James Allerton, The Albion, Bath Street, Ilkeston
James was joined on his pitch by Labour MP Adam Thompson. Here's how it went
Image: Exposure Photo Agency
I’ve been doing Big Issue for a while and when I first moved to Ilkeston I wanted to get somebody to make a lot more people aware of how hard it was to sell the magazine and what we do to get the money.
I asked the previous Conservative MP in Erewash to come and sell the magazine and all she kept on coming out with was excuse after excuse. Then two years ago I asked a Labour councillor and he said he’d come out but never did. I saw we had a new MP, Labour’s Adam Thompson, so I went through to him on his Facebook Messenger. He said he was keen to come out.
He joined me on my pitch on Saturday 10 January at about five past 10 and didn’t leave until quarter past 12. I enjoyed selling the magazine with him and we sold around five. I got a lot of things off my chest. He was like: why do you do Big Issue? I told him, when I first started I became homeless and I was living in Derby at the time in a hostel. I moved to Ilkeston and got a place but carried on still doing Big Issue because I know it helps a lot of people as well as helping me.
It was a big shock that he came to do it. I thought it was going to be one of those things where I’m going to be let down at the last minute. When he turned up I was like: “OK, he’s stuck by his word. He’s the first person that’s actually done that.” He wants to get a lot of the other MPs in the local area to do it too.
I told Adam that I’m trying to move to a property with a back garden because I’ve got an electric wheelchair mobility scooter. At the moment my flat is too small to get my wheelchair in so I’m leaving it outside in the rain. I cover it up at the minute but it’s still getting wet. I told Adam and he said: “Leave it with me. I’ll see what I can do.” He was very helpful.
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I have the wheelchair because I lost my big toe about a year and a half ago so my balance is not very good at the minute. I’ve had two mini-strokes as well so I’m a bit wobbly on my feet. I’m type 2 diabetic and one day I woke up and my feet were swollen. I couldn’t get my shoes or socks on and I had to wear flip-flops. The doctors told me it was gout and gave me some tablets but they started making me sick. Then this corn appeared on my big toe and it started going black. The head consultant walked in and said: “That’s it. Your toe is coming off.” I was relieved because I was in a lot of pain.
I’ve been on my current pitch for five years. I started on where Wilko’s used to be. That was the busiest part but when they closed down I moved up the road because I’ve got them in all directions now!
I have a few regular customers. Yesterday one of them came up to me and said: “We had this bought for us but we don’t want it.” It was a loaf of bread, some milk, tea bags, two tins of soup, butter and a ham. I’ve got a lot of people that have helped me.
I just want to say a big thank you to people for helping out and buying the magazines. I have very loyal customers and I appreciate everything they do when they buy a magazine, or help with a cup of tea. I just want to really thank them for it.
Adam Thompson writes
I had a really interesting morning, joining James for a couple of hours to understand his work as a vendor. We deliberately did it on the second week in January, on a quiet day, when it was -1°C, so I could get a clear picture of how hard being a vendor really is.
James started work at 8am today and he’ll clock off at about 2pm. He does this six days a week, in all weathers. I joined him from 10am to 12pm. In the time I was there, we sold about five copies, which James buys each week for £2.50 a pop, selling them for £5. I’m a huge supporter of their model – it supports people in setting up their own microbusinesses. Big Issue is a great magazine that I’m proud to support.
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The Albion Centre, Bath Street, Ilkeston, UK