tramps

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

Basically i feel sorry for the poor buggers, and always think " there but for the grace of God, go I".

 

 

Got one for ye here, el Bald: I actually knew a bloke who became a Tramp! How about That?! Jamie, his name was. I'll tell ye about him:

 

The wife and I used to drink in a pub and came to know this Very smartly turned out man by the name of Jamie. Really decent chap. Always looked a bit out of place, to be frank with ye; Wearing his suit and good coat. Discreet bit of good gold about him. Always had his beloved Ann on his arm too.

 

Times moved on and so did I. Then, some few years later, I saw a bloke in a stinking old charity shop coat, pushing a tesco's trolley down the road. I over took him, already curious of his curly, thick black hair. And, yes, as I glanced back, the face I looked momentarily into was Jamies.

 

Since then, I saw quite a bit of the guy. Shuffling about, two or three dirty carrier bags hanging from his fingers. I discovered he 'lived' in an invalids toilet. He must have got hold of or else fashioned a 'RADAR' key for it.

 

Of course, I never approached him. What could ye say? It was embarressing for me and, I felt sure, would be for him too.

 

One day though - perhaps I'd had a drink? Maybe it was just more than I could bear any longer? But, as he shuffled past me, I turned and called out after him: " Alright, Jamie ....? ".

 

He kept going, one shuffling, shambling step more. Then he hesitated, stopped and slowly turned around. His eyes were bright and his mouth opened, as if to call a hearty reply. Then, as he seemed to breath in to say something, something flickered and died again in his bleary eyes. He couldn't quite place me and probably assumed he'd been mistaken. He slipped at once back into his private world. It broke my fu*king heart to see that, mate.

 

Some time later, I was having a quiet dinner time pint in a pub up the road from our old local. I heard someone's voice say the name, " Jamie ". Glancing up, I did a double take and then determined not to stare. There was Ann. She had some other bloke with her and was evidently pressing the bar man for news or information about Jamie. Raising her voice that bit, as if to ask the bar, subtley.

 

I felt like saying to her then; " You want Jamie? Try the f***ing sh*t house, up by Fratton Bridge! THAT'S what you've done to that man! ". But, again, I kept silent. Like ye do.

 

Last time I saw him, years ago now, his once lustrous black hair was silvery white. I'd dare say he must be dead by now too ~ his body having finally caught up with a soul that was crushed and destroyed years ago

 

My friend Jamie. A Tramp.

[Guest whippet]

Saddening story mate, really brings home the stories behind the faces you see on street corners.

 

On a similar note in the town where I hang out with my mates I knew this old traveller bloke called Paul, he was sound as feck, really genuine nice person. Unfortunately about a month back he passed away, caught a lung infection and all the years of living rough caught up with him and he lost the will to live.

 

Died in a public toilet next to town square.

 

Now for most people that is all the details they got from the article in the local rag and simply thought ''oh a dead tramp, big deal''.

What they didn't know is this man married a duchess (or similar, I forget the exact title) quite some years ago, they ended the relationship at some point but never actually divorced.

So this man, who died homeless, alone and wrought by illness technically had his own Duchy and a village under his stewardship.

 

I expect this story bored the piss out of most people, but I thought it relevant. You just don't know the stories behind the faces, it's very easy to look down on someone wrecked by alcohol abuse or similar but you just don't know what caused their lives to take such a turn.

Perhaps we should reflect on this and the fragility of the security and comfort we have in our own lives and appreciate those who we love and love us.

 

Sorry for getting soppy/metaphorical on you lot, just had to get it out.

Edited August 19, 2006 by whippet

[Guest BLUE BULL]

Here in london we have the "Occupational tramp" They pull up in their car in the morning change their clothes get the dog out the back and go and sit down outside the upmarket shops like Harrods and Harvey nicks and BEG! I have personally witnessed them doing it + its been in the local rags, piss taking fookers eh? :realmad:

[mackem 26,601]

I have a friend who is a tramp,Chas,lives under Staines bridge during the winter,I always buy him a coffee and a sarnie ,I can empathise because I have slept in a few "odd" places over the years.Chas has an encyclopedic knowledge of animals and cryptozoology,my jaw dropped the first time he casually inserted thylacine and chupacabra into a conversation

[Ricky-N.p.p 0]

Come on the tramps

[allrounder 47]

%99.9 of tramps nowerdays are just fecking smackhaeds who are just begging for money so they can get drugged out of there faces i personanally wouldnt piss on them if they were on fire you can tell buy looking at one who is on drugs an someone who has no money and nowere to live but were i come from they re all fecking druggies

Edited August 19, 2006 by allrounder

[MATTI 34]

About a year ago an old ''parrafin lamp''came to our town a real scruffy, smelly devil, used to live in a barn not too far away from us, now he has a flat smarter clothe's than me, and the t**t still does'nt have a job That's friggin labour for you

[Guest Dillon]

%99.9 of tramps nowerdays are just fecking smackhaeds who are just begging for money so they can get drugged out of there faces i personanally wouldnt piss on them if they were on fire you can tell buy looking at one who is on drugs an someone who has no money and nowere to live but were i come from they re all fecking druggies

 

Quite true for most parts of the country I'd say, my home town is full of the drugged up twats,

 

We used to have a tramp locally called "Johnny Be Good" he was known all over town, a clever fella and very eccentric, used to wear a poncho ! the bloke never did any harm.

I would rather have ten of him than 1 smackhead wandering round the town.

[shotup 9]

you never see a tramp with out a good head of hair...and every tramp has a very sorry story

[Squirrel_Basher 17,100]

Used to see a tramp on his way to and from cirencester to cheltenham years ago .He used to kip down in a barn on the estate .Harmless chap that used to cadge fags .Barn burned down one night and in the morning the fire brigade found what was left .They also found a VICTORIA CROSS around his neck .You got to wonder why some of them take to the road .

[Guest Ditch_Shitter]

They also found a VICTORIA CROSS around his neck .You got to wonder why some of them take to the road .

 

 

Educated guess? What's now recognised and termed as " Chronic Post Traumatic Stress Disorder ".

 

They used to call it " Shell Shock "

[stitch 2]

%99.9 of tramps nowerdays are just fecking smackhaeds who are just begging for money so they can get drugged out of there faces i personanally wouldnt piss on them if they were on fire you can tell buy looking at one who is on drugs an someone who has no money and nowere to live but were i come from they re all fecking druggies

that might be true in our area allrounder now, but but years ago their was only one tramp in our town when i was younger and we use to see him taking food out of bins , honest! but that was a tramp! any way my older sisters mate who use to come round our house :kiss: use to and still does work in the local bank !where ! he use to keep his belongins ie cheque book and what not and she said he had over 60 grand in the bank this was gospel .so what made him do that sort of life ? still felt sorry for him though and stopped the nobs from hammering him :realmad: thats prob why i didnt fit in that much with em i had a voice ! any way i got in to ferrets then dogs and i found this kept me out of so much trouble when i was younger now trying to keep a young un out of bother 19 years on !even if we did drive for 9 hours and 100 £ diesel to get a pup off zeus :thumbs-up: sorry for going off track just dont post much thats all !

keep it real cheers dave

[allrounder 47]

dont lie dave you used to give him money to get you the food out the bins

[stitch 2]

told you not to say out! lol