"Splendid" Samaritan saved my day
A pensioner who was helped by a Good Samaritan in his hour of need says community spirit in Cheltenham is alive and well.
Peter Kay, a retired Royal Air Force squadron leader, was left stranded when his car broke down in Gloucester Road near GCHQ.
Thinking he had run out of fuel, the 90-year-old grandfather-of-three set off for the nearest garage a mile away – a trip which would have taken 40 minutes on foot.
But he was saved when passing cyclist Brian Pearce saw his plight and offered to help, eventually spending four hours making sure he got home safely.
Mr Kay, who lives in Toddington, said: "I was extremely grateful to Brian – he went above and beyond the call of duty in a way you wouldn't expect from a total stranger.
"He offered to go to the garage on my behalf to get more fuel, and when the car still wouldn't start, he walked with me to the nearest telephone box to call for help.
"Unfortunately this was to no avail as it would not accept money.
"Not content to stop there, he suggested that since he lived nearby, his sister would make me a cup of tea while he fetched his brother who knew about cars.
"I gratefully accepted his offer and although they couldn't get the car working in the end, my splendid Samaritans gave me a lift all the way home.
"I could not have asked more from Brian, his sister Gloria, or his brother Roger.
"They are a credit to Cheltenham and to their generation."
Brian, 29, who lives in St Marks and works at engineering company Stanmar at Staverton, said: "It was really no trouble at all.
"I could see that Peter was having problems with the car, and so I thought I'd stop to see if I could lend a hand.
"I took him home because my brother knows quite a lot about cars and I'd hoped we'd be able to fix it.
"But the fuel wasn't getting through so in the end we had to give up and leave it to the professionals.
"I was always brought up to respect my elders, and would like to think that lots of other people would have done the same thing."
5 Comments
by Barry, Winchcombe
Tuesday, April 07 2009, 12:59PM
“Totally agree with all comments especially Sarah from Churchdown, this should be the way things happen and not the old fella getting mugged! well done brian !”
by sharon o'rourke, Northampton
Sunday, April 05 2009, 5:48PM
“Well done Brian & his family. If everyone does their bit it will make the world a better place.Carry on the good work.”
by Sarah, Churchdown
Friday, April 03 2009, 8:26PM
“I would be so proud of my kids if they behaved like this and as I've brought them up to help others, hopefully they will. He's a credit to his family and well done. I do think it's sad however (and not to take anything away from these people at all) that this should be making news when, as a community, we should all be doing this sort of thing as a matter of course.”
by Norman Miles, Chengdu,China
Friday, April 03 2009, 10:24AM
“Congratulations and well done Brian,there is hope in the community yet,not everyone would have done the same,he did stand a chance of being mugged I am sorry to say,as he is elderly and unable to defend himself,you could say a prime target.N.S.Miles”
by sarah, cheltenham
Friday, April 03 2009, 9:56AM
“well done to Brian and his siblings. I too, am of your generation, and would've stopped to help. It's hearing about things like this that make you feel proud. well done to you again.”