Neville Wilson who lived behind the Duke of Edinburgh in Albert Street, Greymouth

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DescriptionNeville Wilson who lived behind the Duke of Edinburgh in Albert Street, GreymouthDate of Photo1960`sMap^[1]ContributorHeather Newby

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Location (city or town)GreymouthPersonNeville Wilson Overcoat

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Date Created17th February 2025CommentsAnnie Van Looy
Yes remember her well, not so much him tho, fur coat, red lipstick, high heels, I was fascinated by her as a youngan, she looked so glamorous

Heather Newby
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Annie Van Looy yes..she had a fur coat

Diane Findlay
I remember the day they were more or less forceably removed. Eric and I had the Duke then. It was bizzare. They both were eating breakfast and were escorted out. After they left the kitchen staff and myself went inside. The house was all mud where previous floods had flowed through it. Toast still on the table. Staff took some mud covered crockery and washed layers of mud off it. I think the house was knocked down the same afternoon they left.

Ron Kendrick
The Wilsons I believe!

Denis Skates
I believe his nickname was the Black Moth.

Mandy O'Sullivan
Jessie and Neville Wilson. Cousins to my grandmother Alma Messenger and descendants of Jimmy and Jessie Aicken from Aickens. Jessie was a very accomplished pianist I believe.

Trish Rennie
Yes I remember them well. Would have made great extras for the old time movies…. I often wondered whether they had worked and where that would have been

Ken Campbell
My family lived in Swainson Street when I was a kid. I remember walking through the lane there at the end of street at night and out of the mist would appear the black moth. He was hard to spot with the long black coat and hat pulled over his eyes and it always sent my heart through my mouth

Alan Beck
Yes. Moved from their home by the former mayor, for redevelopment.

Christine Banks
We called the brother, the spy, and his sister, Delta Dawn, well known characters of Albert Street

Margaret Moore
Yes, I remember them. She was glamorous looking, long dark wavy hair and red lipstick. He was tall and thin.
They walked around the town.

Dianne Blythe
Yes we used to call him the gangster

Barbara Fitzsimmons
Great story Malcolm. I remember you as the paper boy .love storys like that .

Carolyn Luck
Neville Wilson and his sister, can’t think of her christian name, a he Jessie.
Neville was born in 1924.

Rob Lunn
Mr and Miss Wilson and yes they lived in an old cottage in Albert Street where the council car park is now.They were siblings and never married the cottage was quite elevated to cater for the constant flooding of that part of town as a young apprentice I was tasked with refuelling their kerosene heater as the were both paranoid about fire (and probably a few other things)

Pam Eddy
Yes indeed .She always had the bright red lipstick on and he wore along coat .our children used to also call him the spy .l have no idea why .

Malcolm Howell
"Spy 13" or "The Smuggler" was Neville Wilson who lived in Albert Street with his aged mother and sister "the painted doll". When collecting for the Grey Star I saw her without makeup many times and it wasn't pretty to look at !!!! Their house was immediately behind the Duke of Edinburgh Hotel and I was their paperboy. Neville had a brother who was actually Constable Dave Wilson of the Greymouth Police District Office !!!! Years later as a young Police Constable myself, I would run into "the smuggler" at 2am/ 3am in the thick barber with his extreme wet weather gear on and hat pulled down low over his face. He would sneak around corners stealthily checking if anyone was out walking the business area streets and carefully checking he wasn't being followed. He would also be carrying a metal lunch box. It fascinated me why anyone would be walking Mawhera Quay in such terrible cold weather barber conditions at all hours of the night. I mentioned it to Constable Cliff Hibbs who knew Neville for many years. I mentioned the metal lunch box and why would he be carrying sandwiches. Cliff then told me the lunch box is empty and that he fills it up with coal from the coal wagons on the wharf !!!
"The Smuggler" @ "Spy 13" - will we ever forget him or his Sister !!!!

Wendy Gilmour
Mandy O'Sullivan yes she was Mandy and she was a friend of Mrs Elizabeth Anderson who's husband started off Robert Anderson women's clothing, they went to school together and Mrs Anderson would always go out to talk with her if she was walking past the shop

Al Sheehan
As kids we knew them as Spy 13 and the painted lady.

Denis King
From behind the Duke, I believe Ms Wilson lived in Chapel street.

Tony Warner
The real characters of the coast we need more like them

Doreen Wallis
Yeap we used to think he was a spy
John Oakley
Hi Chris
I see Robert (Wilbur/Bob) Wilson died last week in Greymouth.
22h
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Alan Beck
Yes. Moved from their home by the former mayor, for redevelopment.

Barbara Fitzsimmons
Great story Malcolm. I remember you as the paper boy .love storys like that .

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Neville Wilson who lived behind the Duke of Edinburgh in Albert Street, Greymouth

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