KNOCK AT THE DOOR

We all want to belong and life can be brutal, and sometimes those closest to us pick up the cost. Sunday Times bestselling author Rob Parsons is a gifted storyteller and public speaker and here in this incredibly popular, entertaining and uplifting book he shares a breathtaking aspect of his and wife Dianne's life. It was Christmas 1975 and Bohemian Rhapsody was topping the charts. In a residential street just outside Cardiff, a persistent knocking breaks the stillness of the evening. When Rob Parsons, a young lawyer, opens his door, he finds a man standing in front of him clutching a bag of belongings and a frozen chicken. Rob and his wife Dianne invite the man into their home, cook his chicken, and offer him shelter for the night. What happens next is an astonishing story of human kindness, self-learning and incredible pain, hope and the sheer power of love to change a life. It is the true story of Ronnie Lockwood, a homeless man who entered the home of the young couple, became a dustman and lived as part of their family for over 45 years until his death. It is also the story of Rob and his family. Outwardly, the two men's lives were worlds apart - Rob flew on Concorde and Ronnie emptied rubbish bins - and yet they discovered they had similar struggles. Then the day came at the lowest moment of the couple's lives, when they turned to the homeless man for help. There were also many remarkable turnarounds. Ronnie spent much of his spare time volunteering, including at a homeless centre, and ended up having a £1.6 million well-being centre named after him. Rob left his law practice and he and Dianne began a charity that touches the lives of millions of people. Ronnie had struggled with learning difficulties and was sent away from home and into the care system when he was just eight years old, never shown real love and sent to a school described as for 'subnormal boys', never accepted, needed or wanted. Then he found a place where he belonged. The Parsons gave him that, as did their church, and the love and beauty that had been so long locked up inside Ronnie emerged. 348 inspiring pages, photos.