Meet Our Vendors

‘I loved working in Blackpool. It’s a mini Las Vegas down by the sea… I’d get to go on all the rides for free’

John Mooney
Age: 38
Pitch: TK Maxx, Sauchiehall St, Glasgow

I grew up in South Lanarkshire but I lived and worked in Blackpool for 17 years, since I was a young guy looking to get away. I worked in bars, mainly. I tried telesales for a while too, but I didn’t enjoy it so much. The money was good but I didn’t like being stuck behind a desk every day. I went back to bar work because you get to meet literally hundreds of people.

I worked in the Palace – the famous Palace nightclub. A huge, grand place down on the promenade where about 3,000 people are coming and going on an average night. It was a lively, friendly place and there wasn’t ever much trouble. It was brilliant. I loved it.

People are in a good mood if they’re on holiday in Blackpool. It was like a miniature Las Vegas, down by the sea.

They called it ‘Little Scotland’ because there’s that many people down from Glasgow and elsewhere on holiday. You ended up bumping into folk you know all the time. I’d go down to the Pleasure Beach and Seaworld and because I was an employee of First Leisure, which ran everything, I’d get to go on all the rides for free.

I’m not the kind to get married but I was in a long-term relationship down there that went wrong. I’ve got a 12-year-old boy there, Jordan, and I’ve been able to keep in contact with him. He’s Celtic and Man United-daft and he’s becoming a good wee footballer. I also have two kids up here.

Since I’ve been back in Scotland and found myself homeless, I was in a sort of B & B-type secure accommodation place in Carluke. But it’s too far outside of Glasgow. There are no jobs and there’s nothing for me there. I wanted to come back to Glasgow. There’s nowhere quite like it. The people in Glasgow, they’re so straightforward and genuine. If they don’t like something they’ll tell you and if they like you, you know they genuinely like you.

I like talking to people and socialising with my pals. I’ve not really got family to fall back on because I grew up in care, in institutions in South Lanarkshire. So my mates are the most important thing to me. I’ve been moving from flat to flat, staying with friends.

I started selling The Big Issue just before Christmas and it was a good time to start. Everyone was friendly and I got a few presents from people – hats and gloves and even a pair of socks. I enjoy it, even though it’s still cold. Hopefully I can do it long enough to get myself back on my feet and get somewhere to stay.

John was speaking to Adam Forrest