Late-night 'legend' Margot is 87, but age isn't stopping her late night patrols in Stockton5/8/2018
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She’s the late-night “legend” patrolling Stockton’s streets week after week. Everyone’s granny, Margot Inglis, is the oldest street pastor around. With the Lord by her side, and motivated by “hugs from the boys”, the 87-year-old won’t let the ills of old age and the onset of dementia keep her away. “They say to me ‘if you were my granny you would be in bed with a cup of cocoa’,” said Margot. “I’m just pleased I’m not their granny.” The Gazette followed Margot as she took to Stockton’s streets armed with a first aid kit, flip flops, a pocket full of lollies - and her golden smile. 9.30pm Pulling up in her silver VW Beetle outside the Shambles car park in Stockton High Street, Margot was praying for an early night. After a climb up the steep steps of the Pastors’ GP-surgery-turned-mobile-kitchen, Margot jumped straight into the usual Saturday routine - setting up the kitchen, checking the rota and praying to God. As she prepared mugs of tea, Margot recalled how she answered Stockton Town Pastors’ call for volunteers eight years ago. She said: “I thought they wouldn’t want me. I was in my 70s then. It’s hard to believe I am still hanging out in my 80s. “I suppose I enjoyed it from the word go. I still enjoy it and love the company.” But recounting tales of her eight-year spell with the pastors prompted a sudden admission: “The sad part is my memory. I just can’t remember. It gets worse daily.” She joked: “It’s a mad house. If you weren’t mental before, you will be before you go home.” 10pm A knock at the van door disturbed the conversation. By 10pm, an array of faces, old and new, had started to queue outside the van awaiting sandwiches, biscuits and tea. ‘John, the guitar player’ suffers depression and lives hand to mouth. Another, ‘Chris’, is a Town Pastors success story who just secured a factory job. After the initial rush dispersed, a man on crutches known only as ‘Malcolm’ was allowed to hop on the bus. Ambling up the steps, he pulled up his tracksuit trousers to expose open wounds up his legs. A cup of tea and a Swizzels lolly from Margot was just what he needed. For him, the pastors are a “godsend” he could not live without. Faith and health Margot is a well-known face up and down Stockton High Street. Only her sandwiches, Rocky Road and spicy soup could be more renowned. Helping people is the story of Margot’s life and Christian compassion her driving force. “Part of my prayer every morning is: ‘Lord, if I can help anyone today, put them in my path’,” she said. “I’m very blessed, to be loved by so many and the Lord. Without the Lord, I would not have got this far. My faith is very important. “Even if we don’t get in until 3am, I am up by 8am to get ready to go to church.” Born in 1931, the retired district nurse grew up in Aberdeenshire before finding love while serving in the Royal Navy. Service took her from Scotland to bases around the world, including Malta, Gibraltar and Ceylon, before she settled at a practice in Stockton. Another, more sombre, part of Margot’s prayer every morning is: “Lord, make me into the person I used to be.” Now in her eighties, old age is unfortunately catching up on her. She said: “I have been very, very blessed with good health, I have got no aches, no pains. “It’s only been recently, over the past few years, I started getting memory problems. “Really, I have just gone down hill since then. And my balance.” Midnight patrol As the clock struck midnight, Margot donned her reflective jacket and prepared to head out. Linking arms with fellow volunteers Denise Waugh, 62, and Pat Crozier, 72, she slowly made her way down Finkle Street and passed the micro pubs of Green Dragon Yard. Spotting a section of footpath covered in blood and a lad with a head wound near Ku Bar on Prince Regent Street, it was all systems go for Margot and the team. Thankfully less serious than it looked, a bandage was enough to stem the flow of blood before he was piled into the back of a taxi. Trips, falls and aching feet are typical late-night ailments for the Town Pastors. While some require a 999 response, others can be dealt with by flip flops. “It’s quite good when you’re out on the streets because of the conversations you have with people,” said Margot. “I’ve never really had any problems. Just a few marriage proposals.” After a walk through Regency West Mall and a slow meander past merry revellers packed along Blue Post Yard, the 40-minute patrol was complete. Home time and the future “I would miss it,” said Margot as she let out a little yawn. “But I sometimes feel it’s maybe a bit much. “I don’t want to be a liability to them. I’ll keep going until I get past my birthday. I’ll wait and see how I’m progressing. “I would miss it,” said Margot as she let out a little yawn. “But I sometimes feel it’s maybe a bit much. “I don’t want to be a liability to them. I’ll keep going until I get past my birthday. I’ll wait and see how I’m progressing. “The better weather is coming, but I can’t think I will be here next winter.” For now, at least, Stockton’s oldest street pastor continues on. Signing off at 1am, Margot told the team: “I’ll see you in a fortnight!” Comments are closed.
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