Wednesday, March 21, 2012

No more routine

I finished work! I am unashamedly smug about it. I've been back less than a year from travelling, and i am off again for another year! Since i don't yet have a baby and can't really comprehend what it might be like to have a small baby dominating my life, it seems a bit of a cheat. I've got a year off with nothing to do......... haha.

It couldn't come soon enough, and for an unusual reason for me. I think mostly because i am pregnant and feeling protective over Starbucks (but could also be because i am a rational human being) i was glad that i no longer have to visit Peck'narm everyday. Sometimes its great to work in one of the worst places in London, at least you get the really gritty tough cases. But then the weekend before last, a 30 year old women got shot when she was caught in a gun fight between two adult male gang members. My go to with this is well, its highly unlikely to be me. However, if this wasn't a Sunday, it could well have been me. She was my age, on a street I walk down most days, and at a time when i might well have been there (5:15pm). We know there are large gang problems in Peckham, but it usually remains contained to them hurting each other, which while not great, neatly confines the problem.

On top of this on the day i finished the whole office was allowed to go home early. Orders were to make sure we were all well out of the building at 5pm and away from Peck'narm as the previous night a gang fight had erupted on the derelict land outside our office doors and they were concerned that people were already cumulating for another night of trouble. We only get to leave an hour early once a year, on New Years Eve, if we are very well behaved. So for our employer to consider it serious enough to send the whole office home had me worried. Its one thing to hurt each other, another to be hurting others who are simply walking by (there's no back gate to the office).

I think i am also simply disappointed that since we have seen less and less gang kids recently in our service, i thought we might be winning in combating the stupid dynamics of the 'gangs' of south London. [Isn't that why the government have stopped funding gangs disruption work after only two years of funding.]

In good news though, there are so many beautiful tree's out in bloom shouting out 'SPRING' in spectacular style around London. Often on a urban backdrop of brick and dereliction on the estates, that the contrast makes them even more stunning. I'll upload some here soon.

1 comment:

Spinster said...

Was hoping that the gang madness had decreased or been eliminated too. Unfortunately, along with this woman in Peck-Nam, a young man (17 or 18) was stabbed to death in Brixton. He was a really good kid, never involved in gangs - hated them as a matter-of-fact - and had never been to Brixton before his death. What a shame that he likely died at the hands of a gang.

Let's see what the government plans to screw up... oops sorry, do next.