LATE NIGHT LISTENERS - REPORTS
As another Late Night Listeners shift comes around (two per month as standard), I felt drawn to reflect on how long this initiative has been running, and believe it or not it is now in its 16th year!! So bar a two year break for 'Covid 19', teams have been serving the night-time economy of the city for at least 14 years. As coordinator, I am so proud of all those who have and still continue to volunteer for this community service and am also encouraged by the addition of newer recruits... (we always welcome more).
Back to the night's adventures, we set off into a night of quite settled weather besides a nippy wind whistling around at certain points of the streets.
After setting up we began to see that it was quite a bustle about the night.
There weren't any major anecdotal incidents though on seeing a couple of ladies go past (both struggling rather unsuccessfully, on very high stiletto heels), one of our team ran after them offering flip flops. One of the ladies was most grateful, the other being a bit the worse for wear went off in an angry verbal tirade of abuse and expletives to those around her endeavouring to help her into said flip flops. She ended up throwing her bag and other things she had on the floor and stormed off towards the taxi rank with her friend trying to follow and calm her down...it is sad what excessive drinking does to people.
We seem to see less homeless people around these days (which in one sense is a very good thing) but the odd one or two we do come across generally still come to us for refreshments.
We noted that the Scales pub after having had a recent refurb is now called Eden and chatting to the security staff, they told us the new management are trying to change the atmosphere of the place by adopting a strictly over 21 years of age entrance policy. On this their second evening of being open, things seemed to be quite reserved and much quieter!!
As the wind chill was getting more abrasive, and things were getting we decided to pack up a few minutes early, just as big Bobby came around with our complimentary box of chips... all wolfed down quickly by the team as they packed things away.
Another Saturday night on the City streets, serving and helping our community was over.... time to headed to home to warm beds.
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As we all met at base camp, we were very grateful to one of our team members for stepping in at the last moment for another team member who was suffering from some concerning respiratory problems. We pray they have recovered.
"Another Saturday Night and I ain't got nobody, I got some money cos I just got paid" is a line from a Cat Stevens (now Yusuf Islam) song that sort of summed up the Late Night Listeners experience on this relatively mild (weatherwise) night.
Lots of people out and about....an event at St Johns hotel up the road made for a lot of interesting fancy dress outfits including the, seemingly obligatory, blow-up doll harnessed around some male's neck!!
Like the 'well oiled machine' the LNL teams have become, we set up our table, lights and signage and it wasn't long before our 'customers' came calling. Our usual two-person walkabouts highlighted some needs for hot drinks which were duly served - waiter stylee. The two man crew heard a smashing of glass near the Spire shopping centre and found a lad holding his hand which he appeared to have cut but despite our persistent offers of medical assistance he walked off shouting for his mate. He seemed in quite an angry frame of mind. He was known by one of the of the team and he did come into our eyeline again later getting friendly with a couple of young ladies, one of whom had plonked herself on the pavement near one of the trees in front of us and proceeded to eat her donner and chips
Though it was busy, it was quite a moderated busyness. We did have one young lady in an advanced state of intoxication, who stayed some time at our table, praising the work we do, and explaining with the use of graphic expletives what a state she was in. We gathered she had been in the Army at some point. But it wasn't always easy to fully understand her. She eventually walked off
We seemed to give out more than our usual amount of flips flops, which always seem to have the same overwhelming impact on the female recipients.
Nothing in the way of any noteworthy incidents or encounters tonight, just the usual plethora of compliments for us just being there for people. Two NHS nurses stopped by and chatted as they drank their tea, sobering up a bit in the process (to be fair they weren't really that drunk and anyway who would really blame them for letting their hair down a bit in between shifts?).
Booby supplied our early morning culinary delight that is a box of fries - why is it that they taste soooo good at 1 in the morning?
It was soon time to break camp and head off home. Another Saturday night....
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One of the team on shift that night had contracted a bad but as there was a new volunteer coming along for a 'trial run' we still had enough to make up a 'safe' team for the night.
It was an eventful night with many conversations and numerous hot drinks/biscuits and some flip-flops provided. Fairly early on we had a lady who was sick fairly near to our table. In addition we had a gentleman fall over but after being encouraged to sit down on one of our chairs and partake in a hot drink, he was soon well enough to go home with his partner. One young, and rather inebriated, lady engaged us with a long complaint claiming she’d been refused volunteering with LNL as she wasn’t a Christian. She had an apology and was advised to try us again, though judging by her condition that night, I somehow doubt we’ll hear from her. A man randomly gave a quite generous donation.
Bobby provided the welcome chips as the night wore on and began to turn cold. Finally a lady told us her bag had been snatched with her phone, keys and money. She was with family and they were able to get her home and didn’t need to ring the police, although this option was offered by our team leader who also, inexplicably, mislaid his phone back at the church but found it slipped down one sleeve of his LNL jacket. So after some anxious moments (to misquote slightly) all was well that ended well.
We have more new people signing up to volunteer with us... could you be another?
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Late Night Listeners shift :Sat 11.05.24
Unusually for England the weather had been quite warm and pleasant over the weekend and Saturday night felt very summer. The Hi-Viz tabards were brought out and chosen by some instead of the 'warmer' jackets.
On arrival at LNL HQ we were greeted with a number of chairs and tables set out for a Baptism event planned for the Sunday morning. This turned out to be very convenient for our preamble and prayer time that we hold before setting out for the night streets of Lichfield. The team was quite balanced with two veterans, two newer volunteers and a new recruit.
Once set up in the usual spot, we had a visit from some of our homeless lads and their friend who had come out on his bike to see how they were getting on.
They were grateful for the hot drinks and biscuits except the chap on his bike who had something a bit stronger with him. They were friendly and had quite a chat with our newest recruit.
After they had departed a young lad and his mum stopped by celebrating his impending 18th birthday. They were a little worse for wear but very friendly and appreciative of our efforts. It turned out that his mum had been involved in school work and knew the children of our newest member.
Unfortunately upon departure this mum tripped over the (rather dangerous) cobblestones in front of where we have to set up our table. We offered some assistance but it seems she was ok.
Our Army re-enactor friend, Richard, also stopped by for a chat and a coffee. He was (as he often is) dressed in 1940`s uniform. Other than that we had a steady stream of visitors passing by but overall the town was relatively Q!!. We all had the chance to go walkabout and stretch our legs but no-one came across any major incidents. No flips were required and, thankfully, no sick bowls either.
About 12.45 Bobby came over with some chips after which we packed up and left about 1pm
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