Reg Mercer, Bangor’s colourful Big Issue seller, has gone from living in the woods and begging on the streets to renting his own home for the first time, thanks to selling the magazine on Bangor High Street.
In an interview for Big Issue Cymru, Reg said: “About 20 years ago I went and lived in the woods because I didn’t have any money or anything.
“I spent the next five years being homeless. I started off in a tent but it got too cold so I built a shelter. All you’ve got to do is lean a few trees together, it wasn’t difficult.
“I was begging in Bangor, but I also poached chicken and fish, only for the belly, not for monetary gain.
“One day when I was begging one of the lads selling the Big Issue at the time said ‘why don’t you give it a go?
“My first day selling was frightening. I’d spent the last five years living in the woods and not talking to anybody so I was terrified.
“I’m not so quiet now. It was chatting to strangers and feeling exposed out on the street terrified me, but it turned out alraight. I staretd reading the local papers so I had some small talk.
“it was good to stop begging because I didn’t like asking people for money, and you have to ask, you can’t just sit there.
“When I started selling the magazine I felt I was giving rather than just asking and that brought me out of myself. I‘m the ‘gobbiest‘ seller in North Wales now and I known for my whistling.
“Bangor’s not as busy as it used to be, because like most towns it’s dying. It’s certainly sad to watch, it doesn’t matter whose fault it is. Some people blame the council, some blame governments. I’ve noticed a difference over the last five years more than anything.
“We’ve probably lost about three-quarters of the shops, I think they should try putting disabled parking space in this open area in the middle of Bangor, because no-one hangs around there, it’s just a dead space.
“I’m kind of a retired hippy but I’m domesticated now. I got a place at the start of February, it’s a little cottage and I’ve really fallen on my feet. It’s kind of weired to have my own house, it’s so much responsibility.
“This is the first place in my life that I’ve rented off my own back. It feels like home and it’s amazing to close my own front door behind me.
“Originally I’m from Norfolk but I ain’t leaving Wales now. This is my reirement place. I love the space, the freedom.
“I do a lot of walking, sometimes I only walk for an hour, sometimes I walk for three hours. It’s for relaxation and exercise. You can’t get freedom like this anywhere else in the country and Anglesey is the best island in Britain.
“I can’t speak Welsh, I went to night classes but I couldn’t handle it, I can say ‘Panad’ which is tea, it gets me by.
“I’m a firm believer in karma. If you give out good vibes you get ones back and if you give out bad ones you’ll definitely get the bad ones.
“The thing I like about the Big Issue it’s brought me from being quiet to gobby. I’ll keep doing it because it gets me out and about and gives me a bit of money.
“It also keeps me talking to people and that’s important, you’ve got to talk to people otherwise you become like a shell.
“I do like helping the community. A group called ‘Voice’ that helps youngsters is doing a play about homelessness and have used parts of my story, it’s quite a buzz.”
Interview: Sarah Reid
Photo: Glyn Davies
Big Issue Cymru.
