General Chat

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A man who has not uttered a word since being found wandering and confused has stunned care workers by giving a virtuoso piano performance. The man was wearing a soaking wet black suit and tie when he was picked up by police in Sheerness, Kent, on 7 April. Social worker Michael Camp said the man, in his 20s or 30s, is usually very anxious but 'comes alive' at the piano. The National Missing Persons Helpline is appealing to hear from anyone who knows the man, dubbed The Piano Man. There is a picture of him on the BBC News Website at the moment. What on earth happened to this poor man??

I was waiting for a punch line.. OMG is it real? I can't even begin to imagine.....

Not a funny this time, Fairy - it's true.

Just read the story. I wonder what on earth could have happened to this poor man that has left him in such a state

Hope they find out what is wrong or someone comes forward who belongs to him.

Thats fantastic Wendy my wife has just read the story out of the paper to me Dave

Oh, that poor man. surely someone must know him???

I wonder if he's an illegal immigrant who was being smuggled into Britain in a boat and got pushed over the side to fend for himself? He could have come from one of the Baltic states. I was reading an article recently about the inhumane treatment shown to desperate refugees, asylum seekers and economic migrants from Third World Countries. Their money is taken, then they're crammed into shallow, open boats, and one of them is shown how to steer the boat, then they're left to make their way to a European shore. If the weather gets rough, the boats stand little chance of staying afloat and the occupants stand little chance of survival in deep waters and inclement weather. It's an international scandal - one that needs tackling without delay. CB >|<

Yes, how sad this all is, I did read that all his clothing had the labels cut out of them, to avoid identity. I hope he gets recognised soon, he seems very talented. :)

I've just heard that there's been a lot of calls from the public suggesting who this man might be, including one 'very significant lead'. Hopefully the mystery will soon be solved.

I wondered what had happened to Bobby Crush! Davex

Nadine perhaps he was the pianist on the Titanic then! Dx

Dave Bobby Crush! lololol. That's cheered me up!

This is amazing, Wendy. The poor man. Makes me count my blessings. Just looked on BBC news online: More than 160 calls have been received by a helpline hoping to identify a classical pianist who has been unable to communicate with police or carers. It has brought new leads in the hunt for the identity of the mystery man, found wandering the streets in Sheerness, Kent, in a soaking wet suit. He stunned carers by drawing detailed pictures of a grand piano and giving a virtuoso classical piano performance. But the 'Piano Man' has not said a word since police picked him up on 7 April. Carers said he played classical music 'beautifully' for four hours. His social worker Michael Camp said the man, in his 20s or 30s, is usually very anxious but 'comes alive' at the piano. The possibility that he might be from Sussex is one lead being investigated after a member of the public called police and suggested a name for him. However, Mr Camp said it may be 'something and nothing' and it was possible the man's identity may never be known. 'It's been such a long time,' he said. 'If nobody can name this guy then I don't see how we can possibly find out. 'The only other way is if we get expert people working with him who are able to use his music and get his identity.' Orchestras around Europe are being contacted to see if they know him. The man's talent came to light after staff at the Medway Maritime Hospital gave him a pen and paper in the hope he would write his name and instead he drew the piano. The man shocked staff with a performance of classical music after Mr Camp showed him the piano in the hospital's chapel. The mystery man produced a pencil drawing of a grand piano Mr Camp said: 'When we took him to the chapel piano it really was amazing.' The man has since written music, which has been verified as genuine. Several lines of inquiry have been followed, and the hospital brought in interpreters to see if the mystery patient was from Eastern Europe. He is now being held in a secure mental health unit in north Kent while an assessment is carried out. Mr Camp said he was 'extremely distressed' and may have suffered a trauma. Karen Dorey-Rees, adult mental health manager for the West Kent NHS and Social Care Trust, said the mystery man was very vulnerable. 'He is not talking at all, he is very frightened,' she said. 'We are aware that he is a very vulnerable man and we would be putting him in a dangerous situation if we let him go.'

I read that as well as the labels being removed from his clothes, his shoes had all the marks obliterated. There have been suggestions he is autistic. Has he been dumped by a family that don't want to come forward to claim him?

they say he may have removed labels as autistic people do this i think someones done it to him personally, he also drew swedish flag, i hope he has family and they are safe dave you made me laugh about bobby crush i have felt a bit low today but that made me laugh

Julie Anne glad it cheered you up Im a bit low myself today but it is something I got off my Dad he tended to try to joke his way out of sad situations and I find it works for me too Take care Julie Anne Dx

thanks dave :-)

Something like this happened to my brother Les years ago. He was playing football and got knocked out. He recovered and seemed quite normal, got dressed and started out for home. The police picked him up three days later, wandering about in a very distressed state with no memory whatsoever. It was concussion. Fortunately they were able to identfy him from the contents of his wallet. He recovered completely after a few weeks. What makes the case of the piano man odd is that all label had been removed from his clothing. Len