Foot Soldier

In most towns and cities these days you are sure to be approached by an irritatingly jolly young person dressed in a brightly coloured cagoule full of bonhommie and joie de vivre trying to persuade you to contribute to whatever charity they are representing that day. I had three such approaches while in Manchester today. I prefer to make my own decisions when it comes to giving and I have reservations about signing up on the street when up to as much as the first year's contributions can go to the recruiting company rather than the charity. Surely it is better to cut out the middle man.

Contrast the above approach with the quiet, dignified gentleman from the Salvation Army who stands outside one of the large department stores in the city centre. I feel that anything that I give will be directed towards people who are in need and support the SA in their work.

I mentioned that I hadn't seen him on recent visits to Manchester. He explained that his boss had been sending him out on a Sunday. He had reservations about collecting money on a Sunday but did as he was asked. He thanked me, bade God bless me and shook my hand.

I also have personal reasons for supporting them. In the early 1900s my grandparents arrived in Scotland with their young baby. My Grandfather would go out to work each day leaving my Grandmother, who could not speak English, at home with the baby. Neighbours, who were Salvationists, would look after her, take her shopping, and teach her English.

I also caught a couple of distant sightings of the resident peregrine falcons. They have four young in the nest high up on an office building. I saw one of the parents swop down no doubt taking out one of Manchester's pigeons. The young should fledge in the next two to three weeks. I wouldn't like to be a pigeon in Manchester then.

The young lady from the RSPB was more interested in trying to sign me up as a member than tell me anything about the peregrines. I explained that I cut out the middle man and did my bit by buying loads of bird food to feed the birds in my garden.