Written : March 2016

In early March 2016 I saw a guy on the street begging. He asked if I had any change. I said I didn’t, but would he like a coffee. “yes please” he said. I also bought him a sandwich. When I brought said coffee and sandwich back to him I asked his name him how he came to be homeless.

His story went thus – he had had an argument with his girlfriend late one night. She kicked him out (this wasn’t the first time but it was the last) and basically left him on the street with his ruck sack. He didn’t have anyone locally who he could turn to and pride stopped him from talking to his family (I didn’t pry that much)

So there Dean was on Palmerston road in Southsea begging. He wanted to get enough money to sleep in a local B&B that he had done a deal with - £15 a night, as he was homeless. After chatting to him for ten minutes or so, I decided to give him the £15 he needed and he stood up and went to the B&B.

Two days later I was walking along the street in another part of Southsea when I saw him again. I had come out of a local music venue having watched a local band perform. I recognised him and asked how he was doing. He told me today was his birthday. I asked if he was celebrating and he showed me a can of beer. I also asked him if he had enough to go to the hotel and he said it had been slow that night and he wasn’t there yet (it was now 11:30pm so highly unlikely to get much more) so I gave him £20 – it was his birthday after all. He thanked me and went off to the hotel (or I assume he did) with his rucksack.

Since then I met another guy on the street – David. He is a lovely guy. Same thing – he asked for change, I said no, but happily buy him a sandwich and coffee (he asked for a pint of milk). We got talking and his story was his girlfriend had died, he lived in a council house that was in her name, he ended up on the street. He wants to get back into society.

A few days later, I took him to a local pub. When walking in he sat on the smoking tables outside. He was afraid to go in, in case he was kicked out. I told him they wouldn’t do that, and if they did I would leave with him and would not frequent the place again. As I knew the manager, I knew he would be fine. So in we went. We had a beer or two for an hour and at first he was very reserved, was huddled in a ball and very wary of people around him. He talked to me about his story and told me afterwards that it was such a great feeling having someone giving him the time of day.

A week later, I took him to another local pub. We sat at a table with other people and I got talking to the other people there. David went outside to smoke and whilst he was out one of the other guys asked what David did for a living. I told them he was currently homeless. When he came back, I mentioned this to David and the other guy started asking him about his story. His demeanour changed considerably and he visibly grew in stature as he started telling his story.

Since then we have helped him get some work helping someone in his garden, but incredibly he is now working and keeping himself off the streets driving for someone.

The song was written about experiences with both guys and the aim is to assist David and Dean and others to get off the street by raising enough money to get them into accommodation, pay their rent for a couple of months, or perhaps even to raise enough to rent a house for a year with a couple of bedrooms so we can help not just David and Dean but others too.

Since meeting both Dean and David, I contacted the local Council Leader. After a week I heard nothing and was about to send another email when I got a phone call from someone on behalf of said Leader of the council. She said that the leader of the council (LOTC) had asked her to contact me regarding some of the ideas I had put into the email and some of the issues.

The council have since set up a committee to try and tackle the issue (not because of my input) and they have asked me to come in and speak to them about some of the issues I have encountered and some of the ideas I have had to try and solve them. I am awaiting the invite but believe it it forthcoming.

What was the issue here?

Homeless people are usually there through circumstances beyond their control and can’t get back. In order to get into a house you have to raise enough money for a deposit, first month’s rent, and the agency fees, plus go through a credit check and be in full time work. Those conditions are not always going to prevail when you find yourself suddenly on the street and I don’t know many people who can raise the best part of £1500 overnight. Most people struggle to pay their bills.

My idea started to formulate whilst talking to Urszula (my girlfriend) about it – perhaps we could use music to raise money to provide the deposit and first month’s rent so that people like Dean and David could get off the street quickly. I approached the local council who were receptive to the idea.

The song was written a few days after meeting Dean and David. The music in this case came first – it a very simple riff whereby the bass guitar and the lead guitar play out their own melody lines in harmony. After that it was trying to put together the arrangement and the words came relatively easily, it is after all just the story I have just told but a little bit more abridged.

Its also a deviation from our normal style of play and I am looking forward to releasing this single.

If we can assist just one person get off the street it will have all been worthwhile.

Since meeting David, he has become a friend of the band, and even helps out from time to time with humping gear and would love to be the bands official roadie. I am sure he will be great.

Dean, I since found out, is now in a hostal in Cornwall (where he is from) and we are now trying to help Sam and grant get off the streets – sometimes (as in the case of Dean and David) it is just a helping hand that is needed, sometimes it is a bit more. But we can all help in some way

Why does this mean so much to me

A number of reasons
1. I was technically homeless

4 years ago, I was in a similar position where I was living with a family member. We had a big bust up and I was going to move into a flat locally. However, I was due to move 2 days before I went on a one week trip to LA in the USA. The day before move in day the landlord told me that he had found someone else as my bank still hadn’t given him a reference (they had, three times but my guess is he managed to find someone to pay him more).

I was lucky. The employer I worked for had a warehouse with an office in it. In the office was a spare office and he allowed me to put a bed in there. So for four months I was technically homeless until I found a place to stay. It may not be the same as living on the streets but it’s the same feeling of despair and not belonging – believe me.

2. I saw a youtiube video

About the same time I saw a video on YouTube – it was a social experiment with a homeless guy and a homeless child. Some of the things that happened in that video to the guy (who was a war veteran) were despicable – including a police officer assaulting him and some guy throwing his food all over the homeless guy (sitting next to the homeless boy). The homeless boy was getting all the money and the homeless guy was getting nothing but abuse. The homeless guy stood up, asked the kid to look after his stuff and came back 5 minutes later with a Pizza for the kid.

Oh man I am not one given to tears but that really moved me.
Link to that video is below

youtu.be/NvoWBbYxdwc

After that I just wanted to help homeless people – even if it meant just sitting and talking to them and offering them something to eat and drink – a Tea, Coffee or Something. What I found from Dean and David and watching this video, was that the most important thing you can give to someone is a bit of time.