Man homeless for 30 years opens photo exhibition of the doorways where he slept

A man who was homeless in London for 30 years is putting on an exhibition of photographs documenting the doorways he slept in.

Each of the pictures, taken with a basic camera Andy Palfreyman borrowed from a friend, has a story. Among the 20 locations are doorways including off Tottenham Court Road, South Bank and Gower Street.

Mr Palfreyman, who only recently found a place to live with a homeless community in north London, where he also volunteers, said: “I’ve got 20 images and they’re ones I spent a length of time in. In summer I would find a nice park but I would guess it would be in the hundreds [of doorsteps he slept in].

“After a while you do think of it as your home. It is where you live, I’ve had some exclusive addresses. My last place was in Covent Garden.”

He said his favourite was a spot near Tower Bridge where he slept for two years and used to see former London mayor Ken Livingstone every day.

He said: “I was there for two years. That’s when I used to see Ken Livingstone when he was mayor at the time, he used to say hello. Totally different from the mayor we have now, unfortunately he has no idea of the London people live in.”

The 50-year-old became homeless after leaving home as a teenager. But he managed to turn his life around after he got involved with the Swiss Church in Covent Garden where is still a volunteer - experience which helped him get his current part-time job as a receptionist.

The free exhibition, Cardboard and Caviar, opens today at the church and any donations from visitors will go to its funds and to the Simon Community. Mr Palfreyman called on visitors to give “as much as they can” and he said he hopes it will draw attention to the plight of London’s homeless community.

He said in the long-term, more homes need to be built while in the short-term temporary solutions are needed to get homeless people off the streets as it gets colder.

He said: “When you’re homeless small things make a difference, people haven’t got anything. People with mental health problems, addicts - a kind word can make a huge difference to them.

“I’m just raising awareness that this problem seems to be getting worse. With the government cuts and selling council houses and not rebuilding them.”

Cardboard and Caviar opens today [Thurs] 6pm-10pm and every day except Sunday 10am to 6pm until Tuesday [December 8].