In Recognition of Eccentrics
The character of a town is described by the unusual things in and of the town, a nearby quarry, being built on a flood plain, a high street fighting contingent...
In Totnes we enjoy a car wrecker who foresaw the property boom and became a millionaire. He also was able to fulfil his political ambitions, such as they are, and he routinely leaves wrecked cars around town with messages upon them. In particular, he has played out one relationship fully in public. So much so that locals have been rooting for the pair to kiss and make up.
The car wrecker, Broadway, contests to this day (as he has done for well over a decade) that a local town Councillor owes him money.
BROADWAY UPDATES THE CARS SEASONALLY
It's like a story of unrequited love, Broadway declares the relationship frequently but Pip Paine shrugs the attention. So famous has this situation become that the band Metronomy named their debut album Pip Paine pay the £5000 You Owe.
On top of this, folks have got clever with photoshop and produced a series of images mocking the situation.
We may never know whether Pip Paine actually does owe Broadway any money, either way Broadway collections seem to be an abject failure. Still, in a town this size one has to take amusement where one finds it. I wish the pair of them the very best.