New Milton Advertiser 2nd Oct 2020

Friday 2nd October 2020 · 11

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‘A lovely man’ – tributes to Big Issue seller Ed

Popular figure on NewMilton high street has died in hospital

very sad. At peace with the an- gels.” Another said: “Such a nice friendly guy. He will definitely be missed by all in New Milton.” One local wrote: “Such a kind-hearted man. Believed in and saw the good in people. Gave his smile, greeting and having time for everyone. What a loss to our community.” Another sad resident wrote: “The man was quite definitely a local character who would al- ways pass the time of day with those that wanted to speak with him. “He has been selling his mag- azines in that location for as long as I can remember, proba- bly 10-12 years.” The charity to which Ed de- voted so much of his life also paid tribute to him. Kirsten Thomas, Big Issue sales and operation manager for the south west, said: “Eddie took great pride and pleasure in selling the Big Issue in New Milton, where he considered his customers to be more like friends. Eddie was very car- ing, kind and considerate, and everyone here at the Big Issue will all miss him very much, as I know the community of New Milton will too.” Ed was honoured by the char- ity for being the Bournemouth office’s vendor of the year in 2015. It said Ed had been chosen for the award for his “commit- ment, sales, customer feedback and for being a much-loved part of the New Milton community”. It added: “Ed has worked tirelessly throughout the year in all weathers to provide the New Milton community with their weekly copy of the Big Is- sue. “He has helped increase his sales and the profile of The Big Issue in New Milton by having a display stand to educate the public about the Big Issue and Big Issue Foundation and what he is trying to achieve.”

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BY ANTONELLA LAZZERI

HE WAS a fixture of NewMilton high street, always ready with a smile and a caring word despite battling his own troubles. In rain, wind and cold, Ed Sirani would sell the Big Issue in Station Road, earning many friends over the years. Now tributes have poured in following the announcement that Ed, who was honoured by the Big Issue charity for his tire- less support, has died. He sold the publication in the town for more than a dec- ade, his pitch in recent years being outside McColl’s where a tribute to him has been placed, along with flowers. Salvation Army officer Joe Bailey visited Ed in Royal Bournemouth Hospital shortly before he died on 20th Septem- ber. He said: “He had been strug- gling with ill health for about two months and then he had not come to New Milton for two weeks. I went to his flat in Southbourne and he was not there. “I phoned the hospital and was put through to the stroke unit where he had been admit- ted on 8th September. I went to see him and sadly he was un- conscious. I was then phoned by the hospital to be told he had died.” Mr Bailey struck up a friend- ship with Ed when they were both selling magazines in the high street, with him offering issues of War Cry. He said: “I think he was Al- banian and about 62. He used to come to New Milton two or three times a week basically be- cause it gave him the chance to chat with people. He lived alone APROJECT to refurbish the his- toric walls around Christchurch Priory is hoped to be completed by the end of this month. The conservation work in- cludes removing vegetation and tree growth, dismantling some of the walls for rebuilding, and replacing weather-worn bricks with new, matching clay bricks. The operation is being car- ried out by the same firm, Greendale Construction Ltd, which restored damaged parts of Highcliffe Castle to their for- mer glory. Cllr Mark Howell, BCP Council cabinet member for regeneration, culture and econ- omy said: “Under the terms of the lease for Christchurch Priory’s car park we have a re- sponsibility to maintain the walls around the Priory and the quay. “This needs to be done with considerable care and atten- tion to detail on this historic and much-loved landmark in the town. “This essential work will help to preserve the Priory and the many events that are held within its grounds, when they start up again, for the enjoy- ment of all, for generations to come.” Dating back to 1094, the Pri-

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Ed Sirani was a popular face on New Milton’s Station Road

would then come and give me half. “At Christmas he would give all his regular customers a card. A lot of people have been very saddened to hear of his death.” After an announcement of Ed’s passing was posted on so- cial media many local residents wrote about their memories of him. One said: “He was a love- ly man and committed to the cause, and like many others in his situation of homeless- ness, mental health, and gen- erally difficult times, funded his very own survival to help him through on a day-to-day basis.

R.I.P Ed. You will be missed.” Another commented: “When we moved to New Milton my husband always bought the BI from Ed. My husband devel- oped Alzheimer’s and one day went wandering off when I went into a shop. Ed saw him wan- dering and went after him and made him stay with him until I came. A very caring man.” Others remembered his sun- ny character, with one saying: “He always had a smile for everyone”, with another post- ing: “Oh no! But he is always there! Part of the town.” Among the tributes was one which read: “Such a kind, car- ing man. I loved him and feel

and I don’t think he saw anyone else. “He struggled to walk but would catch the bus to the train station where he caught the train to New Milton. “People were very fond of him. During lockdown when he stayed at home, they would give me money to pass on to him, saying they were missing him. “He was very pleased to think that he had not been forgotten. Ed was happy to chat to any- one, even if they didn’t buy the magazine. “The guys on the fruit stall at the weekly market would of- ten give him a tangerine and he

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End in sight for revamp of historic walls

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The work on the Priory walls will preserve them for generations to come

ory was first built as a Norman church on the site of an old Sax- on priory. The Poole-based compa- ny started work to restore six walls in July for BCP Council. The council leases the land on which the walls sit and has a responsibility for their mainte-

nance around the Priory, quay and by the mill stream. Rob Hooker, Greendale direc- tor, said: “The works will save these walls for future genera- tions to enjoy, and we look for- ward to working with the team to achieve a successful hand over at the end of October.”

Greendale carried out a ma- jor project on Highcliffe Cas- tle’s Penleaze wing at the end of 2018. “Before being reopened to the public, the section had been inaccessible for over 50 years due to fires and vandal- ism in the 1970s.

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