Gilcomston Tramp

Now this particular tramp is a proper tramp. This is what I'm aiming for with this site. Not just your average begging-bloke-and-a-blanket. I think I should make a distinction. I'm not really interested in character-free beggars. Just Characters.

I like him. He's always there. Most of the time you pass he looks blearily at you and may even give a wee nod.

Mainly, he is always there... I think he's always been there! I bet in these books of old photos of Aberdeen that you buy for your dad roundabout Christmas time from the Press and Journal shop, there's a photo from 1941. The same guy. Sitting on the steps with a wee drink, doffing his flat cap.

If he's not on the church steps, he'll be a bit further up (sometimes up to the traffic lights or down to the banks. More often or not, you'll see him though.

Sometimes if I walk past and he's not there... I get worried and hope he's ok and just off buying some more drink and hasn't gone to the great cardboard box in the sky... Now Gilcomston Church opened again on Sunday after its refurbishments. Hopefully they'll let him stay when he's not in the way. As you can see, he's made himself really comfy!

[Taken from http://aberdeentramps.blogspot.co.uk/ - written on 08/12/04]

Background
Originally from South Africa he grew up in the mining towns and as a young lad ran errands for the miners, often fetching their lunchtime beers. In exchange he would receive a few cans of beer himself. By the age of eight, he was an alcoholic. Despite this (or perhaps because of it) he joined the South African Army when old enough. However, he was invalided out after being blown up in a tank. He still lives off the pension to this day which funds his prestigious intake of drink. At the time of being assessed by the Social Work Dept for his court case, he was getting through the equivalent of 280 units of alcohol a week (I kid you not - I saw the report) which was the highest ever recorded by the Alcohol Advisory and Counselling Service in the North East. http://aberdeentramps.blogspot.com/2004/12/gilcomston-tramp-part-ii.html#c111659492485099593

Sheltered Housing
Had a stroke a couple of years ago, now in a wheelchair living in Smithfield Court's sheltered housing (as of 2011). Good to hear he's off the street.

http://aberdeentramps.blogspot.co.uk/2004/12/gilcomston-tramp-part-ii.html#c8841006421024186344