It was a chilly December evening in London's busy West End and the pavements were covered with a thick layer of snow.

Busy commuters were scurrying their way into the Underground Stations on their way home and few had any time to stop for anything, except perhaps the evening newspaper.

Few noticed the old blind man sitting huddled up against a wall by the Station entrance wrapped in his heavy overcoat and a couple of blankets, playing a little tin whistle.

By his feet was a tired old hat, for collecting the odd coppers that passers-by may throw his way, and propped up against that was a small square of brown card.

Written in the centre of this card were the words 'I'M BLIND'

Most of the people trundling home simply passed by. A few looked up and quickly diverted their gaze as if embarrassed to stop, and a few, a very few, actually stopped and dropped a couple of small coins into his hat.

And so it went on until a young advertising copywriter walked by and, noticing the old man's plight, stopped and decided he could use his clever skills to help.

He walked over to the old man, bent down and dropped a few coins into his hat (and received a nod and an appreciative "thank you" in return) and, as he straightened himself up, he sneakily picked up the man's desperate 'I'm Blind' card.

The young adman took a felt-tip pen from his pocket, deftly added just three words, discretely returned the card to its place of prominence by the hat and then went and sat at a nearby kiosk for a hot coffee so that he could watch for the result of his work.

And it didn't take long. Almost immediately he noticed that more and more of the evening exodus were stopping and dropping a few coins in the hat, and some even ventured to talk to the old man.

After about 20 minutes the young adman, delighted with the success of his brief interference, finished his coffee and walked to the Station entrance and, as he passed the old man he smiled like a Cheshire cat as he saw at least 3 or 4 pounds in the hat that weren't there before his intervention.

And the three words that he added?

I'M BLIND…AND IT'S CHRISTMAS.

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From the 'never to be published' book, ADVERTISING AD-ONS (2003)