Down and Out in London

View from my bedroom in Clapton Sq - African church goers



Goodbye Clapton Sq

I am currently living in the charity of others, moving from house to house, place to place in London. I had to move from my flat in Clapton; we had a neighbour who caused trouble, banging on his ceiling (our floor) at the quietest of noises - a controlling, abusive attitude towards others in the house. Walking was enough to trigger a torrent of abuse through the floor and screams of frustration would muffle through to us from below. Satan could scream from the palace of gilded clocks that he had made for himself. "Fucking Hell!!!!!!!!!!".



Mildenhall Rd




So I have had a brief stint living in a basement, in a house that would be my ideal home - my pickyness has already made my house search last for two months, and encountering this home in Mildenhall Rd, Clapton, has raised my expectations even higher. I crave a large house share, full of floorboards and fireplaces, a cat that floats by and a garden that has overgrown. They do exist, but at this time, one or two houses pop up on the website a day - and each of these receive over a hundred responses - one of the websites crashed from over use - not a good sign.

Clapton Sq Rainbow

So far I have seen houses with rats in traps, holes in the ceiling, and that resemble a cell in a hospital. The basement started to irritate my eyes, the musty smell causing my asthma to react, though without my stint there I would have been in desperate need. I am grateful to have been put up in such a nice home.

So now I have moved to a friend's in New Cross - an area I have under explored - my sister lived here five years ago but things seem to have changed. Art galleries are appearing on Deptford Market and a train has been converted into a cafe, a conscious attempt at mimicking the East End, or a new, more honest movement fuelled by the local students? One thing is noticeable, the young middle class are certainly younger and perhaps more naive - maybe a virtue when creating a fresh area. The East End may become an Prenzlauer Berg of London and the South East a Neukolln.



Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge, Epping Forest



Greenwich

I made a trip to Epping Forest recently. I am on holiday after all it seems. Once leaving Zone 2, London becomes much more like England - men wear t-shirts with strange graffitti printed on their shirts, that a designer from Topshop has decided would be twenties years worth of easy design. No one questions this, not even middle aged men who should know better. Pubs are full of fat white men watching the football, and women who smoke over their dogs. The forest was beautiful, but it was a surprise to find a gastro-pub chain so large next to Queen Elizabeth's Hunting Lodge - one would be justified in missing the historic building in favour of a roast.





Greenwich Sunset



My exploration of South London has continued through to Telegraph Hill - a beautiful estate of Victorian housing near to New cross, not unlike Clapton but this time on a hill - with a view of London that betters Hampstead's - but the area seems to be full of bored mothers excited by a new cafe in the area that sells scones. London is a very surprising place - areas change in mood just with in the turn of a corner.

Earlier today I cycled to Camberwell to have my photographs developed for a pricey £17.00, and while I waited I cycled to Brixton, a famous area of South London, for its reggae and black music scene. The area is a shell of decayed Victorian decadence filled with mainly black culture since the Windrush. Music appears from each corner and a walk down Electric Avenue, more famous due to the song it is featured in than the fact it was the first street in London to have Electricty, takes you through saloon style buildings dominated by a street market. Brixton's wild nature is exciting to walk through. If Deptford feels like Portsmouth, Brixton feels like Blackpool.



In contrast a trip to Greenwich, a short walk from Deptford, takes you to a sea side village such as Hastings or Emsworth, full of tourist tat, but slightly posher toursit tat and Gastro Pubs. The Observertory, where GMT is set, and the College grounds are enough to make you feel you are in a city such as Prague, but in full eyesight of the dockyards and the now slightly dated looking Canary Wharf and Canada Waters.



My house search has not gone too well. The houses I love fall through and the house I dislike seem to be offered easily. Soon I will find my home - but a feeling of homelessness can cause a feeling of loneliness but the hunt will go on, it has to.