I would gladly have a beer and just listen to this gentleman tell stories about the war and things he has seen change during his life. For Free!!!

Elaina, Oklahoma city, Oklahoma

Wow, this brought a tear to my eye. What a great son to be looking out for his Dad and trying to find some peers that he can enjoy a conversation with. Too bad my own Dad who is 84 and also was in the second world war is an ocean away , or I'd send him to this pub to chat with Mr. Hammond! I hope some other "old guys" in the area read the article and wander in to talk . He sounds like a very nice, interesting man.

Lynn, Pennsylvania, USA

Good for you Jack. Thank you for sharing your wonderful story and so excellent for your story to be in the Times online. It's great that you are so near your family, as they sound so supportive and caring. My dad use to enjoy drinking Murphys regularly at his local pub in Cork, Ireland; but now due to ill-health he's unable to enjoy that anymore. Good on you (as they say here in Australia). I hope it all works out for you. Mr Jack Hammond....you are famous now!

Lisa Ingerton, Melbourne, Australia

I have never had a say before but I feel the need now.
Why does this poor man need to move into a home nearer his family?
I could understand the move if he was moving in with his family, but this man had friends where he lived before, could he have not been found a place in a home there?
His family could still visit him as before, that way he would have the same friends to drink with and his family?
Well they used to travel to visit him in the area before his wife died what difference does it make after she is dead?

phill, correze, france

i think the position has now been filled

steve, southampton, hampshire

The assignment was to be carried out at least twice a week.
This has to be a deliberate pun.
FREE BEER and £7 an hour.
I think there will be no end people wishing to get so plastered that they need to be carried out.
Good luck to him.
What ashame i'm so far away.

John Boyle, Buenos Aires,

"Interesting, not one offer from a Brit. Just goes to show how unsociable we can be." Ron, m, UK

I can't see anywhere in the article where it actually states which nationality the four applicants are.

It's very sad the eldery have to pay for a bit company. I hope he finds someone honest and genuine who won't take advantage.

Jude, Durham, UK

If he could afford to fly me over the pond, I would drink with him whenever he would like. I am a great conversationalist as well.

Why can't opportunities like these pop up in here at home.

:-P

Ray, Sylacauga, USA

As a teetotal 34 year-old woman, I'm not the demographic he is looking for, but as a physics and maths student I would love to while away a couple of evenings a week with this gent, if I lived closer.

Gemma, Leighton Buzzard, UK

I hope sincerely he finds someone to have a drink with and that that person decides it would be innapropriate to charge for the service. Good on him for placing the ad and good luck.

If I lived anywhere near I'd do it for free, he sounds very interesting.

David, St Albans, UK

Interesting, not one offer from a Brit. Just goes to show how unsociable we can be. As for me, like all the foreigners in this article, I'm too far away. I certainly hope he finds a suitable drinking partner, and wouldn't it be good if that person became such a friend the money did not enter the equation.

Ron, m, UK

If yer man's ever in Scotland I'll happily share a bottle of Buckfast with him.

I need to finance my summer festival trips (passport permitting) so may even be free to pop down to Barnton-on-sea if required.

Alpine McAlpine, Stirling, Scotland

I was considering applying until I read the part about Fosters.

Ross, Auckland, New Zealand

I'll pay him to have a beer with me!

Nicolas Niarchos, Yale, Conneticut, USA

I'd do it for free, he just needs a friend. I'm only 20, but I'd still love to talk to him. The beer is just a plus.

Anthony Cavanaugh, Urbana, Illinois, USA

Good luck Mr Hammond, I hope you find the perfect person!

Alex, Paris, France

I'm not quite in the same age group but I do know a lot about WWII as a result of long conversations with my father when he was alive. If ever I'm in the vicinity, which is not totally unlikely, I volunteer to have a drink with him free of charge. I'll even pay for the beer. Of course, being Australian, I'd need to know in advance what degree of bombasticity would be considered unacceptable.
I'm curious to know why he should feel that going to the pub on his own would make him a nuisance. During my last visit to GB I drank alone in pubs more than once and from memory this did not appear to inconvenience anybody. Certainly nobody said to me, " You're here on your own and that makes you a nuisance - we'd like you to leave "

james, Canberra, Australia.

I'm your man.

Stephen Jones, KL, Malaysia