Bob aged 53, is originally from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He served as a rifleman and radio operator in
the British forces between 1976-86 and was posted in England and Northern
Ireland. He was sent to Lebanon under the Blue Berets, (UN Peacekeepers), for 4 months during the Israeli
invasion of Lebanon. Below Bob sits in his flat with his dog Skip. Above his bed is the flag of the six counties of Northern Ireland.
Since leaving the forces Bob has held a number of jobs
including chef, security guard, gardener and labourer. For the past 8 years he has worked as a
Big Issue seller in Birmingham, West Midlands. He lives with his dog Skip. Bob rescued Skip, now aged 10 ½, from a group of men who had
been using him as bait in dog fighting. A
bait dog is a dog that dog fighters make their fighting dogs practice on. Skip had his ear bitten off by another dog.
In 1989 Bob was stabbed while working as a security guard at
the Empire Club Leicester Square, London. He was
stabbed by two drunk men and left unconscious.
Bobs previous dog Tiger had to go to another owner because he chewed away at the door and the rest of his flat.
Bob suffers from Post-traumatic stress disorder. He says he enjoys his work selling the Big Issue because it offers him the opportunity to interact with people. He likes talking to people and he has regulars who like talking to him.
Comments
Post a Comment