RE: WATCH DUIN TODAY. - 10

I was there from about 1960-62, I was printing record covers and Triumph Tina scooter brochures.
Aguy called Sunderland was in charge at the time.

Hi John

I watched a little of last nights programme, the part where he begged a curry and asked to sleep in a church.

But it bored me and I switched it off. I couldn't see what he was doing was so much different to thousands of homeless people on our streets every day. Those people haven't got a film crew following them and so they get refused by everybody.

I did what he did, and more over 40 years ago. As did a lot more kids of my age then. I know things were so much different then and we did it because we enjoyed the way of life. I don't remember anybody filming us. Well except for the occasional news or documentary crew.

Phil

You're right there Phil, how does this guy profess to be a part-time vicar and also a tv presenter, stinks of a set-up to me.

John

As I say never having watched this before, I didn't know what you have just said about him. But I have to say that he is not very worldly if he doesn't know that people who own hotels and bed & breakfast establishments don't give out freebies to people who knock at their door. The same applies to restaurants.

Is there a point to the programme? are they trying to show how hard life is on the streets for the homeless or are they just taking the P.

Phil

The initial programme was about him overspending on all sorts of things and finally coming to the conclusion he would be better off out of the
rat race and adopting Francis of Assissi's philosphy of having nothing and believing that people would look after him, so being a pilgrim , he decided to hit the road, think he had a bit of a shock, by the end of the programme he'd decided to give up, I await the next and final episode with baited breath.

John

As I said I have never watched it, but could anybody be so gullible to think they could go out on the road with no experience and get by. Surely he knows back in the time of St Francis that the clergy and monks were treated like royalty wherever they went and they didn't need money. Anybody would offer them food and money and be pleased to do so.

Phil

Dull, and blustery here today, we have a mini rally on, pretty crowded.

It looks busy John, the last time I was down there for a weekend it was a couple of years back and it was the London to Brighton Rally. It was pretty busy that weekend as well. Well it all brings money into the town doesn't it?

Phil

We watched it and in olden times people were more responsive to giving out alms.

I asked Jim what would you do now if someone knocked the door and asked for shelter and neither of us were really sure.

As I have a faith I was a little ashamed of myself for not being sure but I think the real thing is fear of who you are letting in and what will they do once they are in rather than not wanting to help someone.

I think the logical answer would be to pay for a nights Band B whee they do not seem to have these fears.

That would seem the best thing to do Denise, and very admirable, but have you any idea how many people you would have queing at your door, in a very short space of time.
That's why this kind of thing has to be left to organised charities, they are always worth supporting if you want to help. SB

SB

You say these things are best left to organised charities. What like the church hostels for the homeless that refused down & outs a bed for the night if the didn't have the few shillings needed to pay for a bed for the night.

Like the salvation army that charged the down and outs a price per portion at the hostel that we gave cases of out of date tins of beans and tomatoes to for free.

There are not many organised charities in this world that are any good today.

I would not give anybody on the streets money today, but I would but them a meal and go round to a hostel and pay for a bed for the night.

When we worked on the modernisation & envelope schemes in Birmingham we were always being asked by down & outs if they could sleep in the house we were working on. I of course had to tell them that I couldn't allow that, but I always added of course there is no lock on the back door.

Phil

So SB can still talk sense when he chooses.

WATCHA DUIN TODAY?
Washed and polished the car, inside and out, and got an hour in the sun.
VM

I take you point and understand what you say Phil. But like it or not these charities still cost money to run. Gift aid helps these days, whereby the charities can reclaim the money that donors have paid in tax. But even if all staffing is voluntary the premises still have to be paid for.
I stand by what I have said, no-one wants to see anyone homeless and certainly not starving. But giving at your own home would be absolute lunacy. The person that you have just helped will be back and most probably others too.
I deal with the Police on a regular basis and attend Police neighbourhood tasking meetings. I also attend our local Councillors Ward meetings. I hear on a very sad regular basis about some of the problems that occur in our area. Where I live is quite a good safe area as is yours. But trust me Phil the stories that you hear about in the local press are only a small selection of what happens in our day to day society.
They say an Englishmans home is is Castle, sometimes you have to know when to keep the Drawbridge up. SB

Not so much as what you doing today, it;s what you;ve done today, got ****** spent £53 and all I've got is nothing -9.55 pm and going to bed.

heatwave here, town is mobbed, went for my usual constitutional, and came back to chill out, too busy for me I like solitude.
A few shots from this morning.