Patric
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“I real
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MyStoryUK “everybody has a story to tell”
Patrick B “I really enjoy that” Interviewed by Simon B Simon Hello Patrick, how are you? Patrick Alright Simon. Simon You’re alright, yeah. Can you tell me a bit about yourself and what you do here at the Hanbury? Patrick I do Gardening and help support. I do a bit at Spitalfields City Farm for the Lord Mayor’s show. And raising money for Hanbury and supporting Sheona, all the staff and everyone - the volunteers and the students - looking after everyone. And when we go away to the Fellowship Afloat I support them there.
The opening day of the Garden is coming up. I help clear up the rubbish and all that round the parks. Simon How long have you been coming to the Hanbury Patrick? Patrick Years. And I really enjoy it. Nice little Project - keep going. Simon Were you at the Old Hanbury near Brick Lane? Patrick Yeah, with Rod and a few of the others . . . and Bernard. Simon So you live in the area? Patrick In Shoreditch Old Street. Simon And where did you come from originally? Patrick um East End - East London. Simon Would you like to tell us about your early East End days?
Patrick I used to hang about by the Tunnel years ago, Blackwell Tunnel, mucking about. I’d help people in the markets when I was a kid.
Simon What sort of things did you used to do at the market? Patrick Help with the stalls, fruit stalls, bring the barrows out, things like that. Simon And did you enjoy that? Patrick Little bits, yeah.
Cos I used to know a guy called John Granger who used to help me out with a couple of quid for helping him out. Simon When was that - at the weekends? Patrick Sometimes in the week as well - and Peter Clark. Simon Which Markets were they? Patrick Roman Road, Christ Street and Pettycoat Lane . . . and Borough sometimes. Simon And did you go to school in that area? Patrick No, Grove Road. Simon And how was that? Patrick Good. Simon You enjoyed that? Patrick Yeah. ‘Cos you used to, one of them’s a hospital, and we used to
do . . . um night types of schools where you can play games. And things at night, have sandwiches, tea and coffee and go swimming in the evening.
Simon Do you like swimming? Patrick Yeah, I go swimming at South End with Hanbury. I swam right out to a boat, hold on the chain to the anchor. Simon So how did you hear about the Hanbury originally? Patrick Through a guy called John who used to work at the Drop-In, saw him shopping. He used to help people who are homeless and he used to go there for tea and coffee and sandwiches.
He told me about it. Simon And you used to go to the Drop-In did you? Patrick Yes, sometimes. Simon And how was that? Patrick Not too good. Because they used to mix with the homeless who drink and take drugs and wee outside. Simon And where was the Drop-In, Patrick? Patrick At St Leonard’s Church.
Simon And did many people go there? Patrick A few people, I used to know a guy called John Clark, and Katie Griffin. Simon And they used to look after everyone? Patrick Yeah, support one another. Simon And where do you live at the moment? Patrick Shoreditch.
Simon And you live by yourself? Patrick Yeah. Simon And how’s that? Patrick Not too good ‘cos people take the mickey out of me, and they call me “odd bod”.
Simon Kids. Patrick I told the Police, the Police and the Council, they’re not doing nothing about it. Simon Have you got many friends round that area? Patrick Not many. I got one friend who I help at a little shop across the road, give him a bit of help and he gives me bananas and that. And a little Bookies where I go you can sit down and he gives you tea and coffee and toast.
Simon So what do you do with your day then? Patrick Just go for bus rides - all over. Help on the Farm sometimes. Simon What do you do at the Farm? Patrick Help with the animals and that mucking out and things like that.
Simon And you enjoy that do you? Patrick Yes. Wednesdays I go there, and Saturdays. Simon Ah, that sounds like good fun.
Simon So, you go Wednesday and Saturday to the Farm. And when do you come to the Hanbury? Patrick The rest of the week, Monday and Thursday. Simon And you just help out wherever they need a bit of help?
Patrick Yeah Simon So what are you doing in the garden at the moment? Patrick Clearing rubbish and planting. Plant the stuff up, mowing, cutting the hedge and things like that.
Simon Its a good team? Patrick Yeah.
Simon You enjoy it? Patrick Yeah, got a friendly guy called Nick, I don’t know his surname, Michael and Paul, the teacher, and a couple of others who help out. We are hoping to do a big design show, Festival, in a couple of weeks. Simon Also, you did some Art didn’t you, did some painting? Patrick For the Hanbury Project to raise money. Simon There was an Exhibition and your art was up. Did you enjoy the painting? Patrick Yeah, I’d like to do some more, with Simon and Rod, a nice big one. Simon A big one?
Patrick A bigger one. Simon What kind of paintings do you like to do? Patrick A big, a sort of bigger one, don’t really mind. Simon You need to think about something. Patrick Yeah. Simon Well maybe we can do that again sometime? Patrick Yeah
Simon I also heard, well you told me actually, that it was your birthday. Patrick Yeah, Sunday. Simon Last Sunday? Patrick This Sunday coming.
Simon Oh, its this Sunday. So your . . . what date is that then? Patrick The 5th of September. Simon Wow! You’re looking forward to that? Patrick Yeah. Simon You’ve got anything planned? Patrick Not really, just going to see some friends. Simon That’s nice.
Patrick Have something to eat, maybe at Weatherspoons. Simon Is that a local then? Patrick No, Bethnal Green, Cowen’s Inn its called. Simon Do you mind me asking how old you will be? Patrick 45 Simon Lovely. So what are you doing today at the Hanbury after we’ve finished our interview? Patrick Just having a little chill out for a little while, then go into the garden this afternoon after 2 o’clock. Do some more watering and things. Simon Got any words - things you’d like to say about the Hanbury? How its helped you? Patrick Um, helped me with . . . to get to know Jesus, especially with Sheona.
Sheona’s teaching me the bit in the Bible, how Jesus grew up.
And to be nice and kind and that. And help to raise . . . do the sponsored run for the Hanbury. Simon You’re going to do the sponsored run? Patrick Yes, I’d like to do that. There’s other stuff for the Hanbury, whatever comes up. Simon Ahh, nice. Patrick And because there’s the Lord Mayor’s Show, I’m going to help with the Lord Mayor’s Show in November. Just started last week, put my name down.
Simon What are you going to do for that, do you think? Patrick Masks. Simon You’re going to make some masks are you? Patrick Yes, chicken heads. Simon Oh, great. Patrick Go for it. Simon Anything else? Patrick No, that’s it. Make money for the Hanbury, that’s it . . . and the staff and get, hopefully we get. Have a nice time at Fellowship Afloat with fireworks and all that in the start of November, in March sorry. Simon You’ve been to Fellowship Afloat before, haven’t you? Patrick Yeah, its lovely there.
Simon You enjoy that! Patrick Yeah, we do sailing, going out on motor boat rides, a proper boat across the sea. We do archery, play table tennis and things like that, and games all together, lovely Sheona and all the students and all that, yeah. All together, all the staff, we all play a game climbing walls and that.
Simon You do a bit of climbing there. Patrick Yeah, walls, climbing up a big wall and playing football together with Jonathon and that. And tag with football, that’s good fun there.
And Bernie, we have a laugh with Bernie. He makes the coffee early in the morning at eight o’clock. Simon And how long do they last, Fellowship Afloat - a few days? Patrick Yeah, 3 to 4 days.
Simon And how do you get there? Patrick On the bus and Rod drives, the mini bus, and Sheona and all that come along with us. Simon So its fun? Sounds like fun. I’ve never managed to get along there myself.
Patrick You should come, Simon. Simon Yes. Patrick This year, it would be nice to have you there cos they all welcome you on board.
Simon Yes. Well Patrick, its very nice to have an interview with you. I hope you have enjoyed doing it. You’ve been waiting to do one, haven’t you? Patrick Yeah, I was waiting - ten to eleven o’clock. Yeah. ten to eleven for you to come in. Simon Well, we’ve managed to do it now, so thanks very much. Is there anything you would like to round off with?
Patrick No thank you Simon. Simon Well thank you, its a pleasure.
Simon
Patrick
Published by MyStoryUK interview by Simon B August 2010 (Hanbury) Paintings Patrick B Photos Various design Rod B the Spitalfields Crypt Trust www.sct.org.uk and the New Hanbury Project 020 7613 5636 3 Calvert Avenue London E2 7JP paper January 2011 ISSUU October 2012 RecoveryChannelUk@gmail.com
Feel free to share this heartwarming story with your family and friends. For paper copies please contact Spitalfields Crypt Trust Janice Taylor 020 7613 5677 janice.taylor@sct.org.uk 116 - 118 Shoreditch High Street London E1 6JN.
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