I believe he started out as a blue eye and then found his feet as a heel and a pretty nasty one at that, had great success with Adrian Street as The Hells angels tag team who were sensational but then a few years later he seemed to back off and played too much on the gay act wearing embarrassingly ridiculous wrestling gear and that stupid giant comb! He was better than that but he seemed to lose his edge and became happy just going through the motions and taking it easy just using the comedy act. Bobby was a great wrestler who should have been a champion and a great heel but he lost his way somewhere. Or is it just me who thinks that?
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As I was at my Grandads all the time as a boy
Just been to wrestling with my kids they loved it I spoke to the organisers and Told them Bobby Barnes was my grandads neighbour ( i was a kid then in the seventies) he told me one of the greats and nothing in wrestling will ever compare to then 👍
Apparently Bob remembers rescuing the non swimming diver. He was working as a lifeguard at the baths at the time.
I am am a very active 80 year old living in Tunbridge Wells and writing an account of my life. That said I am referring to my days in the telephone sales office of a company called Kealey & Tonge in the City and I worked alongside Bobby back in the 60’s
In fact I owe my life to him as pulled me out of the deep end of Whitechapel’s swimming baths after I jumped from the top diving board for a bet…… I still can’t swim
Fond memories
I Know Bobby barns as residential social worker at patrixbourne childrens home, in kent, i remember he needed to restrain me on the floor before the police came to take me in 1993.🤣
I use to go to Primary school with Bobby's daughter. Often think about the fun we had back in the 70s. Often spent hours at their place. He was so different in real life. Such a lovely family.
I use to go to Primary school with Bobby's daughter. Often think about the fun we had back in the 70s. Often spent hours at their place. He was so different in real life. Such a lovely family.
I use to go to Primary school with Bobby's daughter. Often think about the fun we had back in the 70s. Often spent hours at their place. He was so different in real life. Such a lovely family.
Good to hear Bobby is fit and well and hopefully enjoying retirement. He did have quite a flamboyant autograph if I remember rightly.
Bobby Barnes bothered to develop an autograph that reflected his ring persona.
The only other who did as far as I recall was Kendo Nagasaki.
Chris, please let him know that he is fondly remembered on here by wrestling fans from the Golden Age.
One question you could ask him next time; did he ever keep in touch with Adrian Street, while Adrian was living overseas?, and if so, would he be meeting up with him, now that Adrian and Linda are back in the UK (when Covid lifts of course).
By the way, fully understand that his private life is private and he may well just decline to answer.
How is he? What’s he doing nowadays?
Had lunch with Bob and his wife, Jan, today. We meet up regularly.
Sounds like working smarter, not harder as the years went on.
Might "Angus Promotions" have been George Kidd?
Well … I respect your opinion Peter but anybody as good as Bobby was, who then starts wearing wrestling gear that belongs in a ladies underwear shop and uses a giant comb HAS lost his way. Bobby was one of my favs and he didn't need to resort to overplaying the camp act as he was too good for that. If he hadn't been that good to start with then fair enough using the gimmick, but when you were as good a heel as he was you don't need to play the fool.
Barnes was one of the few wrestlers who impinged on the consciousness of the casual fan watching wrestling occasionally. He did not lose his way.He has some excellent matches on You Tube and had one of the longest TV careers spanning over twenty years
Outside my own timeline , but the question I would ask , is did he stick with Joint , Go with Dixon or go Freelance.
I suspect he maybe went a bit Freelance. Here is a late shot of him.
The earlier bill suggests that he was with Dixon, although the bill says Angus Promotions..