I met this respectful looking guy outside the local Tesco store at Westminster station. I had asked him if he was homeless, ‘me’ he said, ‘no I’m just here to get myself a beer, would you like one?’ ‘No thanks’ I replied, ‘but I do want to get myself something to eat, so let’s go.’ He is nice old man and calls himself Steve. So once inside, I  get a sandwich and packet of crisps and then I see this old lad Steve put his carrier bag down on the floor. He looks around as he does this, he gets a bottle of Heineken stuffs it into the carrier bag, covering it over as he picks the bag up, he picks another bottle off the shelf and steadily walks down towards the counter. My jaw drops to the floor, there was this nice old guy nicking a bottle of beer. I had to follow him, I could not help it. I needed to see what next, when he got to the counter the assistant scanned the bottle and said ‘That’s 1.70 please’. ‘That’s fine’ he said,  ‘can i pay by card?’ ‘certainly’ she replied. ‘Put it in the card reader and enter your pin’, ‘Oh sorry! Your card has been declined.’ ‘But it can’t of,’ he said, ‘it’s my pension, it went in today,’ ‘ok’ she said, ‘try it again,’ ‘no sorry, still declined,’ ‘ok’ he said. Looking upset and standing there for a few thoughtful seconds, he said ‘sorry, I will have to leave it, then I will have to sort this out.’ ‘It’s fine’ the assistant said. ‘Have a nice day’ as he walks out of the door, he even nearly got me offering to pay for him. Had I not noticed the bottle he nicked, he should of at least got a round of applause or acquired an Oscar for that performance. Once outside he said, ‘I never pay for a beer when I fancy one. You just need a system, easy.’ Laugh! What a guy, he wouldn’t hurt a fly, he even shook my hand, saying he would see me around, as friends do. Then he went on his merry way, drinking his free bottle of Heineken and he did not even damage the bottle when he took the useless tag off. Bless him.                                                                                                                                                                                                         

Hey, hello! I managed to find the Polish girl who did a runner after the police did their deed and frightened her away. To I don’t know where. I feel so sorry for her she is very petite and fragile looking. Well, I gave her the phone back she thanked me and explained that someone gave her another phone an iPhone in fact. But it was stolen while she slept, it was in her bag she said and it was rummaged through. This seems to happen a lot whether they are homeless or not they see an opportunity and will take it they don’t care about leaving you with nothing. They don’t mind kicking you when you are already down. Although I am happy to say, it is only the minority who would do this, most people are kind and respectful. But it is reality shit, happens to anyone if you are not on your guard, at least she now has this phone. I have offered to get her to a shower if she wants one and she has happily accepted but for now all she wanted was a cup of tea and a cigarette. I got her what she wanted, so I left her at least with a smile on her face. I told her I would see her in a couple of days’ time. Outreach need to come on and help her. We know that you know her and where about she is, so sod the red tape before she becomes a victim of the unmentionable during these already terrible times.  I really don’t want to point a finger your way if anything does happen, she needs help!    

When you are homeless and a parent gets to see, and get to know you a little better it really does help make your day. If a child starts school and passes you regularly and the parent brings that child to meet you and say ‘hello’, on their way to school, that is respect. When you are allowed to speak, and tell a little story about a feathered friend, it fills your heart with warmth of being someone this mother did not drag her child away or stop her saying hello or look at me in disgust. She made me feel a little like a person while feeling honoured to speak to a parent and a child. With the greatest of respects, I thank you my friends and wish you all the best. Being taught to respect others is a lesson in itself and good things come to those that do good, they certainly did good for me. I am so grateful to them.

A mother and her daughter. Edie is her name such a lovely little girl who I have met at Westminster but not seen since before the pandemic. As with everyone, I hope they are all well. This little girl likes to hear me say things about Mr Duck who lives on Duck Park, like when it rains, I say Mr Duck loves this weather, he thinks he is on holiday, he swims, he dances, he even goes skinny dipping in the pond. Feathers flying everywhere. Mrs Duck tries to keep up with him and shouts, ‘Slow down.’ When he sees me, he goes splishing and splashing, as he hurriedly gathers his feathers. He knows I have food for him, so as he makes his way to me, he paddles and waddles with a big smiling beak. Mrs Duck is still trying to keep up with him incase he gets all the food but there is plenty for them both and all the other ducks too. Edie’s mum Nicola has kept in touch during the pandemic and given me some support. I know it is on behalf of herself, her husband, Edie and her little brother. So an even bigger thank you to a wonderful family. Hopefully we can all meet and feed the ducks one day soon again. Thank you, massive hugs my friends.

 x Stay safe everyone x

Hello everyone, well here goes Happy New Year to you all, first of all to Kitty, thank you for supplying 4 sleeping bags for some homeless people who are still on the streets. She is my gorgeous Duchess, thank you, and to many friends who have supported me and helped others too like, Nicola and family, my Cadbury girl, Chris his wife and little Ben, Cinderella and to all others who I have not seen since and during the lockdown, I miss you all, stay safe.

Anyway, I’ve been to Westminster station and I see the police don’t have a lot to do. Well if it wasn’t for homeless people they would be out of a job, maybe on the streets themselves, wouldn’t that be something? Well, 5 or 6 of them and a council official were doing the deeds for up to 3 or 4 times a week giving homeless people a hard time, making them move to where? Another street? No mention of help or not even an offer of face masks or anything, just a ‘what are you doing here? What is your name? DOB? To check, it’s what they do. Then it’s, ‘you have to move!’ The council official just watches saying nothing. A frightened Polish girl, homeless herself, moves hurriedly away after they confronted her. I asked the council official why, I had no reply, I said I have her phone now and she has gone where? The official said she will let St. Mungo’s know and give them her details. Well, good luck to that because they have not done anything yet to help her but continually ask for her details and ask where she sleeps. Erm, I think ‘homeless and streets’ give it away, well I have been back to see if I can see her but without any luck. I will keep trying.

Finally a belated congratulations to the Bishop of Dover, you did a great job getting homeless people moved out of there comfort zone in Westminster station near parliament. You know where it was nice and warm undercover and you wrote a letter complaining of a stench that was not there. They kept it nice and clean, from 11pm when they turned up making sure no-one would see them until 6am when they got up cleaned up and moved out leaving nothing behind. Now a wooden pass box and roller shutter keeps them out, as a woman of God you betrayed them and who you represented but then you were just a chaplain to the Speaker of the House of Commons and shortly after we wrote to you to talk to us with me handing and posting letters inviting you to meet us. After we showered of course! We sadly got no reply and no meeting from you, it would have been good had you met us you would of known then we too have God in our hearts and hope. Instead you were busy getting ready for your move to Dover and being made a Bishop, I hope you have changed your ways and don’t treat homeless people badly down there like you did in Westminster. If we could help you to understand how hard it is to be on the streets and treat them with some kind of respect, I would say on behalf of all the homeless here, we forgive you and wish you every success in Dover God bless. And along awaited thank you to Lady Catherine, Tom from the homeless campaign group and Paul who put our letter together addressed to Ms Rose Hudson Wilkin chaplain to the speaker of the house of commons.

Hi Everyone,

Sorry I haven’t been around for a while but due to unforeseen circumstances and this crazy pandemic. It’s been the first time this year of being able to access this page, I am still around parliament watching how homeless people are being treated by the police, local councils and government. I do have more stories to put on this blog, but unfortunately it will have to wait until 2021, what I wanted to do today was to thank all the lovely people who have passed by me smiling and saying ‘hello,’ sometimes even stopping for a chat. A few of them have given me Christmas cards and gifts, it’s been so overwhelming the niceness the kindness and respect they have given me. Which in turn, i have for every one of them absolutely appreciative and total respect. I will sign off now again for this year but will be back soon with those stories and hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas and a happy and better new year. Here are a few of those Christmas cards with those lovely heartfelt messages that they handed to me. and please stay safe everyone. x

I am sitting outside the main entrance to the Westminster underground station by the steps by café Nero, just looking around this Dutch guy appears and sits on the steps opposite me, I just look at him and think to myself this guy does not look well at all he has lost weight, I first met him about 4 or 5 months ago dragging a large suitcase around no wheels on it obviously it eventually wore a hole in the in the bottom of it, so out went the suitcase and I don’t know what it contained but it contents disappeared to, he did not speak English when I tried to talk to him, it was like ok I did not understand a word of that so I used my skills and sign languaged him so we ended up nearly fighting and him shouting at me, after a short while I decided to write down are you hungry do you have any money I could not believe it he could read what I had written, he replied yes and eventually no money, so off I went and got him some food and drink, I asked if he wanted some help and yes he said, so I found someone who spoke a little a little of his language and they let the outreach teams know, they arrived a day or two later I don’t know was said but then they returned again two or three days later with an interpreter, it was a bit odd this meeting he seemed very unhappy about talking to someone from his own country until they explained he was not from his country, it made me smile to think this guy did not want to talk to this other guy because he thought he was the same nationality as himself?, so I don’t know what else happened with them he would not go anywhere but stay around the station, I continued to give him food and drinks for about 2 weeks, I could not keep doing this I just could not keep on supporting him as well, it very was very hard I started struggling myself to live, I was relieved when I see him sit down he never asked anyone but I see a lovely lady give him a bag with a drink and sandwich inside, then a gent gave him a couple of pounds he got up later I see him get a drink of coffee it is nice when you can buy a little of something when you want it something of what you like, so I would like to thank these people for helping him, so here we are around 4 months later this guy sitting opposite me, he got up and started to look inside a couple of rubbish bags I noticed the souls on his trainers were dropping off his feet, then he returned sat down again and it looked like he was chewing his finger nails, I got him a sandwich and a drink when I gave them to him he just looked at me he did not say anything, he soon ate the sandwich, I decided to get him another sandwich this time he looked at me and said thank you, my mind was made up to contact the outreach teams again this time by text messaging, this is the conversation I made with them.   

Me text 1…. the Dutch guy at Westminster, his health is worsening and the souls of his shoes are dropping off him, I have given him some food and a drink just a small token to help him a little, is there anything you can do for him before he becomes a victim of death on these streets please. End.                                                                                                                                                                                    

Outreach reply 1…

Hi Tim, we got the cd player yesterday and it is in the office ready for collection, in regards to the Dutch guy we have the mental health team involved as we know he is very unwell, however he has not been seen since the end of June, I will notify the mental health team that he is there today does he talk to you Tim? As he doesn’t really talk to us or make much sense… thank you for letting us know though. End.                                             

So, ok the cd player is something I asked them for was for another guy who the outreach team helped a little while ago he just had a small room he did not have or want a TV just something to play his music on so great they got one for him, my next message back to outreach team was…                                                                         

Me text 2…. Thank you he is always near to here I think he stays in or around the park by the police station, I will pick up the cd on Monday or Tuesday next week if that’s ok with you, oh and sometime during the day the Dutch guy is always in around Westminster station again thank you.

End.                                                                                                                                                                                     

Me text 3…. Sorry I forgot to say I don’t know what he says I used to write things down for him, he can read English but I see he now has no glasses. End.                                                                                                        

There were no more replies from the outreach team, I just hope they do look for this guy and give him help he is incapable of looking after himself and not keeping clean, it is a crying shame to see him or in fact anyone in this situation and I know he and others like him really do need this support before he or they become another death on the streets.        

One AM this morning all the rough sleepers are woken up, we were sleeping at Exit 3 tunnel (a public right of way) by the police who tell us.

“Sorry lads, you have to move out, the workers are here to block this place with shutters to stop you sleeping here.”

This subway from Westminster Station leads to Big Ben. I questioned, “Why? We don’t come here until after parliament shuts and always get up and leave before it opens 6AM leaving no mess.”

The copper replied, “I know you are a good bunch, but we have to follow orders, sorry.”

So, who? why? the politicians do not see us sleeping there except the ones working at night who forget that they cannot access. The people who work there who don’t know when parliament opens and closes and here is us who do know, the selfishness and snobbery of some workers and all the politicians who cannot bare to think of the mess they create. Whilst the uncaring council don’t have the brains to think or justify the reason to block a public right of way. Just because we sleep there, not doing any harm or hurt and for us being nice and polite.

When we see anyone down there, the people of London in fact England should look at those so called professional politicians. They do not care about anything but themselves, they cannot sort the country out and all this is due to them worrying too much about where us rough sleepers sleep. They themselves must lose sleep over us, just incase they might catch such a rare glimpse of us being there. They should all be ashamed of these politicians and stop voting for them to bring them back down to earth. Vote for the Green Party instead and… Hey!… How come I see so many MPs coming out of parliament drunk? They’re having a right old party in there. But please, Joe Public don’t drink when you are working or you will lose your job. But seriously, I repeat these MPs think only of themselves, they really are completely out of touch, so are the outreach teams. I do not think for one minute they want everyone off the streets, and if the MPs think they do, then they are more stupid than I thought.

So putting a barrier up to stop us and spike barriers being put up around the city in the way to stop rough sleepers sleeping. Not actually getting anyone off the streets just stop them from sleeping make them walk around all day and night. No more rough sleeping, just a lot of rough walkers, and that’s the method of this mad lot. Money wasted on deterrents. How much more are they going to waste? How much has this barrier alone cost?

Just for this self-centred lot to score a point against us.

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