# Alan Smith (the busking street poet) has died



## strung out (Nov 29, 2009)

if you've ever been a regular drinker in central bristol or stokes croft, then you're likely to have come across Alan Smith, also known as Bear, and known by many as the busking street poet of bristol. unfortunately, bear died about a week ago. i know he was beaten up in bedminster a few months back and i don't think he ever really recovered.

i never really knew bear very well, apart from giving him a few pound coins to perform an improvised poem outside the old duke a year or so ago, and buying him a pint of milk at 4 o'clock one morning on stokes croft after hearing his life story while i walked home. he lived in the jamaica street hostel and i believe there are talks about holding some kind of memorial service for him.

it might be that no-one from here really remembers him, but he brought a lot of happiness to people while going about their daily lives, and it's sad to think that we'll never hear from him again. he was a gifted poet and it's sad that someone so talented, led such a sad life.

anyway, i won't go on too much, because really i didn't know him too well, bar the odd poem i was privileged enough to hear from him over the years. here's a video of one of his poems



more info about him and his death here... http://www.hijackbristol.co.uk/board/the-forum/rip-bear-aka-stokes-croft-street-poet/


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## keybored (Nov 30, 2009)

RIP Bear.


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## wiskey (Nov 30, 2009)

Oh no  

He was one of the best things about moving here, even the blaggers were fun. He stopped me a few times and claimed he knew over 1000 poems  

RIP Bear


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## Geri (Nov 30, 2009)

I don't think I've ever seen him, despite working and drinking in Stokes Croft for years. 

It's always sad when such a character dies. 

RIP Bear.


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## A. Spies (Dec 3, 2009)

I remember him. Can't remember his poems now but he was cool and I remember them being good. 
RIP bear.


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## Skin (Dec 3, 2009)

I knew him. He did me a poem. How sad :-(  RIP Bear.


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## Hocus Eye. (Dec 4, 2009)

It is great to see so many people saying good things about a man they met on the street.  I never knew him and don't live in Bristol but it is good to see this kind of appreciation of someone with something to give who got little back in material terms.

It makes me want to look out for people like this.  It would make me angry that someone so good should have their life terminated by random idiots if that feeling wasn't counteracted by the people on this thread by their praise of him.

RIP Bear


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