Preda Illie, M&S Alnwick, Northumberland
Preda is hoping the council can find him and his family a house before they have to move from their private rental
Image: Juliette Pedram
Now I am very famous here in Alnwick because everyone knows me – I’ve sold magazines for 17 years in this pitch. It’s a little easier for me now. I’m from Romania originally, but I emigrated when I was 18, from Romania to Spain. I lived in Spain 10 years until 2007, when the economy went down and I lost my job there.
After 10 years it was not very easy to go back to Romania, because I felt lost in time. In 2007, I tried Newcastle. We had some family friends here. But it was very difficult for me because my English was zero. Anyway, my English is not good now, but it’s better than before.
After that I found the Big Issue office in Newcastle. To be honest, it seemed like my family. I found Miss Tracy, the Big Issue manager. She gave me the opportunity with Big Issue, and she gave me this pitch in Alnwick.
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Slowly, slowly, Alnwick seemed like a family. Some of my children were born in Newcastle – they are now proper Geordies. I’m happy now, because my eldest one, his English is better than mine. I made sure I kept them in education. The eldest one doesn’t live with me now, he lives with his girlfriend. He just finished Northumbria University in Newcastle. I’m happy with that.
When I first started, I received 10 free magazines. For me, that was a miracle. I sold them, then I bought 50 more. I took the bus to a village, Houghton-le-Spring. I put my vest on and started selling. Fifty people passed, and I sold 50 magazines. I was very surprised. I took the bus back to Newcastle. I went home with pockets full of coins. I told my wife, “We are rich now!”
Before the new office, because there wasn’t one in Newcastle, I used to distribute magazines to other vendors from my home. Every week, Tracy would distribute magazines to my house, and I made the distribution. For me, it was the best job I ever had. But I believe it was just because Tracy trusted me.
That’s why I want to say thank you very much Tracy, thank you Big Issue, and thank you head office in London. Hopefully one time I can meet John Bird face to face! But now I am renting a private house and the landlord asked us to leave the house under section 21. I need to leave the house before 15 November. I have been renting this house for more than 10 years. I explained my situation to the council, so they asked the landlord to wait and not kick me out. I hope that I can get a council house, but at the moment I am a little bit stressed about this and my wife, she is very stressed.
I want to continue to work until I feel like I have no power, or too old. And I want to see my children do better than me, with education and a good life. I don’t need big things. I feel very rich with my life, with my family. I don’t need money to be rich. Just a house with three bedrooms for my family.
I wish for a council house hopefully before Christmas so my children can be in the home for the festivities. But I trust local authorities to help me avoid being kicked out.
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M&S Foodhall, Willowburn Avenue, Bracknell Road, Alnwick, UK