Camping without a sleeping bag

Following a mistake by yours truly I ended up wild camping in a tent without a sleeping bag last week and this has got me very thoughtful about how rough sleepers cope. But first I must say ...

It was a fabulous week away with the best weather possible. We spent 2 days in the mountains taking on Snowdon via Crib Goch, and 3 days on the beach all spent with the Wonderful Kellets. The week was finished off with a visit to see the Sturmeys and Colcloughs in Wellington, two families we have met camping in Wales so they know a thing or two about staying warm in a tent. And we just had time to visit Godfirst church in Cheltenham before heading back to Catford. I loved last week; it had everything - adventure, amazing views, spending time with great family and friends, time with my wife and children - and I got back all ready to organise and prepare talks for this weekend's social action conference.

Anyhow, back to the wild camping. I managed to only pack one sleeping bag for our Dads and Lads wild camping trip so I was left with the only option which was to sleep in all my clothes and 2 dressing gowns (donated to me by my son and nephew) and donate my brand new sleeping bag to my son. After putting up the tents and the classic camp fire, we all headed to our beds and I managed to get to sleep OK and for the first 4 hours slept more than I was awake. But by 2am I knew that I was in trouble as the night had suddenly got much colder - obviously the cloud had cleared! Between 2am and 5am I tried everything to stop having cold spots on my body but every time I moved another part of me felt cold. In fact I had a recurring 'nightmare' when I came to, to realise that I did not have a sleeping bag!!

So it made me think that rough sleepers go through a huge amount of pain. I had a shelter over my head so was always going to be dry. And I also know that people sleep rough in far colder weather. But the cold wakes you up, it leaves you feeling vulnerable and helpless. There are some people I know who prefer to sleep rough rather than be 'inside' a house. One man in Bedford always slept rough and I remember finding him one night when there was a layer of frost on his bedding. A few winters ago I found a man in Lewisham centre who was sleeping with snow covering part of him. It seems the body can adjust to the cold but I don't intend to practice this 'skill'. Next time I will double check the number of sleeping bags before setting off to the mountains!

The Beauty of Mountains

One of the times when I know I am most alive is when I escape to the mountains. And because of my Knee injuries and then the operation I haven't been up a mountain since the last day of July when we climbed Maeglase in Mid Wales. Today then signals the start of a new year of mountains and every year my brother-in-law and I take our boys away camping and scrambling. So assuming my leg holds up we will be getting our fill of the beauty that is the British Isles. Each time I climb I realise how untouched the mountains are. Sure there are paths worn by boots but there are many parts of the mountains that simply do not get affected by humans. But a long time ago I realised that I should live in the city but get to the hills as regularly as possible. So here we go ... I'm off to the mountains.

The smell of poverty

When I went to Mumbai I was told to prepare for the smell that would hit me. Well on a number of occasions in London I have smelt far worse than anything I smelt in mumbai. Yesterday was an example of this - sadly in one of the houses I manage!! And because I wanted the causes of the smell out of the house immediately I cleared out the room. It was really foul, so if you are currently eating or feel squimish don't read this! Firstly there were the milk cartoons with various levels of milk in them, including one on the radiator. Next there was the blue bread After that it was the maggots in the ham Then suspicious looking eggs that I have now discovered are cochroach eggs. It was shockingly bad. I don't want to mention the rest. I cleared the floor in order to open the window to get some fresh air - but when I got to the window I was amazed to find it fully open. Ahhh! Late last evening and hours after being in the room I got a smell of it again. How did that smell stay with me? It is the smell of poverty. Of neglect. Reflecting a lack of self worth and ultimately a desperately sad end to this man's opportunity to rebuild his life! The room reflected his own heart!

The price of tea.

Saturday I attended a conference at the Queen Elizabeth II Centre in Westminster. Walking past the lines of police to get to and from Charing Cross station was most of what I saw of the demonstration. Although by the time I walked back through Trafalgar Square, there was a strange atmosphere brewing, people standing around waiting to see what would happen next. Seeing so many police, there were 4500 on duty in Central London, I had a number of questions. Who is paying for all this? Are there any police on duty in the rest of the capital? Where do they (the police) live? This is important because they are after all normal human beings and yet when you see this fluorescent clad mass guarding the famous buildings in Whitehall and Parliament Square (and seemingly most buildings in Central London) they felt like a different type of human, from a different planet!. They didn't feel like neighbours or part of families. It was reassuring that when I did speak to one of 'them' she spoke English and was very helpful and friendly. That was a relief! The conference was called 'Everything' and was a great day. I do need to report (see previous blog) that it did not have any sport so it could be called 'everything minus sport'. Seriously the day was very encouraging, I felt reassured that I am playing a small but important part in being an agent of community change in my part of the world. Anyway back to the subject of this blog - the price of tea. I have a theory that the more expensive the price of a cup of tea, the worse it is! I love tea but my wife loves coffee hence we go to 'specialised' coffee shops (naming no names). The price in these shops is disgusting (for what is just boiling water on a tea bag with a dash of milk) but the taste is even worse. However the best cup of tea is the one I make at home, which costs only a few pence to make. This is not just a theory, it is factually true! So on Saturday outside Westminster Abbey I had a pre-conference brew, the cost was £1.25, which is a better price than I expected for what is a tourist trap, and the taste was pretty good. But it was not in the same league as the 75pence cuppa that I had today in a small cafe near the Premier Radio studios, very close to Millbank in Central London. There is very little better than a proper cup of builders tea (minus the 2 spoonfuls of sugar). I was there because I was being interviewed for a radio show that is hosted by Steve Chalke. I was a little nervous although probably more about getting there on time, hence I was early and had tea. The interview was lovely, more like a chat in a cafe, talking about how we had got to 6 houses and how people's lives have been changed. It was fun and the 12 minutes flew by, Steve and his team were great. When it is broadcast I will post it on the blog. Tomorrow I am back in Central London for the CSJ Alliance conference which should be a very interesting day. Amongst the speakers is Frank Field MP who has the rather concerning job description of 'poverty czar' within the Coalition! I will, of course, be looking for the cup of tea that tastes divine! The cheaper the better!

Photos of Chepstow Trip 2011

This Peacock is able to fly/jump up to the top of a very high tree. It lives in the grounds of the building we stay in. Last year someone asked me to call the RSPB to help the bird get down because they thought it was stuck.










Matthew and Pearl showing us how it should be done.
















This is a 'roofless' chapel that provides endless photo opportunities. This photo includes nearly all the group who went.

Everything and a bit more

We had a really good time last week, it was the 3 day project trip to Chepstow. The weather was great and we managed to get out and do lots of walking in the beautiful Wye Valley and the Forest of Dean. I will post some photos when I get them. As I suggested in a previous post there are usually a few who don't make it at the last moment, so on this trip we had 2 no shows but we still took 20 of us.

So now back in the office I am planning what is happening next at the JRP. So here goes.

This Saturday a few of us are attending a conference called Everything which is all about how do have the biggest influence we can have on society believing that God is much bigger than and very concerned about how his Kingdom affects all aspects of life. So on the advertising blurb there is focus on the media, the arts, medical and social change but personally it does seems to be missing something! Sport! How does the wonderful world of sport fit into Everything!

Next up is a Feast/JRP afternoon out on Easter Monday (25th April in case you were wondering). For the first few years of the project we did this regularly but during the last couple of years we have not done this sort of trip. Basically it means this, we reduce the crime/street drinking issues in Catford by taking them to a park away from Lewisham. On a serious note these are memorable occasions that people talk about for years. For some it is the only time they leave the city. You are very welcome to come and join us. Swanley Park has a small railway running around the park, and we will be providing a drink (tea/coffee only) and a piece of cake.

And then on Saturday 30th we have the Social Action Conference which I have blogged about before and I am really looking forward to the day. Please book in by emailing jrp@kingschurchlondon.org

Another one to mention here is Encounter Camp which this year is in June not August. So the dates are 20th - 24th June. Letters/flyers are going out this week and I am hoping we will take a group of over 25. Encounter is a weeks camping (or stay in a caravan for extra money) in a remote location 8 miles from Evesham, which happens to be my birth place. Encounter is a mixture of worship, teaching, hanging out, sport, fun for those who are overcoming life controlling issues. Knowing that God can do a far better job than I of turning lives around, the week is really about people encountering God and being changed. I am hoping that the weather in June will be better than most of August weather we have endured for the past 4 Encounters.

One final event is a fundraiser on the 3rd July when we are planing to join up with the North Kent Bikeathon and raise some money by cycling through Kent. The Rotary Club of Catford, who just this week sent us a donation from their Christmas collection, organise it brilliantly with the best treats at the staging posts. If you want to get involved and raise some money for the JRP, email me and we can arrange your entry for the Bikeathon 2011.

If you have read all that, Thank you!

Chepstow 2011

This morning I am going to Chepstow with possibly 20 others involved in the Jericho Road Project for a 3 day escape to the countryside. I say possibly because I never quite know who will actually turn up on the morning. For all those who do make it, it will be a great trip - the weather forecast is fine, the place we stay in is nice and this year we will get to do walking and archery! Well I must go and pick up the minibus.