her..thanks for your channel by the way, it's amazing to see Bradford again, I used to visit and stay from time to time over the years but haven't been back since my mum died 12 years ago..

Thank you for sharing this. I remember Anna from the early 70s when I was in my teens and lived in Bradford. She was a very scary person but we all had sympathy for her because of the rumours that she had been subjected to horrors during the war. We just knew to give her space.

Remember her well and what a character...lived at 9 Lincoln Terrace, back to back houses that were demolished and a school in their place, we used to go to Green Lane First School, Bradford 8 and used to see her, naturally being kids we would shout out at her and get chased and would run off..I remember in her wooly hat with a flower on it, jacket with loads of badges, tall and well built with a walking stick...good old days..wish they would come back again.

Anna visited the cafe where I used to work every Saturday (1974 when I was at school) it was called The Pantry. She always sat at the far right table by the window and we would save her the crusts because she didn't have to pay for them...mostly her cups of tea were on the house. Sometimes she would sing at the top of her voice, bless her.

'Polish Anna' used to live on the Longlands estate in the city centre. From what I understand, she was imprisoned in a concentration camp during the Second World War and was possibly experimented upon. She was definitely a big character in Bradford's life.

I was a kid when she passed away my mum and dad used tell me about her.

I was in John St market one busy Saturday morning and Anna was sat on a bench. A young lad about 10 years old tried to approach her and got too close, and she hit him on the ankle with her walking stick. Boy, did he cry. I could never understand why his mother allowed him to get too close to Anna, we all knew she needed her space.

Wow what a character she was, heartbreaking how she died, R.I.P Anna ❤

Rip Anna. A Bradford legend.

I went to green lane school in 1964. All kids used to call her fat anna she used to chase us. She was big and scary..bless her

Cool vid mate thanks for making and posting 👍

I remember her when I was a kid .

This was really interesting to listen to, I can remember Anna walking around town. Can you do other videos of some of the other characters, the man that used to sit in a doorway in Darley Street, I think he lived in some flats near Morrison’s at John Street market, I think he died tragically in a house fire. Thanks

BITD i knew her quite well, when we both lived on Woodlands Road

Remember anna

Anna was NO way scary....she was a most misunderstood character. She was i think Bylorussian, perhaps Polish, she was in a Nazi concentration camp, Aniela Torba is a Polish name but she wasnt proper Polish , she would have been mentally scarred by what she went through. I remember my Mum (Polish from that far Eastern part which was the Russian Empire when she was born in 1916 but became part of Poland in 1921) talking to Anna and Anna coming up to me in my pram outside John Street Market, she had a very deep voice and was a very strong woman, she was very gentle with children and animals....obviously knew what would be gentle with humans.... My Mum told me that Anna was a scarred but good person ❤ she had the Nazi tatoo on her underarm...which lots of my Mums friends had as a result of being in a Nazi concentration camp. My Mum would always speak to her and give her something ❤ My Mum didnt have it good either, she was sent to Archangel in Northern Siberia to be worked half to death, starvation etc for the Soviets at the start of the war.

I admit we used to tease her as she used to wave her stick and shout at us. I feel guilty.

Was this the Lady who used to shout "Half a DOLLER" in John street market in early 1950s

I think she was in a concentration camp during the war, hence her mental health issues. My grandad was a butcher and he used to slip her some meat, he wasn't the one that found her but he did work a John street market I think for years, somebody probably continued to feed her after that; just a good deed for someone who was unfortunately troubled. Great videos on this channel about the civil planning and everything, I like this channel. You should do one on Jesus man if you can too 🙂

... ' POLISH ANNA ' EH?.. In't Late 1980s I gifted her £20 at Christmas time ..She then began Shouting something... But she was Smiling whilst I was WTF.. All was goodly though... ' JOHN STREET MARKET ' ... THANKS FOR THE ENJOYMENT... 😆🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿🖖🙏

Can anyone recall the nan who looked like a monk? We used to call him Jesus abd he walked all around Bradford in all weathers

I remember her well. She used to scare me as a child in John Street Market too. Morrisons, a bench by the door is where she used to sit. Didn’t realise she died as long ago as 1985, however, it kind of does explain how she was always there and then wasn’t. Hard to explain because it sounds obvious but I’m talking from a childhood memory and how it seemed without the hindsight. What with Anna and “Jesus Man” it makes me wonder how many other towns & cities have people who are local celebrities like this, who aren’t actual celebrities. Would be interesting to know.

RP@SOT

she was not alone and pore she was devoted Fascist wolf gangs of Puf

Does anyone remember the oldest Teddy boy in town through the 70s use to hang around the city centre he was a little guy looked like the little fella on the Benny Hill show

SHE MAY NOT BE DEAD!!!!!!!!!

I know quite well about her and wolf gangs linked to politics and police of Polish Ukraine UK far right group's I lived amongst these Thorncliffe and Cliff Terrace going down Midland Road near railway station to centre of Bradford UK I spent time with wide range of Ukrainian Polish and Asians linked on Queens Road with characters linked to law societies on manigham Lane Bradford West Yorkshire England