Filming in
the run-up to Christmas will be something I’ll never forget. People in the city centre were rushing around
buying presents and there was a buzz of excitement - yet we were with people
who just desperately wanted a bed for the night. They were dreading the prospect
of another Christmas alone and it was difficult to see these two worlds
colliding.
To make matters worse, 2013 was the stormiest and wettest Christmas
on record. It was terrible to see Tim, huddled up by the vents on Christmas Eve,
watching everyone else going out and having a good time. But it amazed me how he
always remained so positive and so very pleased to see us and share some
Christmas cheer.
During this time we also followed Dan,
who had been homeless for about a month. Dan was physically and mentally ill
and was struggling to find a place to sleep before the agencies that help the
homeless shut up shop for the festive holiday. We followed him every day
in his attempts to get a place indoors and when he finally got the emergency
bed on Christmas Eve it was a huge relief. Knowing he was safe and warm was
probably the best Christmas present we could have asked for.
The most overwhelming event from this series has to be when homeless drifter
Paul was reconnected with his two sisters - after 25 years. Paul spent most of
his life travelling around the UK. He revealed how he'd lost with his
family and asked me to help him find them again. I was frightened by the
prospect but knew I had to help him. Then just days before Christmas, sitting
in a pub awaiting the arrival of his two sisters, we were almost as
nervous as Paul.
It didn’t feel real at
the time. The emotions were overwhelming as his sisters walked through the door
and they all held on to each other. It was such a relief to see them, together,
reminiscing about their childhood stories and being able to open up to each
other about the past. This was the start of a new chapter for Paul and it made
all the other hard days worthwhile - that day will be one of the most
emotional and memorable days of all our filming.
For me this was the end of a journey that
began three years ago on the streets of Swansea, following the lives of homeless
people. It has been an emotional journey of discovery, finding out how harsh
life can be for those with nowhere to go.
It has astonished both Chris and I just how often the people we met on the
streets had come from broken families and it’s one of the main reasons for
homelessness. But those we met in such desperate circumstances have
touched our hearts and changed the way we think. They remain a part of our
lives even to this day - and will continue to do so in the future.
Swansea: Return
to the Streets is on Monday, 24
February, at 22:35, BBC One Wales.
