When I first passed my bike test I picked up my Bros from my mechanic just off Gt Eastern St.
It didn’t have any petrol so i rode it round to the garage on Shoreditch High St. As I filled it the homeless fella whose patch it was came over to chat to me - I’d often given him drinks before - and was talking about how he used to ride before he lost his home etc. He said to me ‘Whatever you do always check the sidestand’s up’.
I went in, paid for the fuel and bought him a tea. As i pulled away I banked left outta the garage and sure enough I’d left the sidestand down. Fella had hysterics and gave me the biggest smile!
I used to talk to homeless people a lot in Edinburgh and once got chatting to a homeless old man on the Bridges when I was walking home drunk. I really felt for him because he had been conned by a woman who came into his life after he was widowed and she ended up stealing all his stuff just as he had fallen in love with her. I felt so sorry for him that I wanted to take him home. I had a spare room and felt really guilty about what I had but could just imagine what people would say if things went badly. (ie “what a fecking stupid girl! what was she thinking?!”). I ended up walking home, making him a massive packed lunch and bringing him some old fleeces, a pillow, duvet and various other random things in a holdall.
It was awful though because apparently he was sitting on a patch belonging to a particularly dodgy homeless guy (with drug rotten teeth and fancy clean white trainers) and that guy felt that my bag of stuff should therefore go to him. I was hammered so decided to make a fuss and the old guy got to walk away with the stuff. I never saw him again but hopefully the scum didnt get him later that night. I cant imagine how awful it must be to be homeless. I do take having somewhere to live for granted.
Speaking of taking things for granted, 20 years ago I was suddenly made homeless, but luckily had enough money to buy a very small caravan with a work mate - we paid £75 each for it and parked up in a field on a farm in New Addington. My mate disappeared after a few weeks but I stayed through the winter, spending a total of 5 months in that field. I had a very low-paid job and I had a car back then, and my cat loved it on the farm. But when I moved out into a shared house in the spring, I relished the fact that I had RUNNING WATER, ELECTRICITY AND A BATH. I think we all take these things for granted and my experience was a reminder of how basic necessities are appreciated. You only appreciate stuff once it’s gone. How much hungrier do you feel if you only have 10p in your pocket at lunchtime?
Sorry, i didnt see this, wouldnt mind going to the induction in Feb, or even on one of the runs before that. If id known i wouldve made it last night to? Where did you meet? Where did u leave ur bikes? What time can we expect to get back home? (have to be up early for work).
Over the last two nights I’ve been watching a programme on BBC1 called Famous, Rich and Homeless.
If you didn’t see it, it’s a fly on the wall following five rich and famous people being stripped of everything they own and having to live rough in London.
I watched that program Chunks, and it made me cry a few times. A very interesting insight into the homeless world. Drug and drink addiction insights too. It made me sad :crying: but I’m very glad I watched it.
Alex and I popped in to see Westie in his shop a few Saturday’s ago and we got ice creams on the way out. We also gave one to a homeless guy outside but he didn’t seem to fussed either way but still took it.
