Chris, Round Church, Cambridge: ‘I became homeless when my missus left me’

I started selling Big Issue about a month and a half ago. When I lived in Folkestone in Kent, I read the magazine and I saw what its background was. 

I became homeless after a relationship breakdown. My missus left after 16 years. I was gone for two-and-a-half hours and I came back and the flat was empty, and unbeknown to me, she hadn’t been paying the rent. I was evicted. 

I moved to Cambridge because my sister lives here. She’s disabled and her husband is her carer. I’ve got two nieces and the house is full up, so I couldn’t have stayed there. 

I was sleeping in a car park for over two months. I bumped into Eamonn [a fellow Big Issue vendor] and I thought: ‘Well, let’s go out and chat with people.’ I’d been doing nothing before that really because I was homeless. 

A street outreach team referred me on to Cambridge City Council. And a few weeks ago, the council helped me move into an HMO. There’s a lot of charity support here, and Eamonn has been a very good man to me. 

The first week or so of selling was slow. I was only selling about four or five magazines. But as the weeks have gone on, it’s getting better and better. I’m getting a rapport with the locals and there’s a hell of a lot of tourists here as well. 

Big Issue has helped me big time. I like going to work because every day is so different. I’ve not encountered any rude people as of yet, touch wood! People are normally smiley and cheerful. I’ve had a good experience so far. The local shops and the people at the Round Church have got to know me too. It’s lovely background scenery. I’m photographed by tourists taking pictures of the church all the time!  

I used to work at Eurotunnel, allocating vehicles into a lane and interacting with customers. That was a zero-hours contract and they got rid of a lot of people. I was a lorry driver, but then I needed glasses because of my peripheral vision and I had my licence revoked. I also had a catering business, but I sold that when my father died a few years back. I couldn’t keep it open.

I’d like to have my own business back in catering. It was basically a burger bar that I owned, selling cheeseburgers and sausages. I’m a little bit colour blind, that’s the problem, you see. You have to be careful with things like chicken. So it would be something basic like breakfasts, snacks, maybe a little coffee shop.

Interview: Isabella McRae; Image: Shane Ludlam

Do you have a story to tell or opinions to share about this? Get in touch and tell us more. 

Change a vendor’s life.

Buy from your local Big Issue vendor every week – and always take the magazine. It’s how vendors earn with dignity and move forward.

You can also support online:
Subscribe to the magazine or support our work with a monthly gift. Your support helps vendors earn, learn and thrive while strengthening our frontline services.

Thank you for standing with Big Issue vendors.

The Round Church, Bridge Street, Cambridge, UK