Roy and Marian Muir have hosted over 100 young people through Nightstop, at their home in Mirehouse, but they’ve never had a thank-you quite like this one.
Michael stayed with the couple and chose to write a poem, thanking them for their hospitality and praising the Nightstop network.
Listen to the poem here:
The poem reads:
Here is what happened to me,
No-one and no home, unfortunately,
I was trying to get my life back together,
My thought was I’d be sleeping in all kinds of weather,
But a bit of help here and there,
I found a lot of people who truly care,
A few talks and phonecalls later,
“Brilliant, wonderful, that would be great, yeah.”
Going to stop with a couple who volunteer,
“They’re lovely people,” they said, “You’ve got nothing to fear.”
A train ride later I arrive at the station,
Then meet a man who once fought for this great nation,
I was brought to his home where I met his wife,
Taken in, however briefly, into their life,
They looked after me. Food? Here’s a plate full,
For the selfless acts they showed me, I’m forever grateful,
Later in the evening given a bed for the night,
Snuggled up all toasty, turned out the light,
Morning comes and dawn breaks,
Floors creak as the household wakes,
With an offer of breakfast and a tea-filled cup,
I get sorted to go, with a lunch packed up,
The generosity shown to me, heartfelt and pure,
I appreciate it greatly, Roy and Marian Muir
Speaking in 2019, Roy Muir (72) said, “We live in a four-bed house and our family have all moved out now so we have three beds spare. We’ve been doing it for four years now.
“It’s brilliant. We have met some fantastic young people. We get pleasure knowing we have given them a safe place to stay. We get a sense of achievement when they move on.”
To learn more about Nightstop and what’s involved in becoming a host, click here.
