Saturday 24 December 2011: Christmas Spirit

I walk past this guy every week - he sells The Big Issue in Bakewell outside the Co-op. I don't buy it, as when I did in Sheffield years back I did not like the magazine. However, I have always been very impressed with the whole set-up and ethos of the organisation, a very good approach on so many levels in my opinion. So I always say something along the lines of "No thanks", or "Not today mate" as I respect the effort that the sellers are going to in order to help themselves out of an awful situation that nobody in our so-called civilised society should find themselves in. It's not like they are selling themselves out for a profit-greedy corporation. Their motivations have purpose.

I was waiting outside of said Co-op this morning as supermarkets bug me, especially at Christmas, and given that it was early and freezing it was just me, him and a random hurdy-gurdy bloke (not seen him before - cool music, creeepy stuffed chimp). I watched as he tried to sell a Big Issue to all who went passed him and was pretty disgusted to see that over 80% of those who walked by simply ignored him or looked the other way on purpose when offered - they had clearly heard him!. How bloody rude! The problem with this part of Derbyshire that there are too many that never think about others and have zero understanding of people that have not been brought up in the white/middle-class/financially-comfortable bubble that exists so much here. Even at Christmas they couldn't even offer a smile or polite no thanks.

I bought one and asked if I could take his picture - such a familiar face in my weekly life, yet one I know nothing about. Doesn't mean he can be ignored though.

• NIKON D7000:
• f/1.4:
• 1/125":
• 50.0mm:
• ISO 100

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