THE BIG ISSUE The Big Issue - 11 January 2016

MY PITCH WorldMags.net ON MY PITCH IN CANTERBURY I’m at WHSmith on St George’s Street Monday to Friday, 10am until 4pm. Darren Roberts, 46 “My dog Becks has been at my side for ﬁve years now. She’s the star of the show” FACTS ABOUT ME... MY FAVOURITE BAND Hawkwind. Silver Machine was their big hit back in the 1970s but they’re still going strong – I’ve seen them play many times. I was so sad to hear about Lemmy’s death over Christmas. MY FAVOURITE PLACE Somerset. It’s got the best countryside and lovely cider. I ’ve travelled around the country over the years. I’ve worked in festivals in the summer, done seasonal farming work and sold the magazine to keep myself going when times get tough. I grew up in Leicestershire but we moved to Luton when my mum and dad split up. Although Luton was my mum’s hometown, I found I had itchy feet and there was nothing to hold me there. I lived in London for ﬁve years but I found it quite a strange, busy environment. So I’ve roamed around and lived in caravans and travellers’ sites – I always seem to ﬁnd the company of other good people. I moved from Sussex up here to the Canterbury area in early 2014 to work on a farm. I was mucking out horses, seeing to the chickens and organising the recycling. It was a small farm owned by a very nice family. But family farms don’t make a lot of money these days, so sadly it was repossessed. And I found myself homeless again. I got badged up and began selling the magazine. It’s really helped me get on my feet here. I’ve met some fantastic people in Canterbury. It’s a very relaxed place, and I’m very happy to chat to people. It’s great when you get some good responses and a warm feeling back. Now I’m in a caravan just outside Canterbury and making a go of it. I’ve also got my dog Becks with me. She’s a Stafordshire bull terrier and she’s been at my side now for ﬁve years. She’s such a good-natured dog – she just loves people and all the fuss she gets from my THE BIG ISSUE / p46 / January 11-17 2016 WorldMags.net customers here. Becks is the star of the show. Music is a passion for me. Having worked on so many festivals, I’ve heard a lot of live music over the years. I like some of the ﬂoaty prog rock stuf like Yes but I really love heavier bands like Hawkwind, Black Sabbath and Motörhead. My favourite local band here in Canterbury is a group called Hey Maggie. I met them on my pitch when they were busking, then I saw them live. They do some great reggae covers. I’m getting settled nicely in Canterbury. I’m happy here. I’d like to keep working hard selling the magazine here for a while and see what festival work might come my way in the summer. Interview: Adam Forrest Photo: David King

THE BIG ISSUE The Big Issue - 11 January 2016 | Page 46