Stanley Green
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Stanley Owen Green (22 February 1915 – 4 December 1993), known as the Protein Man, was a human billboard in central London in the latter half of the 20th century.. One writer called him "the most famous non-famous person in London". According to
Lynne Truss Lynne Truss (born 31 May 1955) is an English author, journalist, novelist, and radio broadcaster and dramatist. She is arguably best known for her championing of correctness and aesthetics in the English language, which is the subject of her ...
, Green became such a ubiquitous figure in and around
Oxford Street Oxford Street is a major road in the City of Westminster in the West End of London, running from Tottenham Court Road to Marble Arch via Oxford Circus. It is Europe's busiest shopping street, with around half a million daily visitors, and ...
in the West End that he was "present in every black-and-white picture of London crowds that one has ever seen". For 25 years, from 1968 until 1993, Green patrolled Oxford Street with a placard recommending "protein wisdom", a low-protein diet that he said would dampen the
libido Libido (; colloquial: sex drive) is a person's overall sexual drive or desire for sexual activity. Libido is influenced by biological, psychological, and social factors. Biologically, the sex hormones and associated neurotransmitters that act u ...
and make people kinder. His 14-page self-published pamphlet, ''Eight Passion Proteins with Care'' went through 84 editions and sold 87,000 copies over 20 years.. Green's "campaigning for the suppression of desire", as one writer described it, was not always popular, but Londoners developed an affection for him. The '' Sunday Times'' interviewed him in 1985, and the fashion house Red or Dead used his "less passion from less protein" slogan in one of its collections. When he died aged 78, the '' Daily Telegraph'', ''
The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...
'' and ''
The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...
'' all published
obituaries An obituary (obit for short) is an article about a recently deceased person. Newspapers often publish obituaries as news articles. Although obituaries tend to focus on positive aspects of the subject's life, this is not always the case. Acc ...
, and the
Museum of London The Museum of London is a museum in London, covering the history of the UK's capital city from prehistoric to modern times. It was formed in 1976 by amalgamating collections previously held by the City Corporation at the Guildhall Museum (fou ...
acquired his pamphlets and placards. In 2006 his biography was included in the ''
Oxford Dictionary of National Biography The ''Dictionary of National Biography'' (''DNB'') is a standard work of reference on notable figures from British history, published since 1885. The updated ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'' (''ODNB'') was published on 23 September ...
.


Early life

Green was born in
Harringay Harringay (pronounced ) is a district of north London, England, within the London Borough of Haringey. It is centred on the section of Green Lanes running between the New River, where it crosses Green Lanes by Finsbury Park, and Duckett' ...
, north London, the youngest of four boys to May Green and her husband, Richard Green, a clerk for a
bottle stopper A stopper or cork is a cylindrical or conical closure used to seal a container, such as a bottle, tube or barrel. Unlike a lid or bottle cap, which encloses a container from the outside without displacing the inner volume, a bung is partially ...
manufacturer. After attending Wood Green County School, a mixed
grammar school A grammar school is one of several different types of school in the history of education in the United Kingdom and other English-speaking countries, originally a school teaching Latin, but more recently an academically oriented secondary school ...
, Green joined the
Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against ...
in 1938.. According to Philip Carter in the ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', Green was shocked while in the Navy by the obsession with sex. "I was astonished when things were said quite openly—what a husband would say to his wife when home on leave," he told the ''Sunday Times'' "A Life in the Day" column in 1985. "I've always been a moral sort of person.". After leaving the Navy in September 1945, Green worked for the
Fine Art Society The Fine Art Society is a gallery based in both London and in Edinburgh's New Town (originally Bourne Fine Art, established 1978). The New Bond Street, London gallery closed its doors in August 2018 after being occupied by The Fine Art Society si ...
. In March 1946, Carter writes, he failed the entrance exam for the
University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in post-nominals) is a federal public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The university was established by royal charter in 1836 as a degree ...
, then worked for
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and the civil service, and as a storeman for
Ealing Borough Council Ealing London Borough Council is the local authority for the London Borough of Ealing in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one of 32 in the United Kingdom capital of London. History There have previously been a number of ...
. On two occasions he had lost jobs, he said, because he had refused to be dishonest. In 1962 he held a job with the Post Office, then worked as a self-employed gardener until 1968 when he began his anti-
protein Proteins are large biomolecules and macromolecules that comprise one or more long chains of amino acid residues. Proteins perform a vast array of functions within organisms, including catalysing metabolic reactions, DNA replication, res ...
campaign. He lived with his parents until they died, his father in 1966 and his mother the following year, after which he was given a
council flat A council house is a form of British public housing built by local authorities. A council estate is a building complex containing a number of council houses and other amenities like schools and shops. Construction took place mainly from 1919 a ...
in Haydock Green,
Northolt Northolt is a town in West London, England, spread across both sides of the A40 trunk road. It is west-northwest of Charing Cross and is one of the seven major towns that make up the London Borough of Ealing. It had a population of 30,304 at ...
, West London.


His mission


On the streets

Green began his mission in June 1968, at the age of 53, initially in Harrow on Saturdays, becoming a full-time human billboard six months later on Oxford Street. He cycled there from Northolt with a
sandwich board A sandwich board is a type of advertisement tool composed of two boards with a message or graphic on it and being either carried by a person, with one board in front and one behind in a triangle shape, hinged along the top, creating a "sandwich" ...
attached to his bicycle, a journey that could take up to two hours, until he was given a
bus pass A transit pass (North American English) or travel card (British English), often referred to as a bus pass or train pass etc. (in all English dialects), is a ticket that allows a passenger of the service to take either a certain number of pre-purc ...
when he turned 65. He rose early, and after porridge for breakfast made bread that would rise while he was on patrol, ready for his evening meal. Otherwise his diet consisted of steamed vegetables and pulses, and a pound of apples a day. Lunch was prepared on a
Bunsen burner A Bunsen burner, named after Robert Bunsen, is a kind of ambient air gas burner used as laboratory equipment; it produces a single open gas flame, and is used for heating, sterilization, and combustion. The gas can be natural gas (which is ma ...
and eaten at 2:30 in a "warm and secret place" near Oxford Street. The "warm and secret place" was a bench at the far end of one of the platforms at
Oxford Circus station Oxford Circus is a London Underground station serving Oxford Circus at the junction of Regent Street and Oxford Street, with entrances on all four corners of the intersection. The station is an interchange between the Bakerloo, Central and Vic ...
, where he would sit after turning his placard upside down and facing the wall. From Monday to Saturday he walked up and down the street until 6:30 pm, reduced to four days a week from 1985. Saturday evenings were spent with the cinema crowds in Leicester Square. He would go to bed at 12:30am after saying a prayer. "Quite a good prayer, unselfish too", he told the ''Sunday Times'' in 1985. "It is a sort of acknowledgment of God, just in case there happens to be one."
Peter Ackroyd Peter Ackroyd (born 5 October 1949) is an English biographer, novelist and critic with a specialist interest in the history and culture of London. For his novels about English history and culture and his biographies of, among others, William ...
wrote in '' London: The Biography'' (2000) that Green was for the most part ignored, becoming "a poignant symbol of the city's incuriosity and forgetfulness". He was arrested for public obstruction twice, in 1980 and 1985. "The injustice of it upsets me," he said, "because I'm doing such a good job." He took to wearing overalls to protect himself from spit, which he found several times on his hat at the end of the day.


Writing

Sundays were spent at home producing ''Eight Passion Proteins'' on his printing press, exhibited after his death at the Serpentine Gallery and described by
Waldemar Januszczak Waldemar Januszczak (born 12 January 1954) is an English art critic and television documentary producer and presenter. Formerly the art critic of ''The Guardian'', he took the same role at ''The Sunday Times'' in 1992, and has twice won the Cr ...
as "an extraordinary home-made contraption worthy of
Heath Robinson William Heath Robinson (31 May 1872 – 13 September 1944) was an English cartoonist, illustrator and artist, best known for drawings of whimsically elaborate machines to achieve simple objectives. In the UK, the term "Heath Robinson cont ...
". The "terrific sounds of thumping and crashing" caused trouble between Green and his neighbours. Noted for its eccentric typography, ''Eight Passion Proteins'' went through 84 editions, 52 of them between 1973 and 1993. Green carried copies of it in his satchel, selling 20 on weekdays and up to 50 on Saturdays, for 10 pence in 1980 and later 12 pence. By February 1993 he would have sold 87,000 copies, according to Carter. He also sent it to public figures, including five British prime ministers, Prince Charles, the Archbishop of Canterbury and
Pope Paul VI Pope Paul VI ( la, Paulus VI; it, Paolo VI; born Giovanni Battista Enrico Antonio Maria Montini, ; 26 September 18976 August 1978) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 21 June 1963 to his death in Augus ...
. The pamphlet argued that "those who do not have to work hard with their limbs, and those who are inclined to sit about" will "store up their protein for passion", making retirement, for example, a period of increased passion and marital discord. It ended by warning: "Beware of the fun of indecent suggestions; of the amusement from the titillating scandal of private lives; of the diversion of the undress of low journalism etcetera. These things erode our morals and twist young minds." In addition to the pamphlet, Green left several unpublished manuscripts, including a novel, ''Behind the Veil: More than Just a Tale''; a 67-page text, ''Passion and Protein''; and a 392-page edition of ''Eight Passion Proteins'', which, Carter writes, was rejected by
Oxford University Press Oxford University Press (OUP) is the university press of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world, and its printing history dates back to the 1480s. Having been officially granted the legal right to print books ...
in 1971.


Recognition

Green enjoyed his local fame. ''The Sunday Times'' interviewed him in 1985 for its "A Life in the Day" feature, and some of his slogans, including "less passion from less protein" were used on dresses and t-shirts by the London fashion house Red or Dead. When he died in 1993 at the age of 78, the ''Daily Telegraph'', ''Guardian'' and ''Times'' all published obituaries. His letters, diaries, pamphlets and placards were given to the Museum of London, which as of 2010 held 36 of the 84 editions of ''Eight Passion Proteins with Care''. Other artefacts went to the Gunnersbury Park Museum. His printing press was included in
Cornelia Parker Cornelia Ann Parker (born 14 July 1956) is an English visual artist, best known for her sculpture and installation art.Tilda Swinton Katherine Matilda Swinton (born 5 November 1960) is a British actress. Known for her roles in independent films and blockbusters, she has received various accolades, including an Academy Award and a British Academy Film Award, in addition t ...
in a glass box, as well as a cushion and carpet apparently from Freud's couch and one of
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...
's cigars.; also see . Years after his death Green was still remembered by writers and bloggers. In 2006 he was given an entry in the ''Oxford Dictionary of National Biography'', while the artist Alun Rowlands' documentary fiction, ''3 Communiqués'' (2007), portrayed him as "trawl ngthe city campaigning for the suppression of desire through diet".. In 2013
Martin Gordon Martin Gordon (born 3 May 1954) is an English musician who plays bass guitar, double bass, and piano. After a long period as band member and session musician, he embarked on a solo career in 2004. His most recent album release was in 2021. B ...
included a track about him on his album '' Include Me Out''. He was also the subject of a biographical son
Stanley Green
on The Melancholy Thug's 2018 album ''A Trip to the Sewers of Paris.'' Peter Watts wrote in ''
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'' in 2016 that Green was for a time "the most famous non-famous person in London, a figure recognised by millions even if few ever actually spoke to him. Oxford Circus has never felt quite the same without him." When Green died,
Lynne Truss Lynne Truss (born 31 May 1955) is an English author, journalist, novelist, and radio broadcaster and dramatist. She is arguably best known for her championing of correctness and aesthetics in the English language, which is the subject of her ...
suggested in ''The Times'' that he be inserted retroactively into the final paragraph of
Charles Dickens Charles John Huffam Dickens (; 7 February 1812 – 9 June 1870) was an English writer and social critic. He created some of the world's best-known fictional characters and is regarded by many as the greatest novelist of the Victorian e ...
' novel ''
Little Dorrit ''Little Dorrit'' is a novel by Charles Dickens, originally published in serial form between 1855 and 1857. The story features Amy Dorrit, youngest child of her family, born and raised in the Marshalsea prison for debtors in London. Arthur Cl ...
'': Stanley Green by Sean Hickin, Oxford Street, London, 1974 (1).jpg, Near Oxford Street, 1974 Stanley Green (Protein Man), London, 1983.jpg, Near the corner of
Dean Street Dean Street is a street in Soho, central London, running from Oxford Street south to Shaftesbury Avenue. Historical figures and places In 1764 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, then a young boy, gave a recital at 21 Dean Street. Admiral Nelson stayed ...
,
Soho Soho is an area of the City of Westminster, part of the West End of London. Originally a fashionable district for the aristocracy, it has been one of the main entertainment districts in the capital since the 19th century. The area was develo ...
, c. 1983 Stanley Green's placard.jpg, One of Green's placards, Museum of London Cover of Eight Passion Proteins.jpg, ''Eight Passion Proteins with Care''


Sources


Notes


References


Works cited

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *


Further reading

*Cumming, Valerie; Merriman, Nick; Ross, Catherine (1996). "The Protein Man". ''Museum of London'', London: Scala Books. * Donaldson, William (2004). '' Brewer's Rogues, Villains, and Eccentrics''. London: Cassell Reference. *Ross, C. (March 1997). "The scourge of sex and nuts and sitting". ''The Oldie''. * * Weeks, David Joseph with Ward, Kate (1998). ''Eccentrics: The Scientific Investigation''. Stirling: Stirling University Press. *Wicks, Ben (8 March 1986)
"Come on up and see my collection of passion fruit"
''The Toronto Star'', 8 March 1986.


External links


Eight Passion Proteins with Care
johnguycollick.com (full text) {{DEFAULTSORT:Green, Stanley 1915 births 1993 deaths English food writers English health activists English health and wellness writers English pamphleteers History of the City of Westminster People from Harringay Royal Navy personnel of World War II Oxford Street