'Care In The Community?'

I was just coming back from my mornings physiotherapy session and was walking home along the Euston Road just before the Marlebone flyover.

It was miserable weather cold and wet with an unrelenting biting wind, I looked up through the drizzle and saw this and on seeing it decided to shoot and then ask questions.

He told me that his name was 'David' but a few minutes later told me again that it was 'John' I asked him where he had come from, he said that he lived in Mitcham so I took it that he had come from there which is around ten miles away?

he was very agitated and was continuously telling me that he had to get to Trafalgar Square (1 mile away) he said he had to see the King.

I told him that if he put my coat on I would call for some transport and when he did I called for assistance, the conversation went something like this -

 

P) Yes, Police can I help you?

M)I have found a man wandering along the Euston Road 'naked' in a confused state, I think he needs medical assistance.

P) What do you mean naked, do you mean without clothes?

M) Yes, without clothes, without anything, he is freezing and confused can you send someone?

P) Long pause - (then) give us the address and we will be there soon!

 

15 minutes later 6 policemen turn up laughing at the situation and taking jokes out on the poor guy's expense.

I asked them if they were taking him to the 'Patterson Wing' a local psychiatric unit but they didn't seem to know, I will try to find out if he got there tomorrow.

 

 

David or John clearly has emotional issues, he was not manic and neither was he psychotic my impression was he did not truly know where he was let alone who he was. Maybe he had alzimers or a similar condition I am not sure, but I am sure that he should not have been out in such awful conditions along a notoriously dangerous road in his condition.

The only reason I could help him was because he had no clothes on otherwise I would have to have left him like I have to do with countless others on a daily basis.

 

 

Regards

 

 

Hugh

 

Comments & Critique welcome

What a shot, photography like this really brings the truth about our society into the open and makes it hard to ignore.

it seems that no one really cares if he was out all that time before someone did something it is sad.

 

if you look at the picture carefully you can see in the upper right someone is looking away and in our society this happens way too much.

 

ben

Powerful image...and beautifully shot. The story behind it makes it even more profound. Excellent work.

Powerful, documentary photo. I think it is needless to say anything about composition, lighting etc. Congrats for the shot, congrats for your care as well. But... was it right to show the face of the man? I think it's a matter of discussion.

 

Nikos

 

how could someone be making jokes on this man's condition? Argh!

Sad story, great photo. Really depicts the title!

I just found out tonight that today there was a large demonstration in London on issues relating to alzheimer's (they are stopping the medication for sufferes with only mild cases of the disease) I think that he may have been trying to get there but was a day early.

Called the hospital but the didn't seem to know what I was talking about perhaps tomorrow I will have more luck.

 

 

what is Alzheimers?

 

 

Alzheimers is a brain disorder that seriously affects a person?s ability to carry out the simplist of tasks, it affects parts of the brain controlling thought, memory, and verbal communication. not enough is understood about this disease which is why much more reseach is needed.

it is thought that around some 5 million Americans suffer from this awful disease it affect those in the age groups of around 65 although the age can be lower in some cases around 30yrs old.

 

 

Sad, powerful shot. And good commentary. Thanks for sharing and for caring.

Good that you told us the whole story and that you took this photo. Food for thought!

Very strong impression. Very dramatic and excellent!

I wonder how many people passed by this man and ignored him? Probably more than we'd care to think. I think a lot of people ignore things like this because they think if they stop to help, they will then "own" the problem and be responsible.

Kim, what really upset me was this, do you see the stairs just behind him?

well that is a court house its quite a famous court house in London and only 5 mis walk from Baker street Station, its called the 'Marylebone Magistrates Court' inside the court house there are police officers present and security guards too and this poor fellow went inside only to be told to leave!

As I said, that when at first I saw him I thought it was a joke it was only when I seen him up close like you see him in the picture that I realized it was not and that he needed help.

 

we live in selfish times and yet it does not need to be this way -

If we see hunger we must if we can offer food, if we see loneliness again if we can should offer comfort, what hope is there if we turn our backs on our own humanity, I for one would not be able to look at myself in the mirror without knowing just how selfish I'd become.

No one is asking for Saints or Martyrs but just for some understanding for our fellow beings and cohabiters.

 

Then again maybe this is too much to ask in such a grab-a-licious, grab-a-lotos society.

 

Sometimes all people need is a word of kindness. I sometimes see in the grocery store, people don't respond if an elderly person tries to initiate a conversation. Some of them are very lonely and a few minutes of conversation costs us nothing at all, but can be the highlight of their day. Kindness doesn't need to cost money.

did u find out what happened to the man? he doesn't look like a begger.

It is people like you and the actions you take that give me hope. My father has alzheimers and my sister is schizophrenic and I can only hope that if something like this were to happen to them, that it would be somebody like you that finds them. Thank you for sharing a very powerful image (and your coat!)

Excellent photographic and verbal documentation. I'm glad you went to the man's rescue, Hugh. What you wrote sound quite right about official indifference to obvious suffering as we see here. Maybe if he had a rucksack the police would have shot him.

I put it down to a high volume in officers with minimum experience for some reason the more mature officers and those with ample experience are not to be found doing the beat but instead left to rookies.

Last year I went into Scotland Yard to do some portraits of the three most high Ranking lady police officers.

'Cressida Dick' was one of them, she was also the officer who was in charge of the terrible Mendez shooting incident @ Stockwell tube station I suppose we will never know what really happened that day!

what a photograph. i once witnessed a similar situation, two years ago just at the start of my photographic career. a drunk man carrying an even more drunk man with elephantitus (sp?) of the testicles. it was such a sad sight but so telling of our society. amazing job.

Good for you for helping him! Also, you are brave with the camera, as I see in your other photos. I would not be so brave, and I am glad there are people like you to post images like this that tell us of things that matter more than sunsets (and I'm not running down sunsets; I love them!) Keep up the great work.

Such a strong shot, Hugh! Not much to add, you stated it better than me, your story is quiet striking. Obviously you're a very compassive and charitable person, with generous feelings.

 

Thank you very much for your kind and flattering words on my portfolio. Regards!

Hugh your photography is touching and your words just as equally. Some times I cant believe the attitudes of people. Did you ever find out where he was from.

Best regards

 

I believe he was from Mitcham as he said, couldn’t get any more information if anyone knows of him and how he is now in the Mitcham area please let me know..

 

Hugh

 

a powerful image and raw description of an often brutal, indifferent world.

I appreciate your combining the visual imagery with your accounts. I do think the supporting photographic elements, the perspective, what you've put into the shot, even the softness and reflectiveness of the wet pavement are quite significant here. A shot like this can come off as exploitive or not, depending on choices a photographer makes, also depending on the context of the photographer's other work. Is the photographer looking at or seeing? You've achieved a visual and felt level of honesty and genuineness. You're a photographer and then some.