Homeless Tramp

[AlfredJPruffock]

Well thats kind but dont feel sorry for old Alf - he went to Hell and back its true - but I would say when youve lived on the streets and lived on your wits you will learn more about yoursalf and society then when you;re top of the pile or coining it in.

I dont want to conclude without mentioning how much kindess I received from perfect strangers during the time of my decline and fall - dont forget folks as you go through this odd thing we call Life - never forget those who are less fortunate than yourself.

And a smile will cost you nothing at all.

[EternalOptimist]

Well thats kind but dont feel sorry for old Alf - he went to Hell and back its true - but I would say when youve lived on the streets and lived on your wits you will learn more about yoursalf and society then when you;re top of the pile or coining it in.

I dont want to conclude without mentioning how much kindess I received from perfect strangers during the time of my decline and fall - dont forget folks as you go through this odd thing we call Life - never forget those who are less fortunate than yourself.

And a smile will cost you nothing at all.

Religious people are the ones who fear hell, spiritual people are the ones who have been there

[moorfield]

I wonder what the homeless tramps make of all this economic turmoil malarky ?

Surely carboard box house prices must be booming - supply of cardboard boxes is down and demand is up? So the smarter tramps will no doubt see this as an opportunity to trade up.

[DaveB]

In my early days as a support monkey at a large investment bank in London we would regularly throw out very large, reinforced cardboard boxes that used to contain 21" crt monitors. They would then turn up under various bridges along The Embankment providing shelter to some of the assorted homeless people who were dossing down there.

[BrilloPad]

Surely carboard box house prices must be booming - supply of cardboard boxes is down and demand is up? So the smarter tramps will no doubt see this as an opportunity to trade up.

But Big Issue sales are down?

[Cyberman]

Well thats kind but dont feel sorry for old Alf - he went to Hell and back its true - but I would say when youve lived on the streets and lived on your wits you will learn more about yoursalf and society then when you;re top of the pile or coining it in.

I dont want to conclude without mentioning how much kindess I received from perfect strangers during the time of my decline and fall - dont forget folks as you go through this odd thing we call Life - never forget those who are less fortunate than yourself.

And a smile will cost you nothing at all.

That's a sad story Alf but you've obviously done well for yourself since and you have my admiration. In 1993 could you not get any social help ? Surely if you have no money and nowhere to live you can go to the authorities for help.

[AlfredJPruffock]

That's a sad story Alf but you've obviously done well for yourself since and you have my admiration. In 1993 could you not get any social help ? Surely if you have no money and nowhere to live you can go to the authorities for help.

Back then I didnt go for social help - I was in London at the time and was busking with my guitar to get a few quid - I didnt sign on partly through pride but also because I didnt have a fixed abode - back then you had to sign on daliy if you didnt have a fixed abode - as I said I had income via busking so I wasnt interested in any state support .

As for The Church itself , it was a disused church ( now it is a working Church again and its located on the HighGate Road not far from the Kentish Town Tube Station ) there was a music venue by the Church but I cant recall its name.

The Church had fallen into disrepair then had been renovated by a New Age group (the Rainbow people) basically you had about 30-40 people - artists, dropouts, anyjobbers, travellers who had nowhere else to go - so it became a kind of sanctuary for outsiders united in their unsettled state.

I first came acorss the Church by chance then as they grew to know me they said it was fine to live there - I think they liked my guitar and piano playing - bless them.

In fact I met some fascinating people there - nobody went hungry either we had our own kitchen and local restaurants which would kindly donate food for us , the police used to drop by once in a while but only to make sure everybody was OK in our little commune in North London and we certainly were - if we heard of any villians or theft in the area we would tell the police as well

I found it quite fascinating to live without any dependence on any authority, whether that by the State or Employer - falling asleep at night under cover of the stain glass Church windows depicting Jesus and Mary in the cold London nights I will never forget.

[milanbenes]

amazing Alf

Milan.

[Cyberman]

I just hope that we do not see too many people suffering like that over the next few years !! You are an inspiration Alf !!

[expat]

Show me the alley
Show me the train
Show me the hobo
Who sleeps out in the rain
And I'll show you a young man
With so many reasons why
There but for Fortune
Go you and I.