MyStoryUK PeterP "UPS & DOWNS" by New Hanbury Project

& DOWNS UPS I made a mistake

play with numbers

had a life

dealing with people alter the shape of my head beneﬁt type gig gets me really stressed

working together without the Trust . . . . .

Peter P

Rough Sleeper I’ve got a personal reason

I’m not a saint

treat people as individuals aggravate me so much

accurate ﬁgures about Rough Sleepers

MyStoryUK PeterP Rough Sleeper “Ups & Downs”

UPS & DOWNS Peter P Rough Sleeper Ian S

Peter, can you tell me just a bit about yourself?

Peter P I am 58 years old. I’ve been up here, a member of the Street Homeless Community for the last four and a half years. Prior to that, I lived in a town called Hythe down in Kent. I worked in the amusement park for 40 plus years. I was ride operator to start with and raised myself up to Assistant Manager. Unfortunately, in 2002 for personal reasons things went pear shaped and for the ﬁrst time since 1974 I made a mistake in thinking it was just one drink. In two years I’d lost home, job, everything and found myself actually on the streets as a rough sleeper. Back in 1978 / 79 I was up here with an organisation called Youth With A Mission when I ﬁrst met the homeless. I spent 5 years working the amusement park in the summer months and living in a place called the Ballroom as a rough sleeper but working as a volunteer at the London Embankment Mission. At best I can call myself is a backstreet Christian but there was a time when I stopped drinking and I became a fully committed Christian and had a life.

Things went pear shaped, I did one thing and ended up on the streets into the drink. I would have lost it completely, because I had some bad experiences out there, if it hadn’t been for, I call it “Katie’s” otherwise known as Shoreditch Community Project.

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A2er 8 months out on the street I took accommodation. I won’t mention the Housing Association but let’s say, “I was sold a pup.” And in total disgust, 1st of January 2007, I went back on the streets. On the 10th of January 10 pm in the evening, I bedded down. I came to myself in the a2ernoon of the 11th in the Royal London Hospital. It appears that some nice kind gentleman had come along with a large piece of timber and tried to alter the shape of my head. It was an experience I would never have got through if it hadn’t been for the support I got from the Trust. And since then there’s been ups and downs but the Trust has always been there. Anybody like Katie or Graham or Brent would know that I’m not a saint but I’m one of those people, in a strange way I have to say, “Thank you.” And its been a privilege to be able to do a walk in aid of the Trust and even now, go out there on the weekend and clear up the rubbish out of respect for the Trust. It taught me as well that St Leonard’s is a place of Christian worship. Even now I have struggles, I don’t claim to be a saint, I’m a rough sleeper but I’m also a bit of a . . . . . I’ve got what my younger brother calls, “a campaign head.” I could get in touch with Broadway and be in somewhere but I will not go up the street to the City. All the time the Corporation of London / Broadway have got what they call, “A Cleansing Program,” which has eased up for the moment. 3

MyStoryUK PeterP Rough Sleeper “Ups & Downs”

But from April through to November what they was doing was coming along at half past one / two o’clock in the morning, moving us on by just washing down this place where we were sleeping. This would aggravate me so much when they came along and did it twice in one morning, I actually ended up getting arrested and ended up in court. For even now its something I feel strongly about, that the Rough Sleeper Community, and I’m using the term “Rough Sleeper,” does not get the support it needs from certain areas. I’ll give you a classic organisation. There’s a well known organisation called “Crisis” and I thank God that they’re there. But they had a massive campaign asking for money prior to Christmas talking of a figure that they would be catering for 2000 homeless people. But the reality is, according to UK Government figures, there are only 500 rough sleepers in the whole of the UK. So if all those 2000 went to Crisis, where did the other 1500 come from? So if I was to say, if my purpose in life is anything at the moment, its to get accurate figures about rough sleepers so those well-meaning organisations that are working with them and those well-meaning people who want to give to those organisations, know who they’re dealing with. The term “Homeless” is a bit of a misnomer. It can mean people in Hostels, B&Bs, Rehabs, Day Centres, Squats . . . I just wish they would use the term “Rough Sleeper” 4

5MyStoryUK PeterP Rough Sleeper “Ups & Downs”

for rough sleepers and not play are dealing with people.

with numbers. Remember they

You wanted to know about me - but that is me at the moment. Yeah, Ian’s doing the interview at the moment and we had a wonderful Christmas dinner and Ian was a member of the band that were playing. And I’ve actually got across a suggestion that the band do a beneﬁt

type gig. One - to promote the work of the Trust. Two - maybe raise funds. Because if I have to do anything else, its organisations like the Trust, Shoreditch Community and others that really care. Until the smaller groups get the backing they need, I will continue to push them. But I know even now . . . . . This is something that gets me really stressed up. I’m gonna have to go for a walk in a minute a2er this interview because I’m one of those people, if I feel strongly about something, especially a2er a chat . . . . . I have to be very careful though when to walk away. So if Ian’s got any more questions of a more direct nature, fire away. Ian S How do you find the Drop-In? Does it help you? Do you get on with the Staff and the Volunteers? Peter P I think the Staff and the Volunteers are a wonderful group of people. I will throw in Brent as well. He’s supposedly the Development Manager but he’s a man I’ve come to know and respect, working

together. One thing I found with the Trust. I’ve actually been washing up while Graham is hoovering. I’ve seen Brent pushing the broom and they’re the type of people I can get on with and thank. 5

MyStoryUK PeterP Rough Sleeper “Ups & Downs”

In fact, I look at the Trust, Staﬀ and Volunteers, not just as Staﬀ but as friends. I don’t know whether I’m supposed to do that but some of them like Brent and Caroline, I knew before I even started using the Drop-In, yet I regard them as friends. So without

the Trust . . . . .

Of all the Drop-In places and Day Centres that are in London, apart from occasionally going over to the Manor for a shower, the Trust is the only place I use. Now if that doesn’t say something, that either makes me completely strange or there’s something there for the Trust. Can I just say, if we’re talking of the Trust, I’ve got a personal reason for being very grateful. My own brother now works for the Trust. And if anybody says, “Rehabs don’t work,” I just point the ﬁnger at him, another friend of mine called John who plays the drums and Ian himself. So the evidence is there. Cos all I ask people to do is they treat people as individuals. And if anything makes the Drop-In and the Trust as a whole, diﬀerent to the others, they do treat people as individuals. Ian S

Thank you Peter. Thank you. Thanks Peter.

PS Congratulations to Katie and Caroline on their forthcoming births.

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Published by MyStoryUK words Peter P (DropIn) interview by Ian S January 9 2009 typing AlinkaM photo & design RodB the Spitalﬁelds Crypt Trust www.sct.org.uk at the New Hanbury Project 020 7613 5636 3 Calvert Avenue London E2 7JP paper March 2009 online ISSUU April 2013 RecoveryChannelUK@gmail.com

lots of short ﬁlms on YouTube RecoveryChannelUK online books at ISSUU MyStoryUK

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. 7

MyStoryUK PeterP Rough Sleeper “Ups & Downs”

More productions from MyStoryUK Lee H “My first experience of living on the streets” “It was the same old thing, drinking in the park. The same old story.”

“Nathan” “I FEEL GREAT!” “I just want to be happy now and plan for the future. No-one knows what’s going to happen tomorrow – you have to live today, but I’ve got a huge amount invested in not drinking.” Simon Bradbury “THROW AWAY THAT SUICIDE BAG” “Whilst doing these drawings a lot of ‘stuff’ has arisen within me, stuff which I’m happy to say, even though rather hard to handle, is all part of the road towards recovery.” see a Simon animation “Glass gotta go” on YouTube RecoveryChannelUK 8

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I ts no t a l l

Do om & G lo om

C l i ve M MyStoryUK “everybody has a story to tell”

Clive M “Its not all Doom & Gloom” “My mother and father divorced when I was 10. My father, he got the custody of myself, my 2 brothers and my 2 sisters. And things got worse since the divorce. This new woman that had come into his life, she was married, she had kids of her own. She’d try to play the mother role but I didn’t like her. I hated her.” Rob L “A quiet child I thought” “Four years ago a court order prevented me from seeing my six year old son and my two elder children had long ceased to speak to me. He’s ten now and spending the weekend with me.”