London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 31, 2025

Pensioner, 75, brought to tears by overwhelming response to his plea for friends

A pensioner who suffered the ‘unbearable torture’ of loneliness has been brought to tears by the cascade of public support to his plea for friends.
Tony Williams, 75, from Hampshire, put up a heart-breaking poster in his front window asking for friends after the sudden death of his wife of 35 years, Jo, who died from cancer during lockdown.

The retired physicist said he felt ‘cursed’ by loneliness and often went days without talking to anyone.

He would wait for his home phone to ring but it never did.

But the phone started to ring off the hook after Metro.co.uk shared his story with the world.

The 75-year-old was flooded with messages of support from across the UK and Ireland, the Netherlands, Hungary and even from as far as the US, Canada, Australia and Hong Kong.

Surrounded by cards sent from well-wishers from near and far, Tony said he had been overwhelmed with emotion after the public’s extraordinary response to his plea for friends.

He said: ‘The love and compassion people have shown has actually brought tears to my eyes.

‘People have sent me the most delightful emails.

‘They’ve sent me pictures of their kids, their pets, told me about their aspirations and telling me they are thinking of me.’

He continued: ‘I got an email from a local teacher asking if children in her class could write me letters.

‘One lady phoned up and said if I get on a plane sometime she would pick me up and show me her area of Florida.

‘Another lady who lives relatively nearby has invited me round for a G&T which I’ll be keen to do.’

Tony said he would take some time getting back to everyone as the flood of messages had crashed his email.

He said: ‘It’s just been gorgeous.

‘When I started responding they were coming in thick and fast. I would say about four or five a minute.’

According to Age UK, more than two million people over the age of 75 in England live alone.

At least one million elderly people say they go longer than a month without speaking to a friend, neighbour or family member.

Tony took out two advertisements in local newspapers asking for company but his plea for help fell on deaf ears.

He begged: ‘I’m not looking for someone to listen to me cry – I just want a normal person who I can chat to. I can talk to anybody about anything.’
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
SpaceX Nears $400 Billion Valuation With New Share Sale
×