Tributes to Nobby The Tramp after iconic Peterborough personality dies

Michael was a popular personality in the city for years, as he made his home in a bus shelter on Oundle Road, and became one if Peterborough’s most famous residents.

Residents regularly left food and clothing for him and, as his fame spread, the shelter was even given its own post code.

He hit the headlines after somebody left him some golf clubs and he was spotted showing off a rather impressive swing.

Cheekily he told the now defunct Herald & Post newspaper he had been invited to play in a professional tournament in Ireland. He hadn’t

A play has been written about his life, he’s been the subject of portraits by painters and there’s even a Facebook group dedicated to him

He lived in the shelter from the 1980s through to the 2000s before he was given a home in a sheltered accommodation scheme in Figtree Walk, Dogsthorpe.

Last month Peterborough Telegraph readers voted Michael as one of the ten greatest Peterborians of all time.

Sadly he died on Tuesday aged 74 after a battle with illness.

Today, neighbour Eric Stockwell (62) paid tribute to Michael. He said: “He was a nice man. He was very quiet, very polite, and kept himself to himself.

“He used to like plants and had his own section of the garden here. He had lots of plants in his house as well.

“He was very well respected by everyone here.

“He didn’t like talking about his time on the streets - I think it was a part of his life that he wanted to leave behind. To us he was always Michael - never Nobby.

“He would only answer if you called him Michael - he would not answer if you called him Mike or Mick.

“I was shocked and taken aback when I heard what had happened to him.

“We really want to do something in our sheltered scheme to remember him, especially as he was such an iconic character for the city.”

Eric said Michael had been in hospital for a number of weeks before his death.

Billy Miller (65), who also lives in the sheltered scheme, said he was moved to tears when he heard the news.

He said: “I used to speak to him most days. I used to have a dog, and I had to tell him off for feeding him chocolate biscuits.

“He was an artist, and I know there are lots of his paintings still about.

“He was a very independent man, and was very private.

“He didn’t have any family we knew about, and he wouldn’t let you in his house.

“It moved me to tears when I heard he had died.”

Funeral details will be announced at a later date.