From suicide bid to helping people in need

Five days in the year 2000 changed the life of Rob Townsley forever and even forced him to try suicide.

But now he says he has found God and has set about trying to help people in difficulty.

Rob (65), of Selston, has manned his book stall on Hucknall Market every Friday for the last six years, not long after he became a Christian.

His nightmare started one Saturday in June 2000 when his mother died. She had suffered with cancer and Rob had nursed her for the previous five years.

Two days later, he found out his sister, Pam, and his niece, Wendy, had committed suicide together. Wendy, a shy, timid girl in her early 20s, had been gang-raped the previous March.

She and her mum struggled to cope after the crime, for which no-one has ever been caught, and were receiving treatment.

But they couldn't cope any longer and took an overdose of their medication.

Then, a further two days later, Rob's partner of ten years walked out on him.

It was all too much for Rob, who admitted he was drinking heavily at the time, and he tried to kill himself.

He said: "When my partner left, I had to face up to life. I felt guilty about not supporting my sister and niece so I tried to commit suicide.

"I was going upstairs because the tablets were in the bathroom. Then I felt this hand grab me and something say: 'I am here'. That is when I found God and became a Christian."

Rob began attending Mansfield Baptist Church, transformed his life and set up his market stall, which sells a variety of books and is also home to some Christian literature.

"I do as many markets as I can to help people and meet people," said Rob. "I give away Christian literature, such as Bibles. All the money the stall makes goes towards Christian good causes.

"I am providing a service for people who want it. I can talk to people about what has happened to me and tell them that if they are in a mess, then there is always a way out of it.

"If there are some people out there who want to talk to someone but do not want to go to church, then they can come to my stall and talk to me. I try to be positive about everything."

After turning his life around, Rob married his wife Pamela and they have lived in Selston since 2002.