Bath’s doorway shame.

A double-decker bus has been turned into a shelter for the homeless.

It’s a news story – covered by the BBC – from the Isle of Wight where charity worker Kevin Newton has created a ‘Bus Shelter’ to help those sleeping rough.

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© BBC
What a great idea. And a refuge that can be driven around to where it is needed.

Here in Bath we tend to moan about the gulls above our heads but choose to ignore the individuals sleeping in empty shop doorways at our feet.

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Sleeping rough in Bath.
It is a disgrace for a so-called civilised society and it is time the city called a meeting of all interested parties to come up with a solution – and find the funding – to help get those living rough into new homes and real futures.

Are we not ashamed to show our millions of annual visitors the poor souls bedded down amongst the terraces and crescents of Georgian splendour and ‘palaces’ of consumer spending.

A double-decker bus shelter parked down on the Cattle Market car park would be a good start.

A collection at rugby and football matches – plus another road race specifically organised to help the city’s homeless – might be a way of giving this new ‘push’ some great publicity.

Maybe we should look up from our mobile phone screens and take note of the carved relief on The Min above our heads. It is a social and charitable message for today too.

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The Good Samaritan – a relief above the extension to ‘The Min’ in Upper Borough Walls, Bath.
Read the BBC story via http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-38055088