A Brixtonian tree

There are strange trees in Brixton.
Outside the police station there is a large tree that looks like any other tree at first glance.

But as you get closer to the tree, you can see that the trunk is full with lanterns, notes and pictures in memory of Sean Rigg who died in police custody at Brixton station.

 

 

We should not have to have trees like this in Brixton!
However, I suspect we will continue to have them as long as the racist Metropolitan Police force is allowed to kill our young men without any legal actions against the killers.

• Video: Sean Rigg

Door problems

I have the bad luck to live on top of the main entrance of my block of flats. Sometimes it can be good thing because I get to hear a lot of gossip. People tend to forget how well sound carries when you are standing next to a wall. However, most of the time it’s a menace!

First of all, there is a door phone that with a metallic voice shouts out which flat number any visitors pressed for Queen and country to hear. I had a friend that used to say it was unsafe. I think he might have been slightly paranoid though. The mechanic call outs are okay during the day but not at 4am when I am firmly at sleep or rather tries to be at sleep!

Secondly, there are the youngsters that can’t bother to announce their arrival so they simply kick the door phone and let themselves into the building and help themselves to one of the bikes in the entrance hall. So much for security.
The other day I heard a cunning neighbour trying to scare the youngsters from stealing bikes from our house with a story of a crazy man living in the house that sometimes have a go at people with a huge knife. At least I hope it was a made up story - I never have seen such man.

Thirdly, when people kick the door phone or play with the door, which some of the little kids in the house like to do, they sometimes knock off the shield for the emergency alarm and sets off its high pitched siren. I then open my window and tell them to put it back but usually they don’t know how to do it so I end up having to go down and fix it myself. This is a hassle since I have a bad knee at the moment and struggle to climb the stairs. Next time I just have to shoot them at sight!

Today the gas and electric goes up with 20% and 18%. I have a feeling it will be a very long and cold winter for most of us in the house. I spoke with Simone about it the other day and we said we have to buy one of those Slankets and maybe a pair of slippers for both feet. Sod looking good!

I really hope I don’t get any surprise visitors this winter.

We might be cold in our flats but Brixton is certainly still burning under the surface. The footlocker store started to burn again after the riots. They put the fire out last week but yesterday the fire had started again. The fire in Brixton will go on burning until the police stop killing our young men on the streets!

Holiday

Just came back from a holiday in Sweden and it was like being on a different planet! The weather was great every day and I got myself a tan as if I have been to a Mediterranean country rather than the cold North.
Here in England I live in poverty but my family and friends in Sweden are firmly middleclass. All the houses I go to there are fantastic;

The nature is amazing;

And my lovely family are the best! (Thank you all for a fantastic holiday!)

I arrived at Arlanda Airport late in the night and my sister and her husband picked me up and we drove through the summer night to my dad’s country house. The trip took 40 minutes and we managed to see two badgers, two owls and one deer. Now they even have street signs warning for wild boar!

I had a really good time and my family spoiled me rotten, thank you! But I still can’t get over the contrast in living standards.

I arrived home during the riots. Home Sweet Home, or?