I wrote this Obituary piece for The Guardian about Stanley Green while I was an undergraduate at Goldsmiths' College. I contacted The Guardian and asked them if I could submit it for publication. It was sent off to them and I waited in eager anticipation for their reply.
It was published on Wednesday January 26th 1994, the Editor made no changes or additions except by adding some photographs (the photographs used here are later additions by me):
"A Consuming Passion....
Stanley Owen Green who has died aged aged 78, was that tall thin man with steel-rimmed glasses who marched it seemed for an eternity up and down London's Oxford Street. It was his banner that made him famous, held high above his head and proclaiming "LESS LUST FROM PROTEIN" in large white letters. Underneath the banner he endured the taunts of sticky schoolchildren and the spittle of office workers alike, to bring his unique, indeed puzzling message to the people of London. He later waterproofed his cap against the spittle directed at him and continued to spread his unique message to Londoner's.
It was after his parents' death in 1968 that Stanley Owen Green the war time able seamen, civil servant and gardener began his long march up and down Oxford Street and often in Leicester Square too.
Stanley spreading the word July 1970
As a small boy, I heard my Mum using the word 'vegetarian' as a perjorative in relation to Stanley. In fact he was neither vegan nor vegetarian. He ate according to his own oddly formulated diet; practising denial and subscribing to a bewildering range of restrictive rosters whilst dispensing his 12p booklets; (this later rose to 20p a copy to take into account of his costs), to the public entitled "Eight Passion Proteins -With Care". These were dispensed from a home made satchel to a largely disinterested and sometimes hostile public. In his booklet and other pamphlets he expounded on all manner of subjects; the main subject being sex which he coyly termed "married love" or the childlike term "love play". The literature he sold was written and produced solely by him and ten printed on a primitive printing press in his small second floor flat in Ealing west London; the noise this press made annoyed many of his neighbours. However, he spent little time there for his cause became his life's work.
Such was his impact on London life that cartoonists used him as a model, a caricature in place of, amongst other things, a stricken Prime Minister. He was also photographed and used in a national advertising campaign which was extolling the virtues of a clear message.
I didn't know Stanley personally but feel he would have been frustrated, dying, as he did, literally days before the Christmas rush in his favoured site of Oxford Street; he missed his seasonal chance at a larger audience.
A letter from a reader to the Ruislip and Northwood Gazette, Stanley circa 1970 setting off from his Ealing home (Picture from the Ruislip and Northwood Gazette)
Some of his artefacts, such as his banner and satchel are to be preserved in the Museum of London after the intervention of an Ealing Housing Officer, Ruth Willis, to have them serve as a memory to his contribution to London life.
The very last thought in his booklet " Eight Passion Proteins" was a question " How many nice children are spoilt by parentless dormitory years?" He need only to look at the present Conservative Party for the answer to that question.
The Daily Telegraph obituary for Stanley January 1994
Stanley Owen Green had become an integral part of the London sights and London life. He was the passionate eschewer of passion. His booming voice and the distinctive black and white banner will missed by many and mourned by more than a few."
Quotes from Eight Passion Proteins - With Care.
The front cover of an early edition stated:
Discreet behaviour is an important part of respectability, and has assisted men and women to be virgins on their weddings, yet some had been to UNIVERSITY and other places of advanced learning....
On the later red edition this was changed to:
And a Decent MAN would be a VIRGIN on his wedding day, though he might have been to UNIVERSITY, and HE would be faithful in marriage.
Wikipedia holds an entry on Stanley here: Stanley Green - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Here is the link to The Museum of London where a large part of Stanley's artefacts are stored and displayed: Curator's Choice: Cathy Ross of the Museum of London introduces The Protein Man's placard | Culture24
It was published on Wednesday January 26th 1994, the Editor made no changes or additions except by adding some photographs (the photographs used here are later additions by me):
"A Consuming Passion....
Stanley Owen Green who has died aged aged 78, was that tall thin man with steel-rimmed glasses who marched it seemed for an eternity up and down London's Oxford Street. It was his banner that made him famous, held high above his head and proclaiming "LESS LUST FROM PROTEIN" in large white letters. Underneath the banner he endured the taunts of sticky schoolchildren and the spittle of office workers alike, to bring his unique, indeed puzzling message to the people of London. He later waterproofed his cap against the spittle directed at him and continued to spread his unique message to Londoner's.
It was after his parents' death in 1968 that Stanley Owen Green the war time able seamen, civil servant and gardener began his long march up and down Oxford Street and often in Leicester Square too.
Stanley spreading the word July 1970
As a small boy, I heard my Mum using the word 'vegetarian' as a perjorative in relation to Stanley. In fact he was neither vegan nor vegetarian. He ate according to his own oddly formulated diet; practising denial and subscribing to a bewildering range of restrictive rosters whilst dispensing his 12p booklets; (this later rose to 20p a copy to take into account of his costs), to the public entitled "Eight Passion Proteins -With Care". These were dispensed from a home made satchel to a largely disinterested and sometimes hostile public. In his booklet and other pamphlets he expounded on all manner of subjects; the main subject being sex which he coyly termed "married love" or the childlike term "love play". The literature he sold was written and produced solely by him and ten printed on a primitive printing press in his small second floor flat in Ealing west London; the noise this press made annoyed many of his neighbours. However, he spent little time there for his cause became his life's work.
Such was his impact on London life that cartoonists used him as a model, a caricature in place of, amongst other things, a stricken Prime Minister. He was also photographed and used in a national advertising campaign which was extolling the virtues of a clear message.
I didn't know Stanley personally but feel he would have been frustrated, dying, as he did, literally days before the Christmas rush in his favoured site of Oxford Street; he missed his seasonal chance at a larger audience.
Some of his artefacts, such as his banner and satchel are to be preserved in the Museum of London after the intervention of an Ealing Housing Officer, Ruth Willis, to have them serve as a memory to his contribution to London life.
The very last thought in his booklet " Eight Passion Proteins" was a question " How many nice children are spoilt by parentless dormitory years?" He need only to look at the present Conservative Party for the answer to that question.
The Daily Telegraph obituary for Stanley January 1994
Stanley Owen Green had become an integral part of the London sights and London life. He was the passionate eschewer of passion. His booming voice and the distinctive black and white banner will missed by many and mourned by more than a few."
The front cover of an early edition stated:
Discreet behaviour is an important part of respectability, and has assisted men and women to be virgins on their weddings, yet some had been to UNIVERSITY and other places of advanced learning....
On the later red edition this was changed to:
And a Decent MAN would be a VIRGIN on his wedding day, though he might have been to UNIVERSITY, and HE would be faithful in marriage.
Wikipedia holds an entry on Stanley here: Stanley Green - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Here is the link to The Museum of London where a large part of Stanley's artefacts are stored and displayed: Curator's Choice: Cathy Ross of the Museum of London introduces The Protein Man's placard | Culture24
What did he die of? Am fascinated to know as I cannot find the cause anywhere.
ReplyDeleteHe died of natural causes as far as I am aware.
ReplyDeleteIt's wonderful that you wrote an obituary for Stanley Green. He is someone who could have easily been forgotten. I remember him well walking around Oxford St / Covent Garden in the early 80's he seemed to pop up everywhere. Sadly, I had too, forgotten about him until a recent visit to the Museum of London when I saw his poster. I might dedicate a small space in the hall to hang a picture of him.
ReplyDelete