This man lived in an alcove opposite the front entrance of The Sydney Morning Herald/Fairfax building for many years during the 1980s/1990s. All attempts to move him on failed. He would always return to his alcove. He believed, from what I could tell from his more lucid moments, that he was there to pass on important messages to the media, be they from Asia, New Zealand or Russia. There was no trendier place to work than the SMH in the day, but many people in the area, including us, were kind to him, making sure he was fed and his basic needs met. This particular Christmas we asked him what he would like for Christmas. He wanted a walkie talkie, so he could pick up the messages better. One day, the authorities succeeded and he disappeared from our lives.
