Web
chat with Mike Parr |  | Down
and out on the streets of Newcastle |
HomelessnessWhat
is it like to have no home? Radio Newcastle's Mike Parr decided to find
out for himself just what it's like not knowing where - or if - you'll get a bed. Mike
Parr answers your questions in this special 大象传媒 Inside Out web chat. Web
chat...Q. I
watched your report on "Inside Out" and found it very moving. I
often think about the dilemma faced by people who are unfortunate enough to not
have a home, a thing that we all take for granted most of the time. Is
it not possible foe the numerous churches in the area to open up their church
halls to provide at least a roof over their head for people that are homeless?
I am sure that if the church provided a safe
place for people to shelter that the public would come forward with sleeping bags
and other essential items and it wouldn't cost anything to do this. I
know it's not a long term solution but at least it would help in the short term.
Thank you for doing the programme - it was
upsetting but good to have our eyes opened to the horrific nightmare that some
men and women have to endure. Best wishes.
Beverley
Newcastle A. The church
idea is a good one. There might be a security issue to deal with, but there is
no doubt that all the hostels are full at the moment.  | | On
the streets - Mike Parr sleeping rough |
It's just so
cold out there at this time of year. The summer is slightly better, but
you just get so miserable being out on your own. By and large they do look
after each other, but there is always an element of danger lurking round the corner. Q.
Hi Mike. Although I live in Spennymoor my wife and I have
the odd night out in Newcastle and stay overnight. We
have seen some of the homelessness that you have highlighted and we have also
seen this in London and Edinburgh.
I would
be interested to hear what you think the answer to the problem could be? Although
I often feel for them, I must admit I also discourage my wife from giving money
to them as I believe that this only extends the problem as I think it is true
to say this money will go to their addictions. I
think most of them are there because of serious problems at home, be it their
own doing or another family members. I believe
the problem needs to be addressed at a much earlier stage hopefully to stop people
being dragged into homelessness and the never ending circle they then face.
Although I discourage giving them money we do try to give a bite to eat or
a drink sometimes.
Just to finish, congratulations on the way you portrayed
the homeless as people and not the scum of the street.
Clive Mason A.
There is evidence to show that any money you give to
rough sleepers could well end up being spend on drink or drugs.  | | Mike
Parr after his experience of sleeping rough |
We've
got to find a way of breaking the cycle. They
need expert help in getting off their addiction and then they need to get a job.
Not easy without looking smart and presentable. Worse
still if you've got any kind of prison record. Employers
just don't want to know and won't take the risk. Your
point about rough sleepers not being scum is very important. All
the people I met were bright intelligent individuals. They are not scum. They
just need a lot of time and understanding. It's
an expensive business giving them that time. Understanding
from the family is the best option. Easier said than done. Q.
It's more a comment than a question. The night you were
out on the street you asked me for a light. I
looked you in the face and politely told you that I didn't have one. I don't smoke
so genuinely didn't have a light. I respect that by this point you must have been
refused one many a time and were tired and cold, but the look you gave me was
one of disgust. You clearly didn't believe
me. You said on your programme that people glanced at you and didn't talk to you.
Maybe this is a fear of a reaction when we
do not meet your demands. Your reaction to me definitely made me feel uneasy and
unsafe. I'm not saying all homeless people
will react unpleasantly, but some do, and that puts me off making eye contact
and speaking to others especially as I am a young female. I
also think on your programme could have a safer and more constructive way we could
help, such as a relevant charity or project to support.
Jenny Whitehead
A. Really interesting to hear
from you Jenny. I'd never done anything like that before. How many of us
have had to get down and sit on the street?  | | Homeless
man - a sadly too common sight |
As
soon as you do it,the world becomes a very different place. You become
a second class citizen and I guess I was just trying to make contact. Clearly,
I was going about in the wrong way! People glance at you for half a second
and the pretend you're not there. I was getting fed up... I'd been sitting down
there for a couple of hours and I was cold. I was starting to get a bit
frustrated that nobody would talk to me. Maybe a smile would have helped? But
then of course you look happy?? Q.
Thanks for offering us a valuable insight into life on the
streets, Mike. My questions is - what was the worst part of spending the night
on the streets?
And how did you cope with the cold?
John, Consett A.
The worst part of doing
the whole thing was sitting on the street. You feel as though everybody is looking
at you... and they are! Except
they don't show it for more than half a second. Pretending
you're not there is easier than having a conversation. One
young woman took great pleasure in telling me to get a f***ing job. Using
a cigarette as a prop was a good move. If you ask for a light, most people will
then start to talk to you and ask if you're OK. As
for the cold?... it starts to get to you after just a couple of hours. I
had six layers on and special long johns that explorers use - still freezing!
Q. What
will you take away from your experience of spending a night with the homeless
in Newcastle?
June, Durham A.
I've sometimes wondered how many of these people were just begging on the street
to see how much they could make.  | | Mike
before he started his homeless night |
I've
been told by some that you can make 拢200 a day in the right place. I
find that hard to believe. In future not only will I give them a quid, I'll also
stop and have a conversation with them. Alright, they can look a bit rough,
but they won't bite. Oh... and I'll never complain about about having a
bad nights sleep again! Q. How
did you manage to keep warm when you were sleeping rough?
Tony, Bishop Auckland A.
The weather was a bit better than forecast - it was bitterly cold, but the gales
and rain didn't arrive until dawn. Heaven knows how you keep fit and healthy
if you're not only tired and cold, but wet as well.
You stick as many
clothes on as you can. But when you're sitting on the pavement, it doesn't
matter how many layers you put on,the freezing cold flagstones get through to
your backside pretty quickly! Q.
Did people passing by treat you differently because you were sleeping on the streets
and what surprised you most about people's attitudes to you?
Linda, Heaton A.
I got a more sympathetic reaction from other men. Maybe women felt a bit
threatened by me, which is understandable. I had quite a long conversation
with a group of lads in their 20's.  | | Mike
Parr enjoys a hot cup of coffee after his sleepless night |
They
were really concerned about me and asked if I was going to be OK. I try
not to judge people by their appearance, but I got not response AT ALL from well
dressed men and women. Make of that what you will. The community
spirit amongst the rough sleepers themselves was extraordinary. There is no class
divide out on the street. Q. How
did the experience affect you physically after you'd done it? And how did you
feel emotionally?
Elaine, Swarland A.
I was knackered. Never felt quite like that before. When we finished filming
at 10 o'clock the following morning my head was spinning. We'd been wandering
around all night, managing to get a couple of hours on a hostel floor between
5am and 7am. Needless to say, you don't really sleep. How do these guys
exist? They must feel like they're off their heads all the time. In
many cases they are, with drink and drugs masking the pain.
Emotionally,
I felt like I'd met some very special people. You'll sometimes hear me
complain about things. This was a real eye opener. We take so much for
granted in our lives and the next time I hear the rain lashing at my bedroom window,
I'll be thinking about Les, Jay, Lincoln and all the other guys out there. Q.
Has the whole thing changed your attitude to the homeless?
Michael
Allen, Jesmond, Newcastle A. Without
a doubt. There are lots of charities out there asking for your help. How
do you choose which one to give your hard earned cash to? I spoke to one
teenage mum who is 18. She's got two young children that live with her parents.
She lives rough out on the street. She's too ashamed to meet her own kids
because she's never sober. Those kids need their mum, but they need her
in the right state. I wondered why rough sleepers don't simply end it all?
This young mum clings onto the prospect of getting herself cleaned up so
that she can be a proper mum. She won't be able to do it on her own. Q.
Thanks for the very moving and sad story - it reminded me of Cathy Come Home all
those years ago in the 1960s. It's hard to
believe that we don't seem to have moved on much further since then, What's the
best thing people could do to help the homeless in this day and age in your opinion?
Anita
A, Newcastle A. I
know聟 the sun goes down and all these people are buried away in little holes
all over the place.  | | Cathy
Come Home - the groundbreaking TV play |
Lincoln
is a (very talented) musician. He dreams of having his own recording studio one
day. At the moment
he lives in an old store room underneath a derelict building. There
is no light and it's full of empty beer cans and syringes. Of
course, money always helps. We
all need to try and be a bit less judgmental. If
only families could be a bit more understanding. If
that fails, then money is needed for hostels and help with addiction聟 and
the big one聟 employers need to take risk with these guys. Q.
First of all, well done! Before and after your experience on the streets I
listened to your morning radio show. Contributors
seemed to be in two camps, firstly those who emphasised the camaraderie that existed,
and secondly those who stressed the danger in sleeping rough. What
is your opinion?
Maurice A.
The group spirit is there. I was really impressed by that. All these people
on the streets for all sorts of different reasons but sticking together.
Mostly men but all sorts of ages. There is no class system out on the streets.
That's good. They all generally look out for each other. But the
danger is always lurking. The guys with serious drugs problems could be round
the next corner. They will attack you. How people can relax enough to go
to sleep when there is no front door is beyond me. Links relating to this
story:The
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听听Inside
Out - North East: Monday January 19, 2007