Walking barefoot and munching on a giant Toblerone, a homeless ex-serviceman who has walked 4,000 miles for charity crossed the Tay Bridge into Dundee.
Christian Nock, 39, has been on his epic journey around the UK coastline for a year raising more than £90,000 for Help for Heroes and made his entrance to Dundee with a reference to Alan Partridge.
A huge fan of the comedy character, Christian said he wanted to re-enact the scene from the I’m Alan Partridge series, where the eponymous hero has a breakdown and drives barefoot to Dundee, scoffing the triangular treat.
Despite his jokes, Christian’s journey has a serious message, as he walks to raise awareness for the plight of the homeless, around a third of whom are ex-forces.
“I lost everything when my business went under. I was shoplifting and sleeping rough. I decided if I was going to sleep in doorways, I might as well sleep in a different doorway each night.
“When I first started I didn’t care what happened. It has really been the last four months that the campaign has really taken off. I’ve had some mad times. I’ve driven Britain’s fastest lifeboat and slept on a beach with a local MP in Great Yarmouth. The council later bought a warehouse to help the homeless.”
When The Courier caught up with Christian halfway across the bridge, he was in the company of Mike McRitchie, 30, of Wormit, who offered to take the weary traveller for a pint in Dundee.
Mike said: “I saw on Facebook he was in Tayport and my house is about the same distance from the bridge so I just walked down, hoping to bump into him.
“I think it is great that he is raising awareness for homeless ex-forces people.”
Halfway across the bridge, Christian received a message that another £10,000 had been donated to his cause, which left him “buzzing” but he said he was grateful for every donation not matter how much.
He said the welcome into Dundee was “fantastic”.
Christian was heading to Monifieth but today will go and see Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa at the cinema with another supporter. He still has 3,500 miles to go on his journey and people can follow his progress on hisChristian Around Britain Facebook page.
You can donate at Christian’s bmycharity page.