Ian Cook

Meeting Ian Cook
Tuesday 20th January 2009

This evening I went dancing in Wimbledon/Putney where I train, my mum came along to watch us tonight. As we left the building a man in his late 30s approached us, and said “My car has broke down, any chance you have a pound?”

Straight away my mum said no as I reached for my purse, he said ok and walked off. The area we dance in, is a rough estate which attracts a lot of youth and alcoholics and drugs. Which I think is shame because he could have been genuine but the area has such a name for its self, that it is hard not to think otherwise. My mum and my dance partner said he was just after money for drink. As we drove off I could not stop thinking about him, I thought even if it was for drink, he must be very desperate to ask for a pound. I could not just drive away so I begged Lee and my mum to turn around and look for him. My mum and lee no me better then anyone and no what I am like. So we drove around for about 5 mins, then I spotted him asking someone else. I said excuse me and he looked really puzzled. I said I feel really bad that we said no, and I want you to take this money, all I had was £3.oo on me, and he looked at me and said “No one has ever done that for me?” And he asked my name and kissed my hand. He told me something I thought was really sad, he said he asked two people and they looked at him like dirt, and one man laughed at him. I thought how rude and horrible that is to treat him like that, ok, he most probably does want it for drink but he was desperate and I think that a little bit of help from a genuine person goes a long way. That £3.00 was just in bottom of my purse,. He told us how he had broke down, which to be honest I do not believe but I felt better in myself for going back and looking for him. I was really taken back to his reaction, he seemed really surprised and touched. He kept saying how no one has ever done that before, which actually made me feel sad for him. He said he was 43 years old, called Ian Cook, a painter a decorator, he was brought up on Wimbledon Common with his father, worked all his life. He asked our manes, kissed me and mum on the hand and said that he would never forget what I done. I was really touched and even my mum and lee said they were pleased we went back.