So far, as detailed previously, we’ve only had one theory, linking our titular tunnel scrawler to the Australian Eddie Storm (an entertainer who toured Western Australia after leaving the UK), although I am confident that with the addition of this new page we will start to see many more ideas flooding in.

Who is Eddie Storm 1983? Help your fellow Stormwatchers uncover the mystery!

A poster claiming to be the wife of the Australian Eddie Storm comments that the singer once sang in Plymouth and had to drive to Manchester for a plane – did he stop by our city’s underground air raid shelters to leave a memento of his visit? Or did a fan decide to pay tribute by daubing Eddie Storm 1983 on the wall down there after seeing a particularly mesmerising show during the same year?

The Australian Eddie Storm, who bills himself as “the 79-year-old inspiration”, was an English singer who moved to Australia in the late 60s. Two tours of Vietnam (one as a manager) saw him encouraged by fans to step out on his own as a solo act, something which he eventually did to huge success.

His glory years saw him tour all across Australia, playing venues in Melbourne, Queensland and sharing the bill with legends like Matt Munro and, regrettably, The Black and White Minstrels.

The commenter goes on to say that “the facts seem to tie in with him,” in particular “the fact that he was buried alive during the war years aged nine years and sang for his supper,” all of which seems pretty much conclusive, however implausible.

Did the Australian Eddie Storm inspire the Great Northern tunnel graffiti or do it himself? Or do the origins of the daubing remain a mystery, a relic from a more sinister past? If you’re the Australian Eddie Storm, if you’ve met him, or if you think you know the real story behind the tunnel graffiti, let us know in the comments.

And to our loyal army of readers and Eddie-watchers, have a great holiday.

It’s the question that inspired the creation of this site: which is dedicated to uncovering the reality behind the legendary ‘Eddie Storm 1983′, whose blood red graffiti adorns several walls in the depths of the Great Northern tunnel system in Manchester.

His real name may not even be Eddie Storm, and one can only guess at the significance of the ’1983′ in his tag (was it the year he first visited the tunnels, the year he died, or something more sinister?); but in the space of just 14 characters he has created a legacy which has endured well into the 21st century.

Do you know Eddie Storm?

As with most mysterious tunnel-dwellers, few facts are available about Eddie Storm. For all we know he may be a prominent figure in Manchester society: a member of the council or a popular street serf. He may live in your neighbourhood. But what’s lacking in concrete detail is more than compensated for by an abundance of conjecture surrounding the man.

Over the coming months you’ll be able to read some of the most popular thinking on the subject and begin to answer the question: who is Eddie Storm?