Transcript

Opening

Richard:

Hey, My name is Richard Parr and I’m trying to do a documentary on Big Issue sellers and trying to find out what the public think about them in one work.

Vox 1

Rough

Vox 2

In your face

Vox 3

Polite

Vox 4

As a nu-cense

Vox 5

A con

Richard

Are these opinions correct? I’m going to try and find out and follow a Big Issue Seller named Leighton for the Day.

Leighton

Rich, Hows it going? Are you alright mate?

Richard

Had a good day?

Leighton

Not too bad

Richard

Erm, so where did you stop last night?

Leighton

I stopped last night at an er.. just at er.. somebody’s sofa

Richard

Yeah

Leighton

I was sofa surfing last night

Richard

Yeah

Leighton

You know, just tryi..

Richard

So where do you usually sleep?

Leighton

Air, dair and everywhere (here, there and everywhere), where ever I can get my head down really.

Richard

Erm

Leighton

You know what I mean

Richard

How long you been selling the Big Issue?LeightonBeen selling the big issue now… on and off, for 7 years,

Richard

7 years

Leighton

Yeah, as I’ve been homeless, then I had somewhere to live, then I stopped, but then yeah, about 7 years now.

Richard

So, what did you do before then?

Leighton

Before I sold the big issue, I was a bit of a Rogue and I used to get into trouble all the time and er, then yeah you know, I became homeless, then living in hostels. Knocking around with the wrong people. And er I got myself into trouble, I went to prison. When I got out of prison I started selling the big issue and I haven’t looked back ever since. I haven’t been in trouble since.

Richard

You know if you er, didn’t, you know, sell the big issue, what would you want to be?

Leighton

Gosh! I would to have my own market stall or have my own shop. Yeah, I would like my own business.

Richard

What profit do you get from the big issue?

Leighton

I make 80p, from every copy and that’s at £1.50.

Richard

And what do er, the big issue do with the profit.?

Leighton

The Big Issue, what the company?

Richard

YeahLeightonThere profit… well I don’t know what they do with the profit.

Leighton

When, when there’s a vender on the body shop, which is the next pitch down from me, that effects my custom.

Richard

Arrrr

Leighton

Because a lot of people are walking up that way.

Leighton

The money that I used, The Big issues that I sold earliar, They money that I made from them, I had to buy more big issues, spent all of that on big issues, so like I’ve got a load of big issues, then I can start making a bit of profit then, you know what I mean man?

Richard

Yeah, I know what your saying man.

Leighton

So I’ve saved a little bit of money, so I can buy something to eat and er I will be back on my pitch and rearing to go.

Richard

So how can you afford a subway then? Because obviously, you know, you, people, you know, subway is like a big corporate thing. You know what I mean?

Leighton

Yeah, Well I only got a subway because I got the vouchers

Richard

Yeah

Leighton

I see the guy in town every day, handing out the vouchers near where I sell the big issue, so luckily, you know, luckily I seen one of the vouchers on the floor the other day, one of the vouchers, so I picked it up.

Richard

If you had some power in the world, what would you do or er, homeless people?

Leighton

Well, I’d, I’d get all of them, like derelict buildings I walk and see that they’ve just been there, for you know, a couple years, just stood there, nothing done to them. You know, I’d change, turn them into night shelters.

Richard

It was my time to go, so I bid Leighton farewell and wished him good luck, on journey which seemed so uncertain.