Sunday, June 3, 2018

The Purple Man

I met The Purple Man!



The Purple Man is a big deal in York. Everyone knows The Purple Man. As I passed him the other day on the street, I said, "I'm writing about you!"

He looked very intrigued (I didn't know he allowed himself to talk, I'd always thought he was a mime) and said "Oh? Why?" 

I said, "Well I'm writing about York's street buskers." (It's for another writing project I'm doing, not this blog...although now I am writing about him on this blog.) 

And he said, "Well I'll give you an interview."

He handed me his purple paintbrush and I held it up like a microphone. He told me that he started doing what he does 11 years ago when he made friends with a Syrian refugee whose entire family was killed in a bombing. He wanted to collect money for the orphans left by the carnage to have toys. So each year, he takes the money he collects and buys toys. Then he and his friend (who apparently also dresses up in purple and collects money elsewhere - who knew) actually go to the Syrian border and deliver the toys. 


What an amazing backstory to this York staple! 

Honestly, I was feeling a little flustered so I didn't ask him all the other questions that popped into my head as soon as I started walking away. Why did you decide to go with purple? Why this street always?  Do you get bored? Cold? Hungry? When do you pee? How much money have you raised? Deeper ones as well - what do you see in Syria? What do you think of the current conflict? How do you get the toys to the kids now? 

So many questions. I'll need to interview him again, if he lets me. 


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