A homeless man who travels the British coast to make stone sculptures braved the freezing weather of Teesside to create his latest work of art.
Artist Dr Geebers – he doesn’t use another name – lives on Saltburn Beach in a tent as he creates a Christmas pebble sculpture with Santa, a sleigh, gifts and a snowman. snow.
Since starting his trip to Brighton in May 2009, Dr Geebers, 34, has traveled 4,500 miles of coastline, has been located on 32 beaches and has moved over 2,000 tonnes of rock by hand – while sleeping in the street.
He arrived in Saltburn two weeks ago. “People have told me if you spend the winter here you deserve a medal,†he said.
“It got to minus 10 the night last year when I was in Wales and minus two during the day.
“One day it was so bad that the tent zipper froze with me inside and I had to thaw it with a lighter.
“I’m not at all hardened. Sometimes I feel like giving up but I have gone too far.
Dr Geebers is doing it thanks to the goodwill and donations of the people of the town where he is staying. In Saltburn, people have already donated sleeping bags and food.
“Everyone has been healthy. ” he said. “They were skeptical at first, but it’s the same everywhere, it makes people think. This is what it is about, getting people to think about homelessness.
After his epic journey is over, Dr Geebers hopes to write a book about his travels to shed light on the plight of the homeless. It aims to donate all profits to charities for the homeless.
Dr Geebers, who got involved when a friend asked him to finish a Yin Yang stone sculpture, said, “I was given this chance and I took it. I want people to understand what homeless people are going through and do something positive about it. “
A local resident who has been to see Dr Geebers’ work said: “I saw someone camping on the beach and wanted to know they were okay because of the appalling conditions. He explained what he was doing – it’s absolutely awesome. He is clearly very talented.
Dr Geebers said he enjoys meeting a lot of people along the way.
