Mexborough & Swinton Times, August 11, 1939
Joa Bod
Wombwell has its Tommy Todd and his toe, but Conisborough is not to be outdone in the possession of a character of yester year.
In fact it was mention of Tommy Todd in the “Times” recently that recalled to the mind of one of our readers here of Conisborough´s “card” because his name, Joa Bod, is not dissimilar.
I should hasten to explain at this stage that Joa Bod was not his real name, it was his week-day title, on Sundays he was Joseph Bird.
Joa was famous for his hard head – not actuality. His head, it was claimed, was as hard as iron and his favourite trick was to use a Yorkshire phrase “tupping” doors.
These facts I have from Mr. Frank Lowther, of Park Road who states that while he does not pretend to vouch for the accuracy of every detail he was regaled with stories of the exploits here set out when he first came to Conisborough 40 years ago.
Joa, whom he never met for the very good yet very simple reason that he was no longer alive, was by then a tradition and as tradition best flourishes on time Joa´s reign must at least have been 10, perhaps 20, years before.