BUBBLY DAN AND OTHER CHARACTERS

Bubbly Dan was a Carter who drove a horse and cart for “Wordie’s” a huge carrier firm that had stables in old Divis Street, how did he get his nick name, I don’t know. “Mickey Diddle” was a fruit seller he sold his goods off a hand cart, some said he got the name “Diddler” because he had his scales fixed to give under weight, he ‘diddled’ his customers. “Cryin’ Robbie” was another fruit seller he was always cryin’ at the high price he had to pay for his goods and so found it hard to make a profit. Whenever a house wife would complain about his prices he would bleet, “For God’s sake Missus, don’t blame me, I am charging you what I paid for it, I‘m standing here and all I am doing is making the wholesalers rich”. Then there was the man who owned a Bookie Shop at the corner of Cullingtree Road and Albert Street, he had only one eye and his other eye used to blink of its own accord. The punters used to swear they never won a bet at McCloskey’s because that bloody eye of his put the “blink” on them hence he became known as “Blink” McCloskey.