How I met Percy

As I was walking along Beeston High road one day a couple of weeks ago, I heard a song being sung which, because of the words of the song and the way it was being sung, immediately captured my attention.

I headed towards the music and when I came across the singer, it was as though his gravelly voice and the situation he was in made the words to the song extremely poignant. He was obviously singing to raise money and to do so was sitting on a bench on the coldest day of the year. My heart went out to him and I wondered what I could do other than buy him a warm drink and hot food. When he finished his song, I asked if he would mind me videoing him so that I could put it on You tube and hopefully raise money for the homeless, he smiled and said "Sure", and introduced himself as Percy.

After a chat, during which I discovered that he was of no fixed abode, he sang his song again for me so that I could video him. When we had finished and I bought him some hot food and a warm drink, it made me realize that I would be going home to a warm house where there was as much food and drink as I needed and that I would be able to sleep in a warm bed that night without fear of someone attacking me in my sleep or not being able to sleep because of the freezing cold.

So please show your compassion to those less fortunate than yourselves this Christmas and let us show that the people of Nottingham have big hearts, because anyone from any walk of life can become homeless, including young people who are no longer able to live with their parents/carers for whatever reason; even an extremely successful business man lost it all and became homeless through no fault of his own................. But for the grace of God go I.

Thank you in advance on behalf of all the homeless people you have been able to bring some Christmas cheer to this Christmas and God bless.