The library closes early today so I don't have a lot of time left with the lifeline and comfort of the internet, so I want to write some more.
I just went to get a cup of tea and some food, I was given a parcel with some tins, some tights, a toothbrush (which I needed) and some deodourant, so I am happy. I also got 5 McDonalds stickers, I only need one more in order to get a cup of tea.

London memories: Hm, these memories have turned out a bit different to the others.

Several attempts were made to get me through the council housing processes in one borough, the one where my sister lived, because the fact that she lived there gave me a local connection, I couldn't cope with the process, I couldn't explain about the church, I couldn't see any point in going through this exhausting process and being placed in a dangerous noisy hostel, as is the procedure for anyone who wants to be housed by the council.
The council recommended that I went to a women's daycentre where I could access food and help things, I went there and after filling in the forms the centre told me they were going to set social services on me, I wrote them a letter on the spot saying that they would be liable for any harm I suffered at the hands of social servcies, and then I left. Social services are a very harmful organization in my experience. Other people might think otherwise, but for me they have only ever been harmful.

London, I love the Tube, I find the steps and escalators and walkways very difficult, the wear and tear left me really struggling to walk, well a combination of the tube and trying to walk in the west end, I ended up in really difficulty.
Anyway, back to the Tube, the London Underground, my first experience of the tube was with my sister years ago on day trips to London, my first tube trips alone were a few years ago when I stayed at maytree sanctuary for the suicidal a few years ago at Christmas, the day I left maytree I got caught up in the football crowds on the tube, which was utterly hellish and distressing.

http://maytree.org.uk/

The Amateur Transplants did a song called 'LondonUnderground', but don't listen to it if you are a Christian or unless you are very strong.

Then when I came to live in London I discovered that the tube is a great way of travelling some of the time and especially on days that you can't walk far.
Around Waterloo Station people often drop travelcards that are valid on the tube. Another great way of getting around on the tube and buses is the Oyster Card, a credit card type travelcard, not long after I arrived in London a group of people who I should have explained about but didn't and will later, bought me an Oyster card and put £15 on it, a Godsend. The other good thing about owning an Oyster is that it is worth £5 if you hand it in at the Station, so if you are out of money and starving and gasping for a cup of tea, you can get £5 in return for your Oyster and buy another Oyster next time you get some money. I have done this several times and my fellow homeless people told me that this is what you should do with any Oyster that you find, and so I handed in several broken thrown away Oysters and got the money in return, London is harsh but it does have good points.

While in London I continued to try to get help in dealing with the church, mainly for the reason of protecting myself from one particular person who made it clear that they intend to go on harming me. But I was unsuccesful in getting any help, the church have ensured that all avenues are closed to me.

When I used to visit London to see my sisters and friends, we used to go out on the Thames on the boat, and we used to go to the merrigoround near Waterloo and Somerset House, once we went on the London Eye, but now it is hard for me to look at the Thames because it is tidal and reminds me of the sea, I try to think of it as a beautiful river, all lit up at night though, and I discover that the National Gallery is a great place for homeless people (don't share this bit of blog with any homeless people or there will be trouble), the National Gallery has toilets open in the evening, it has sitting places, it even has sockets to charge phones if you are careful, it has free shows, I don't know the full extent of the gallery, I barely used it, the National Theatre was also useful with free open air shows and toilets if you are careful. My friend said he used to sleep near there in the stairwell. Somerset house had it's uses as well, lockers to stash backpacks if you have a pound, nice toilets, sitting space, a nice courtyard and balcony, all free.
I used to leave my backpack at Somerset house for the day and walk up to the internet cafe nearby when I had any money, internet and a cuppa and no backpack to lug about. Keep that information restricted.