So on Friday night we ventured out into the unknown, the start of our first weekend on the streets around the Isle of Wight Festival. It was like a ghost town in Newport so we headed up Fairlee Road towards the festival site. Immediately a young lad about 14 came staggering towards us, he was falling into the road as he walked and cars were nervously, very slowly overtaking him. We crossed over the road and offered him some water, which he downed in one and taking one arm each walked slowly with him to a side road where he was meeting his mum.
Another guy that evening was escorted out of the entrance by 2 massive security guards. He was so drunk he couldn’t walk, so collapsed in a heap on the grass. We immediately took over giving him water and sitting with him. He then said he wanted to meet his friends in town, so off he went. Once again all over the place, once again one person either side of him. We walked him all the way into town, he kept telling us he wasn’t a bad person. When he got into town , he still really was a danger to himself so we called an ambulance, which he agreed to. When the ambulance came he didn’t want to get in, so ran off!!
People were coming out and just collapsing on the grass, some were sick and we helped clean then up and give water, others we gave foil blankets as they lay there on the grass.
Another lady had a diabetic seizure , luckily we were around so could call an ambulance.
One young lady came up to us and spent 45 minutes talking, crying and chain smoking , pleading with us to let her know that God had forgiven her for what she had done earlier in her life. We talked, cried and prayed with her, very humbling.
Two other ladies were so drunk they could barely walk, so we walked one home , the other we walked to the bus station.
One guy had been ejected from the campsite, and was causing a lot of grief between himself, his girlfriend and the security staff. We were on hand to give smiles and chocolates.
So many people couldn’t believe we were giving away water and chocolates and we must have been told that we “are the nicest people ever” about 100 times. And that was just Friday!!!!!!!
