39: The End of the RoadNothing in Jack’s life had prepared him for being destitute. Yes, he’d been born into poverty, he’d struggled to find work and he’d never had the luxury of spare cash at the end of the week, but there had always been food on the table, no matter how frugal. Now he was stuck in Liverpool without a penny to his name, his only assets being the clothes he stood up in.
The labour exchange had no work to offer him as either a teacher or a publican. He lowered his sights and tried for a job as a clerk in a grocery store, but the post went to a younger man. Sleeping rough and forced to try to keep clean using the public toilets near the Pier Head, his appearance grew more dishevelled every day, further limiting the work opportunities open to him.
Having nothing to eat was
