Screams in the Night

One of the things I really appreciate as an ex-Londoner, is how quiet it is where I live. In New Cross you'd be hearing three or more assorted sirens per hour, only marginally less through the night whereas here; hearing one at all is unusual. The fly in the ointment is 5 storey block of flats 100m from my house that contains a load of Yoof- its some sort of half-way house for kids who've been kicked out/left their families. There's a warden, but he goes at about 6pm and isn't there at week ends. I've been here since 2006 and the council was promising to close the project then. It is the source of expected levels of antisocial behaviour (loads of unsupervised yoof, what do you expect?). Last night I was woken by som Chavaette screaming about how she "didn't want to be here no more" -something I echoed, and she "wanted to be with my grandma in heaven" etc. The issue seemed to be that "I always back yous up and you nevva back me up for anything". She was lying in the middle of the road with a gaggle of ovver yoof also screaming at her to "get out of the road man" with a TOTAL disregard for anyone around. I got up and wondered how many of my neighbours were watching in the dark behind their curtains- I needed to drive my car this morning and if any of them had as much as touched it, I would have flown out there in my dressing gown brandishing a quarter staff with a lovely leather hand-strap I learned to use many years ago. The pantomime went on for nearly an hour. I refused to call the fuzz- I have a sneaky feeling that some of my neighbours expect me to be the one who does that sort of thing.

I was already in a bit of a mood over having to go to the universal creditors today so interrupted sleep didn't help! When I got there I was 12 minutes early- now; remember that they sanction people if they're late at all, I was told that I either had to engage in job search on computers of leave and then come back because they didn't have any waiting space. I said "How pathetic!" Missie Universal Creditress snapped "What?!" So I repeated calmly that I thought it was pathetic that people can be sanctioned for being a minute late and at the same time discouraged from being early. I told them that when I prepare people for interviews etc I suggest that they aim to be there 10 minute early. She went away. My meeting with my operative took 5 minutes. It seemed like an immense waste of time to me.

Nevertheless: I found myself 'cooking with gas' planning developments for Cowgate if we're offered the building. The Eclipse connection, other info I can't yet share publicly and the possibility of reviving Intercultural Arts makes me VERY excited about the future for Community Hubs Network. It will give us a very strong foundation to complete work started in Leadgate too- the wind has not at all surprisingly gone out of that project- Its hard to be enthusiastic about something when it has been made clear your help is unwelcome- though the actual bods 'on the ground' as it were are very keen to retain my help. The road will reopen in the next couple of days, had the project's development not been arrested there was to have been a catering project opening at the same time.

I found out that Mitch died yesterday. He'd been ill for a long time and hard work for even longer! Apart from his 'ex' and his ex's husband I was probably the last person to keep seeing him until lat year when he just became unbearable and I was suffering from restraining myself from bashing him! Now he has gone I accept that he was always a self-centered person who looked out for himself way before anyone else and was always getting stuff for nothing- drinks: lol he could go to the Eagle broke and leave completely pissed, or the time I paid for him to fly to Brighton Pride with me or how he'd insist that his 'ex' took him on holiday with his husband only to moan throughout their trip. BUT we did have a laugh on many occasions and I will remember those.