More About Fearless Peckna!

Blasts from the Bugle's past ... 1975

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It's amazing how the names of real, old-time Black Country characters linger in legendary tales of the area, The name “Peckna” has found its way into “The Bugle”, regularly over the past few months

It all began with a letter from one of our readers which was printed in our January edition. This related how “Peckna” received his nickname. The letter came from Mrs K. M. Wood of Kingswinford, whose mother knew “Peckna” as a boy they both lived at Rounds Green, Oldbury. We quote from Mrs Wood's letter.

"Mother, lived when a girl at Rounds Green, in Oldbury and she told us about a lad whose father took home some ducks. On going to the pen, the lad saw them scooping the food up and said “Peck yer buggers, peck”. Ever after he was known as Peckna!

Mrs Wood also asked in her letter if anyone else remembered “Peckna”. It wasn't long before we received a letter from Mr Henry Danks, of Tividale, telling us that he had known “Peckna” well and that his real name was Herbert Jukes. According to Mr Danks, “Peckna” was a “Right Herbert” — once encountered never forgotten!

Dare-devil

He was born during the 1890's and died in 1949. During the early years of this century his exploits were famous in the Rounds Green area. We quote from Mr Danks's letter...

“As lads, we all attended Rounds Green School, then moved to the new school in Brades Road, built in 1908 (next to Brooks Foundry). We all called him “Peckna”. He was full of fun and he did dare kind of ventures, one being, climbing to the top of “Grace Mary” Pits winding-gear, turning the wheel round and then let himself down the pit on the cage wire”.