Brian Smith has contacted us about a celebrated Badsey character from his youth. He began by saying:
You will no doubt have heard of Cunger, who was undoubtedly the most celebrated Badsey character during my lifetime. There seems to be nothing about him on the website, and I think in recognition of his notoriety, he deserves a mention. I have not looked into his family history. I don’t know anything of a ‘Mrs Cunger’, I always thought of him as a bachelor, he was certainly single when I knew him. As to his age, he seemed quite old to me, but to a boy that applied to anyone over thirty. I would guess that he was born around the very late 19th century or early 20th.
William (Bill) Jones. known by all as 'Cunger', was, from at least the 1950s, the road man for Badsey, employed by the Evesham Rural District Council, to sweep the roads and tend to the footpaths and verges. He was truly a 'character', as the following stories about him will confirm. He lodged with the Littlewood family in Synehurst, opposite the shop on Bretforton Road. He had a reputation for not working any harder than he had to, and for the hilarious things he said, mostly unintentionally.
Unfortunately, I have never been able to find a photograph of him. However, he can be quite accurately described as looking like the cartoon character Popeye, substituting a flat cap for the sailor's hat, complete with pipe but without the muscles.
He was an easy target for the local scallywags, who teased him relentlessly, hoping to provoke him into letting rip with a volley of expletives, which he was prone to do when agitated. We watched him picking up fag ends and stripping out the tobacco, which he smoked in a clay pipe carried in the poke of his cap. He carried his tools in a homemade truck, which he towed behind his bike. He would often be seen on the seat which was then at the top of the Pike, with his friend, Edgar Ellison.
The following stories may seem made up, but they are all based on fact.
* * * * *
Cunger used to take all his sweepings down Badsey Lane, where he had a designated place to dump them. He very often took advantage of the relative seclusion to take an extended break. A Councillor had it in for him, and being wise to his tricks, reported him to the Council Surveyor. Cunger was called in for an interview.
"Jones, you have been observed on several occasions wasting the council's time, and reading a newspaper, picking horses for your betting. What do you have to say?"
"Well, I've got you there," Says Cunger, "Cos I never learned to read!"
* * * * *
A well-to-do gentleman in a posh car stopped to ask Cunger the way to Wickhamford.
"Well, does you know where the Manor is?" asked Cunger.
"No, I don't," the man replied.
"What about the church, does you know that?”
The man said he didn't. "Or the Wheatsheaf then. You must know that!"
The man, now becoming irritated, said he didn't know the place at all.
"Well," says Cunger, "seems to me as you be well and truly lost, then!"
* * * * *
Robin Sandford was a bright Badsey lad who, unusually for the time, made it to university.
“ 'Ow do, Robin," says Cunger. "Wur bist at it now, then?" (where are you working).
"Oh, I'm at university." Robin replied.
"Ah! We had a clock from there ten year ago. D' you know, it still keeps perfic time!" (thinking of Universal Stores).
* * * * *
Badsey was regularly visited by Sikhs, who came on the 148 Birmingham bus, selling silks and other fabrics, door to door, out of suitcases. One of them approached Cunger by the bus stop, and asked him, " Please, can you tell me what this place is called?"
Cunger thought for a minute, then replied, "Well Sir, most of us here calls it Hengland!"
* * * * *
Cunger was looking for a change of job. He asked Buster Mustoe, the landlord of the Royal Oak, if he had any jobs going. Buster, knowing Cunger's reputation, said that he hadn't.
"However, we are coming up to Christmas, and I know the Post Office is looking for temporary staff. I'm going to town this afternoon. Come with me, and we'll make enquiries."
So into the Postmaster's Office they went. The postmaster seemed to be pleased with Cunger, and offered him a job delivering round Badsey.
"Just sign this form at the bottom, please." Cunger signed with a cross.
"What, can't you read or write?” said the Postmaster. "You have wasted my time, there is the door!""It won't be no problem, Sir," pleaded Cunger, "’cos I knows where they all live."
* * * * *
There will have been other stories about our hero which have been lost over time. These have been collected from various reliable sources over the years. He will be introduced to a new audience, as not many of us who remember him are left now.
Charles Gardiner of Aldington gave a version of the first story in his book, "Your Village and Mine". Badsey is not mentioned by name, and Jones he names as ‘Willum’, but nobody in Badsey ever referred to him by that name. He was, and always will be, Cunger.
Badsey had a wealth of characters when I was a boy, but Cunger was at a level all on his own.
Brian Smith, July 2025
* * * * *
Who was William Jones?
The following biographical notes have been taken from Ancestry.
William Jones was born at North Littleton on 16th December 1885, the son of Thomas Jones, an agricultural labourer, and his wife, Sarah (née Rose). He was registered with the name Adolphus William Jones, and was also baptised with that name on 21st March 1886 at South Littleton.
By 1911, William was working as a farm waggoner for Albert Henry Eaton at Crab Farm, Bengeworth. He worked there for many years, certainly until at least the late 1920s. At some stage in the 1930s, he moved to Badsey. By 1939, he was living at 12 Synehurst (the present-day No 26), lodging with a widow, Mrs Amy Gould.
Ted Wheatley, in his memoirs, also refers to Bill Cunger and tells the story about how he attempted to be a chimney sweep. Trevor Hockenhull also mentioned Cunger in his description of the inhabitants of 58 Willersey Road.
Cunger died in January 1968, aged 82. He was buried at St James’ Church, Badsey, on 18th January. His name appears as William Adolphus Jones in the burial register. His passing was recorded in the Parish magazine of February 1968:
‘Conger’ (sic), for many years our village road-keeper, was a much beloved and interesting old character, whom we shall sadly miss. He used to figure frequently in the amusing tales of the late Charles Gardiner. In recent years he had resided at Avonside Hospital, but used to visit his friends in Badsey. It was only in the last few weeks that he had been confined to bed.