Simon Denis, Pret A Manger, Cheapside, London: ‘I’d never dreamed that Big Issue could be profound’

I started selling Big Issue because I was on a government apprenticeship. It was in business administration and it was an 18-month contract. When it ended in 2010, there was a change in government and I was left in limbo. I was struggling for money and I sold my furniture on eBay. I thought, I’m going to have to pick up Big Issue and see what that’s like. 

It gave me a purpose. I was sleeping rough and I ended up on the streets for about 16 months. I wasn’t bedding down, I was taking buses at night. If it was pouring with rain and you could­n’t find any shelter, you’d get on the bus.

When Big Issue showed me the pitch list in 2010 there were three options and I picked Old Bailey. I stood there for a while but, to be fair, it was too scary. It could be precarious because quite often you get the cameras down there when there’s something going on. You’re trying to get something going. You’re a vulnerable person and you want to sell the magazine and you’re going into a place where there aren’t magazines. So I set myself up across the way.

I usually start selling the magazine at 7am. I’m very much an early bird. I have to get up early to get here. That’s the best part of the day for me. The rest of the day it tends to calm down. 

This is not like any other area. I think it’s a bit special. There’s me and two other vendors nearby that I know of. So I’m not out of touch. But I’m picking up people going on their way to work and the rush starts at about 7am. 

It’s not so much about the sales in the morning. It’s that you get acknowledgements, you get nods from people, you say good morning, you get the same people saying good morning to you. I could stand there and the sales could come in, but it’s being acknowledged. It’s just a good time of day.

Around 10 o’clock it quietens down. I get a lot of tourists ask for directions here, there and everywhere. I get them asking: “Where’s the River Thames?” They seem to think I’m working for a bus company and I’m doing a tour! I get that quite a lot.

I’ve been bearing up OK in the heat recently. It’s been a bit sticky, but I’ve had sunscreen and a big six-litre jug of water to get me through.

I’ve been successful here. In fact, I was so successful that after two years I was able to pack up and they found me accommodation. That accommodation hasn’t stopped since.

I would never have dreamed that Big Issue could be as profound as it was. It got me up in the morning, getting me into the thinking category that a lot of people go to work. I’m thinking, I know what to do when I’m interacting with services, day centres or the estates who provide housing. I could actually achieve something because they’ve got confidence in me. I’m not going to go wobbly.

There were times when I was in hostels and they were full to the brim with negativity. But I’ve had experiences like the day centre at Connections At St Martins. They sent in someone who could give you voice coaching. I took up some singing lessons. Nothing really came of it but it was just interesting. I was basically singing R&B and folk music. I enjoyed having a facility to do what I wanted to do.

Interview: Liam Geraghty; Photos: Molly Harris

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Pret A Manger, Cheapside, London, UK