THERE’S a salty sea dog abroad in Weymouth demanding treasure from the locals.
But there’s no need to start shivering your timbers – it’s just taxi driver Jock Brodie doing his best Jack Sparrow impression for charity.
Jock has been driving his cab around Weymouth dressed as the Pirates of the Caribbean character to raise money for the Acorns day centre and the Cherries residential home in Mount Pleasant.
The former naval chef and diver said he was inspired to start the fundraising prank when fellow members of the HMS Solebray association teased him about having a bushy beard and long hair.
Jock, 64, of Weymouth, said: “Some of the women in the association told me that if I came to the next meeting with my hair still long and my beard, that they would plait it.
“So I thought I’d do it first but it kind of grew and grew into this.
“Then I thought that it would be a good way to raise some money for these two care centres if I drove around like it.
“I am planning on going to one of the next association meetings dressed like this to see what kind of reaction I get and also for some donations.”
Jock has been accepting fares from perplexed customers in his outlandish regalia and asking for donations of £1 to go to the care centres.
He estimates that he has already raised around £200 but still has several days of fundraising ahead of him.
He said: “This thing’s really taken off.
“I had another taxi driver come up to me the other day with a £5 donation from one of his customers who knew what I was doing. She hadn’t even had a journey in my cab but she wanted to donate something.
“It was very touching.”
Jock served aboard the HMS Solebray at the age of 17 before it was decommissioned and said he is still seen as the ‘boy’ of the association, which has members in their 90s.
Jock wished to thank everybody who sponsored him as well as Funny Business Fancy Dress in Trinity Road, Weymouth for the free costume hire.
Anyone wishing to donate to Jock’s fundraising efforts can do so at the Acorns centre, the Cherries centre or directly to Jock.
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