Jump to content
Join the Unexplained Mysteries community today! It's free and setting up an account only takes a moment.
- Sign In or Create Account -

Bog Roll


BradVaughn

Recommended Posts

Sometimes the scariest thing is an unbalanced mind.

In my home town of Southend-on-Sea, we have a few odd stories here and there. But by far, the weirdest is one originating from our largest, most popular green space - Priory Park. Whilst it is usually the territory of picnicking families, kids playing football and dogs gnawing on a frisbee I have heard stories of a darker nature. For instance, an old house within the park is said to be haunted by dead monks who wander around the dusty halls in their black robes. But what really unnerved me was when I began hearing about 'Bog Roll'.

Bog Roll is not a ghost, monster or any other fantastic, mythical creature. From what I have heard and seen, he is very human. He spends a lot of his time under a filthy bridge in the park, through which runs a small stream which passes through a lot of Southend, allowing him to scuttle off when the urge takes him. From photographs, even one I took, he looks like he has taken to wrapping himself in toilet paper and shouting absurd babble at passers by.

I investigated this story myself, and whilst I cannot say for certain what I saw, I can tell you this: The guy under that bridge was talking to himself and wearing some kind of white mask over his face. Other than that, I can't tell if it was toilet paper, if he was a dangerous lunatic or some weird, coporphilia-obsessed fetishist.

Here's links to a local site and my twitter pic of what I saw:

http://strangesouthend.blogspot.com/

http://twitpic.com/5i37no

The fact that he's wearing some sort of coat leads me to believe that a lot of the stories have been blown out of proportion. But it's still a very unique story in an otherwise sleepy little town.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 32
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

  • George Ford

    7

  • nyuk

    5

  • BradVaughn

    4

  • Skeptic Chicken

    2

This could be big! Get more photos! Take a friend for safety and go and interview him for the sake of humanity!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

At last... some cutting edge journalism!

I have edited the picture by uploading it to my Etch-A-Sketch and enhancing it with TrampScape 5.

I can confirm the presence of what appears to be Bog Roll Chinos.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't see s*** in the second pic.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I can't see s*** in the second pic.

Me neither.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Maybe the Andrex dog did it to him and he walks the earth till he gets his revenge on that damn cute dog...!!!...or hes just mad which if is the case he shouldn't be mocked....just given a wide berth...

Edited by BrianPotter
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Me neither.

Me neither as well. Just looks like a dark corridor or room. Unless it's under the bridge where Bog Roll Man sometimes sleeps?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

So basicaly, there is a homeless man there with mental issues...how rare...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

But this is a man covered in bog role. People that sell The Big Issue are not covered in bog role. Plus there is little evidence for his existence so he has become an urban legend.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So basicaly, there is a homeless man there with mental issues...how rare...

Truthfully, I understand how you feel. You see, in my town there are a few oddballs who are mocked, and I've always found it distasteful. There is a fellow, whose name I won't divulge, who is particularly lambasted. He is possibly schizophrenic and mutters to himself, he's old, half blind and completely alone. This poor, vulnerable man is offered no comfort, no solace. Know how he's treated? Some puke on the internet calls him a pedophile and soon it spreads. Oh, he's an old man, he's single, he's weird. So he must be a pedophile.

These people disgust me. Another example? There's a fellow who collects pennies, he walks around with a big bucket and picks up spare change. They mock him, as cruel people tend to do, and throw things at him. Even attack him and post it on YouTube.

Is that right? Is that fair?

No. And that's why you don't see me slandering these poor people all over the net.

But this man, no, this is different. You see, I did not see a man dressed in toilet paper. I saw a man in a black coat who looked like he was wearing a big white bodysuit which extended to a mask over his face.

The picture I posted was of a poor quality, because it was taken quickly as he was shouting abuse at me. Is he the man I'm talking about? Maybe, maybe not. But I will not mock him, I will not compel people to throw things at him or run him out of town. It is a strange story and I feel that strange stories are my forte.

You may not understand my mentality, but I feel no scorn towards this man. Mental illness or not, the simple fact is that I love stories like this and men like that make life worth living. Of course, as I stated, I think it's all bunk. A mix of childish vandalism with a healthy embellishment of macabre storytelling, but the truth is irrelevant. It's the story that matters.

Oh, and I've been back recently. No one there that time, once my sister gives me back my camera, I'll post some HQ pics of the area. Like I said, the story attracts people there and some of them have *ahem* deocrated the area with toilet rolls and such.

But I maintain that a homeless man simply could not afford toilet roll, and no one would give money to a beggar wrapped in the stuff.

So please, let's be civil and don't mistake my love of a good yarn for some barbaric, freak-show disdain for the mentally ill.

No offence intended, friend :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How did u even gather the courage to go under there? Took me about a minute to realize he was sitting down, with his arms keeping him sat up.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I talk to the homeless sometimes, even gave one £20.00 once and he was so overwhelmed he cried. I felt good for the rest of the day!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Okay, got my camera back today. Here's the new photographs I took of the area. As I said, this time there was no one there, but some kids had a little fun and spruced up the area with some toilet rolls. The stream runs a long way through the town and I've also included a shot of another tunnel to show the area off. If this guy is real (BIG 'if') he would have a lot of places to hide, sleep, etc.

DSC_0247.jpg

DSC_0246.jpg

DSC_0256.jpg

DSC_0299.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the pictures. Bog Roll Man could possibly eat fish he catches in the stream? Or is it just a waste water conduit?

Does not look like a cosy place to live.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the pictures. Bog Roll Man could possibly eat fish he catches in the stream? Or is it just a waste water conduit?

Does not look like a cosy place to live.

Sounds like Gollum, if you ask me.

He's not looking for a Precious, is he?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Truthfully, I understand how you feel. You see, in my town there are a few oddballs who are mocked, and I've always found it distasteful. There is a fellow, whose name I won't divulge, who is particularly lambasted. He is possibly schizophrenic and mutters to himself, he's old, half blind and completely alone. This poor, vulnerable man is offered no comfort, no solace. Know how he's treated? Some puke on the internet calls him a pedophile and soon it spreads. Oh, he's an old man, he's single, he's weird. So he must be a pedophile.

These people disgust me. Another example? There's a fellow who collects pennies, he walks around with a big bucket and picks up spare change. They mock him, as cruel people tend to do, and throw things at him. Even attack him and post it on YouTube.

Is that right? Is that fair?

No. And that's why you don't see me slandering these poor people all over the net.

But this man, no, this is different. You see, I did not see a man dressed in toilet paper. I saw a man in a black coat who looked like he was wearing a big white bodysuit which extended to a mask over his face.

The picture I posted was of a poor quality, because it was taken quickly as he was shouting abuse at me. Is he the man I'm talking about? Maybe, maybe not. But I will not mock him, I will not compel people to throw things at him or run him out of town. It is a strange story and I feel that strange stories are my forte.

You may not understand my mentality, but I feel no scorn towards this man. Mental illness or not, the simple fact is that I love stories like this and men like that make life worth living. Of course, as I stated, I think it's all bunk. A mix of childish vandalism with a healthy embellishment of macabre storytelling, but the truth is irrelevant. It's the story that matters.

Oh, and I've been back recently. No one there that time, once my sister gives me back my camera, I'll post some HQ pics of the area. Like I said, the story attracts people there and some of them have *ahem* deocrated the area with toilet rolls and such.

But I maintain that a homeless man simply could not afford toilet roll, and no one would give money to a beggar wrapped in the stuff.

So please, let's be civil and don't mistake my love of a good yarn for some barbaric, freak-show disdain for the mentally ill.

No offence intended, friend :)

Some people are just mean spirited and ignorant.

It probably makes them feel good spreading lies about someone who has done nothing wrong.

Theres a saying

what goes around, comes around

I truly hope these awful people end up in the same situation in the future, people who get a kick out of lying and making false allegations deserve to suffer.

They make me feel sick

Obviously i refer to the people who make stuff up about the old guy.

Edited by nyuk
Link to comment
Share on other sites

i hope you get a chance to talk to this 'bog roll man' sound like it could be interesting to get his side of the story :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Bog Roll is slang over here for Toilet paper .... Get me some bog roll ...= Get me some toilet paper..

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm australian, i know this :P

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Insane homeless person.

That is so judgmental. He might have a home and family but just became mentally ill. I hope someone helps him.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Gordon the 'tramp' is our local one but he was a millionaire back in his time but when his wife and child passed away he gave it all away to families in need and chose to live the life of the homeless ....

i can say i have been there once but lucky enough managed to bounce back on my feet, worse time of my life but i felt free tho and it's because of people like this and for what i went though... i always stop a give the homeless food

Link to comment
Share on other sites

With the uncertainty of keeping a good job nowadays, many people end up losing their homes because they cannot keep up the mortgage repayments.

The bank forecloses and repossesses the home, with little thought for the family which used to live there.

Not all people can find the help they desperately need, they can very easily end up on the street.

Just take a walk around some town centres,its tragic how this can happen

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I feel awful if this man is real... he really needs help. The homeless are more likely to have mental disorders, since we really offer these poor people no help. If its not a physical problem, you are on your own if you cant pay. This is why I think we really need to remake the asylum, with modern day values. A safe place for those that have no options, and a place to finally get help.

If you ever get a chance to talk to him, post the conversation.

(Maybe he gets the toilet paper from the ones the kids leave lying around? It could be like a cycle)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.