Unseen by the lion at the base of Glasgow's Cenotaph as he is by the citizens hurrying homeward , the vagrant sntaches a brief sleep on a bench in George Square , Glasgow , Scotland . This man afraid to reveal his identity for fear of possible apprehension under the Vagrancy Laws , is one of many hundreds who eke out a precarious livelihood in the city during the winter months and tramp in the country in the summer . He will snatch an hour's sleep before being moved on by patrolling police . 19 March 1949