Homelessness in Stroud Green

Detritus

If anyone has the sheet music and lyrics to the Beatles please give it to the man outside Tesco as if I hear Octopus's Garden many more times I will not be held responsible for my actions.

bilbo

I thought the guitar might have been lost in the conflagration. Every cloud and all that.

Four Eyes

Oh, I've never heard him do Octopus's Garden before. He does a cracking rendition of 'Into Dust' by Mazzy Star sometimes when he's a bit down I (no singing, thankfully).

ADGS

In terms of power stations 'belching fumes' - the main visual output is steam, no? Not to say they don't pollute, but it always winds me up when you see the cooling towers used as visual shorthand for pollution. Er, no, that's water.<div><br></div><div>In summary: Wind farms > power stations > derelicts > pyromaniac derelicts.</div>

kreuzkav

Every time I pass him this week he's singing 'I am the walrus'.  I'd like to hear him do 'Octopus's Garden'. From what I've witnessed he seems fairly laid back and doesn't seem to hassle. A bit of song brightens that dreary bit of Stroud Green road up a bit.

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ADGS

He used to do 'The Highwayman', which I really like, but then dropped it in favour of the drearier works of Richard Ashcroft. I think that was when I took against him, really.

miss annie

Yes, it was 'The Drugs Don't Work' for about a fortnight. An apt choice of song I thought.

ldev

Only just seen this. Man, I was just thinking the other week how nice it was that the homeless guy could set up house outside a big corporate (but local) piggy like Tesco's and be left in peace. Really felt like heart-warming community stuff.<div>Sad news. I'm pleased Tesco's hadn't interfered. I'm also pleased that the police have taken the community's views before intervening, and their post on here. </div><div><br></div><div>I've never been homeless so I don't understand the issues, although I can imagine sheltered accommodation might not be the preferred choice for the individual. If they're not harming us then I have no problem </div><div><br></div><div>(p.s. Spending money on booze and drugs: Well booze can be a great way to help you sleep, particularly on cold nights. It feels a shame that we feel a person who's homeless should be denied free will)</div>

ADGS

I don't mind 'The Drugs Don't Work' - whenever I went past he was on the considerably more ironic (and shitter) 'Lucky Man'.

bilbo

Homeless is a bit of a misnomer according to the police - this scrounging is a lifestyle choice - notwithstanding the dog is an issue with hostel accommodation. The community spirit wears a bit thin when you find people have been crapping in your front garden on account of their being no lavatories available.  

maz

I saw Sally sitting on the doorstep of 31 Stapleton Hall Road at 2am last Sunday morning. She was organising her belongings. Not sure if she slept there.

maz

<P>... I just hope that if she is going to use our doorsteps as a resting place on a regular basis, she won't set fire to anything!</P>

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sharybo

Sally's spent the last two nights sleeping in a doorway in Victoria Road.  I've taken her some hot food, as have quite a few of the neighbours, but it seems that last night she's started to damage the property.  She's pulled some trellis down and has thrown something yellow all over the front windows and surrounds.  I don't think anyone would begrudge her sleeping in the doorway of an empty property, especially in this weather, but she's not helping herself if she causes unnecessary damage.  

yagamuffin

@MrAnony-mouse1970 You saw 'Sally' sitting in the snow and thought she could freeze to death. So did YOU do anything to help her? Or did you walk on by and then come and moan about the situation on here whilst sat in your warm, comfy home?

checkski

That's unfair. He wasn't moaning.

miss annie

St Mungo's are doing a lot of campaigning to get the word out about their services. They are endeavouring to get every rough sleeper inside even if not into a bed. All their details are online.

sharybo

I suspect that for whatever reason, Sally doesn't want to go to any of the shelters as I'm sure she's been offered help already.  She seems to have wandered off from Victoria Road today, but if she appears back later I will certainly go and speak to her and offer to ring some of the local shelters for her.  I think there's also a shelter at St Melitus, so she certainly wouldn't have to go far to get in the warm.  

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sharybo

I suspected she was sleeping rough through choice - the amount of people that went to speak to her yesterday would indicate that everyone is concerned and wants to help.  There is an awful lot of help available in this area (thankfully) for the homeless, but I guess they can only help those that want to be helped!  Thanks for those telephone numbers - if she does come back I'll speak to her and see if she wants help from the Pillion Trust and I'll happily ring them for her.  Equally, I'll ring the police if she looks like she's doing anything illegal.  It's such a shame they can't section her for her own safety, but it was nice to see just how many people took her food yesterday.  

Idoru

A person can be sectioned if they have a mental disorder and they're a danger to themselves and/or others. It requires three people to agree that the individual needs sectioning. But if Sally won't co-operate with homeless charities, then it's highly unlikely she'll co-operate with the medical professionals who could otherwise help her. <br>

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miss annie

Hang on, didn't we have an Anony - mouse before? I'm sure it was a ChrisN4/TNH thing. Here it is... '.i am mrannoymouse74,the northern heights,sg steve and chrin4...also in a failed attempt to reinvent myself with regard to style of posting.'

conformable_kate

It is frustrating. It is comforting to see so many people concerned and trying to help. There have been meetings - at least one I know of at the instigation of a local councillor following complaints from local residents - involving mental health services and others. The position of the mental health services is as Idoru says above: unless Sally is demonstrably a danger to herself or others they won't section - and they take a very narrow view of danger, eg hypothermia doesn't count; lighting fires with potential to spread doesn't count; nothing she does quite fits within the meaning of the act. And while I sympathise with the principle that people should be allowed to make bad decisions and not be locked up just for the convenience of others, she is (as people have said) so vulnerable that it seems shocking that there aren't grounds for intervention. But good to know that people are looking out for her. And perhaps if the Pilion trust keep tracking her, in this weather they may eventually catch her at a moment when she's willing to take help.