STEPPING wearily into the night shelter, Peter Neale greeted the duty manager with a nod and headed up to his room.
Wearing an old red fleece, worn trousers and heavy mountain boots, he carried a bag of books from Chelmsford library into his room.
Peter is one of nine people who stay at Chess night shelter, in George Street, off Moulsham Street, Chelmsford.
His days are spent in almost the same way ever since he arrived back in the UK two years ago.
"I start my day at The Salvation Army, who give me free tea and coffee," he said.
"I then make my way over to Nicole's, on Broomfield Road, and they kindly serve free lunch.
"Then, like I normally do, I spend most of my days in the library, I just love to read."
The 61-year-old moved back to Chelmsford from California two years ago, after suffering a breakdown.
When he returned, he realised there was nowhere for him to go and nothing for him to do.
He moved into the night shelter two weeks ago, after being on the streets for five months.
"I really was all alone, I could not go back to my mum's house in Great Dunmow, because we don't get on too well," said Peter.
"It is nice to be on a nice comfortable bed in the warmth, I am getting too old to be out in the cold."
Peter worked as a cleaner in California, before delivering hamburgers to people's houses for four years.
"I saw quite a few movie stars, I even tidied and did the laundry for Russell Crowe.
"Those really were the best times of my life, and what makes me really sad is all the young people who you see in the homeless shelters, their lives haven't even begun."
The smell of beef and potatoes began to waft around the night shelter.
Cook Jean Pannifer was busy peeling more potatoes in the kitchen ready for the evening meal.
On the menu this week was spaghetti bolognese, pork loin, beef stew, fish and chips and a dish they called Ron's chicken.
Ingredients are brought in as donations, which are mainly tinned foods and a lot of pasta.
Bags of blankets, tops, jackets, toiletries, and kitchenwear were also left in the shelter's kitchen.
"It is good for the soul to volunteer," said Jean, who has been volunteering for two and a half years.
"People who have never volunteered are missing out on a real experience.
"You meet totally different characters, everyone always thinks they are out to cause trouble, but it really is not like that."
Chess owns five properties housing 27 residents in Chelmsford, with a new 19-room bedsit on Cottage Place, just approved this month.
Night shelter manager Jacqui Parker was busy making sure everything was right for when all the residents arrived.
"I usually put the telly on for when they arrive," said Jacqui, 53, of Basildon. "We sleep in the office, but one woman sleeps in the kitchen because she does not like the sound of the fan or the radio.
"The shelter has two showers and toilets for everyone, but to be honest they do not usually use them.
"The rooms are nice and even though they come off the streets, I still want the rooms to look nice, we put some pictures up, curtains and mirrors."
Chess resident Zena Edgar sold her house in Chelmer Village five years ago to move to India.
She set up a continental restaurant and a clothes design company in Goa, before the recession hit and she lost everything.
Grandmother-of-two Zena has now been staying with Chess for four weeks.
"I was staying with a friend here when I came back, but because they had a son they said it was inappropriate for me to stay," said Zena, 55.
"I have tried to find jobs here but it is so difficult, despite being multi-skilled.
"I was even in banking before I moved to India, if you can believe that – I can't even get a job at Debenhams.
"It has been hard, but I believe everything will be good in the end."
