Wednesday 15 August 2018

Tramp

When I read of large cities - and even smaller towns - there are always photographs of the downtrodden areas with their poor and the homeless and the people sleeping in the streets.
It all paints a very depressing picture.   It does seem that our homeless population is getting no smaller and many people are living miserable lives. 

Out here in areas like The Dales we see little of this.   I do know that problems like drugs exist and there are social problems.   Our local supermarkets  have foodbanks and most people put something in the collection points when they are doing their shopping.   But in all the time I have lived up here I have only encountered two homeless people - one man lived in an old disused caravan on our lane and used to get his drinking water from the tap in our yard.   He was also very anti social but if my mother in law saw him she would give him a meal and a cake she had baked.
Eventually Social Services took him away  (against his will I might add). 

The other was a middle aged woman who for a time lived in her car, sometimes on our lane and at other times elsewhere in the area.   Eventually Social Services took her in too. 

But that there is a huge problem with homeless people is in no doubt. There always was.   Some are young people who have fallen on hard times but many are older people who have withdrawn from society for one reason or another.   And when I was a child there seemed always to be what we called 'tramps' in the countryside where they had their 'rounds'.   They walked (tramped) between the villages and called at 'safe' houses on the way.

My mother always kept a place set in our wash house in case a tramp called and she could always put together some sort of meal for him to eat.   If she had any old clothes of my father's then she would also keep them and offer them to the tramp.
They were, if my memory serves me correctly, almost always men. 

The exception was Pyewipe Liz (Pyewipe being a small village on the banks of the River Witham not too far from our village).   Liz would come round about once a month with her daughter - a pretty little girl of about four - and she would eat anything that was offered to her and also beg any clothes for her little girl.   She became an almost 'loved' character in the village and I have often wondered over the years what eventually happened to her.   I expect that nowadays her daughter would have been taken into care because clearly she was not really in a fit state to care for her.

These characters from my childhood almost eighty years ago stick in my memory.   Things have improved in so many ways but I suppose there will always be people who wish to withdraw from society for one reason or another and in spite of
help on offer there will always be people who chose not to take it.

Are there people in your area like this?

33 comments:

Derek Faulkner said...

The homeless on our streets always provoke a mixture of opinions from people. Many are genuine ly homeless, many are homeless because their drinking and drug taking make them undesirable and penniless, some make a living out of appearing to be homeless and desperate, etc. It's very difficult to sort the wheat from the chaff.
Back in the 1960's, when I chose to be without a job for a month one summer (a hippy period and the only time I've ever been unemployed), my father threw me out and I slept each night in the shelters along our seafront alongside a local tramp called Ron. We used to have some interesting conversations as we lay there sharing my beer.

Penhill said...

If you go to Newcastle or Leeds, which I am sure you said you never do,the homeless problem is very apparent.It is also very apparent that most have other issues that are not being dealt with whether by their choice or lack of support services.

thelma said...

Yes in answer to your query, do you know anyone like this. N lives in an old caravan on probably an acre of land. He keeps a menage of animals, chickens, ducks sheep, goats and geese. He drives his old van to just outside our house for water from the stand pipe. He used to keep bees up on the moor, but the only honey we bought which my daughter had was thrown away because of all the other 'stuff' inside the jar. ;)
Would I take him away from this life? no because he has chosen it.
City homelessness is a different matter, they congregate near to people and we must take notice, whether socially some of these people will ever blend in is something else, but my heart breaks for the young on the street.

Tracy said...

Until a couple of years ago there was an old guy who lived in a caravan in the village next to ours in a very similar way to the gentleman you describe. There was outrage locally when someone broke into his caravan and stole his tv. He very quickly had another one donated. He is dead now, but I think about him every time I pass his old site. I seem to remember that the tramps who came round when I was a child were almost all ex-servicemen fallen on hard times or choosing to walk off their demons. Very sad.

Rachel Phillips said...

I am not sure why Thelma's heart breaks for the young on the streets. Her heart should break first that they are drug addicts and most likely became so while still at school. Failure in parenting and lack of example at home leads to this.

the veg artist said...

There is a widespread opinion that in the UK there is a benefit cushion that can support everyone. Whether the country can afford to maintain such a system is one issue, but another, which is where many of the homeless fall through, is that the system can be hard to access and is prone to delays in processing claims. When someone has nothing, and needs help, how to access that help quickly becomes a major issue. In theory even the homeless are entitled to a small daily payment, but had a benefits claim been processed more quickly and rents sorted out immediately, that person might not have become homeless in the first place. Computerisation seems to have made things worse, not better, as the issues many people have do not 'fit' with computerised questions.
It is much harder to climb out of a pit than to fall into it.

Bovey Belle said...

My eldest daughter, who until recently worked for a homeless charity (The Archer Project in Sheffield) is the one to answer this rather than me. Her charity have a drop in centre where the homeless can come and get one hot meal a day and they also have programmes aimed at rehabilitating young people with addictions and others which build people's confidence and give them a sense of achievement. Of course, not all the homeless people WANT to have the responsibility and commitment of a place of their own. She mentioned people who were offered jobs in Britain which either might not exist when they got here, or were short-lived and as there was often a language barrier, they didn't know how to get help.

We used to have a tramp who would camp in an abandoned bothy in our valley (an old barn on land with a ruinous cottage). Once a week he would pack up his tent and all his belongings on his scooter and go to get his pension and shopping in town, and then come back and set up home again. One year he stopped coming, so I don't know if he died or was helped by Social Services.

Jennyff said...

I remember the tramps calling at our farm and being fed, they were known as gentlemen of the road. Some farmers allowed them to spend the night in a barn but my parents were concerned about smoking and fire so never did, In our small village we also had a man who lived in an old hen hut beside a stream, no one bothered him and he bothered no one. My Mum used to sell him bags of tomatoes, he insisted on paying so she charged him a few pennies. He totally rejected society, made some money trapping and selling rabbits, had a few hens for eggs and a vegetable plot. He died in his hut, the small amount of money he had was for the church and was used that year to buy a Christmas tree in his memory. A far cry from today’s world.

Frugal in Derbyshire said...

Well over twenty years ago we would get the occasional"tramp" knock on our door for a drink of water. I would find something to give them to eat as they walked along, as they never wanted to stop. (one year i gave one guy a whole iced Christmas cake, which he was delighted with and said it would last him weeks) Some time later someone told me that we had a symbol on our wall that was some sort of code for those on the road, informing that we were friendly.
It is many years since we had, or even saw, any callers, all of which said that this was the life they chose.
Gillx

Tom Stephenson said...

Sadly, tramps no longer exist around here. They have been ousted by junkies and alcoholics.

John "By Stargoose And Hanglands" said...

We had very few tramps calling when I was a nipper. But we certainly had more than our share of odd characters who lived in very poor circumstances in the village but were somehow supported by the community. Looking back now I realise that many of them were mentally ill and that had the authorities known about them they would have been removed to the less-than-enlightened regime of the local "lunatic asylum", as most people still referred to them in those days.
Today Cambridge is something of a magnet for the homeless as there is a support system and night-shelter in place, though it can't cope with the influx. I have spoken to many of the rough-sleepers and can only tell you that each one has an individual story, some of which could easily happen to any of us.

Patti said...

It is funny that you posted this at this time. I am an American and I am sure our homeless situation is much different than the UKs in some instances. If anyone would like to know what it looks like in America go to wate.com and look for the story about the homeless population living under the interstate and how angry people are getting about it.

Linda Metcalf said...

The tramps would walk up to our house from the trains and my mother would make them a sandwich a piece of fruit and a cup of coffee. we children would watch from the screen door in amazement....

Anonymous said...

It was only last Saturday when we had to go into Stockport Town that we saw homeless people or people begging in the street. I asked my husband if he thought they were genuinely "homeless". he said he thought some were, but perhaps not all. I believe it is something that could happen to anyone as once you get in to a downward spiral it is hard to break free. Surely in this day and age no-one should have to live on the streets. I walked away with a tear in my eye as I cannot imagine not feeling the secureness, safety and comfort of a home. Puts things into perspective and makes me realise what we should be grateful for.

Starting Over, Accepting Changes - Maybe said...

Many of our homeless are veterans with PTST from all these horrible wars my country has sent them to fight. It is a disgrace and heartbreaking.

Cro Magnon said...

Some distant relatives of mine bought an old dilapidated house, and found a tramp living in one of the sheds. They left him alone, looked after any needs he had, and eventually invited him into their newly restored home. I met him once, and everyone referred to him as Uncle X. He seemed very happy.

Derek Faulkner said...

I saw a programme on TV last year where they interviewed a fruit farmer who employs all migrant labour. He provides them with accomondation in cosy sheds and a kitchen to cook in. He provides a decent daily wage and extra over-time if they want it. When asked why there were no British workers, he replied that they just aren't interested and rarely stay more then a day or two. Why aren't the homeless beggars taking advantage of that free board and wages?

Alphie Soup said...

Down here in this city of 4 million plus, we sure have many homeless people.
One of the growing demographics of homeless in this city is the older single woman who has never been able to buy her own home or the divorced woman who has lost the family home. When they leave the workplace they are faced with living on a pension , maybe supplemented by a small amount of superannuation and paying ever increasing rent.
As a child living in a rural area we had swaggies, men returned from the war who found it difficult to fit back into civilian life.
Alphie

Heather said...

We passed an elderly man walking along the A38 once, and on our way back we came across him again, still walking. My husband stopped the car and gave him some money for a meal. He was most grateful. Not so long ago there was a younger man, ex-serviceman we thought, who slept in a bus shelter at the bottom of the High Street. Again, my husband approached him and was told very politely that he didn't need anything. The council saw fit to demolish the shelter and so he moved on. I wonder about him sometimes and hope he is alright. It makes me very angry when I see empty buildings becoming derelict when they could provide accommodation and privacy for so many homeless people.

jinxxxygirl said...

What a lovely written post Pat. For us its difficult to know the tricksters from the ones that really need help so we end up helping none.... My daughter.. several years ago opened my eyes to a different way of handling the homeless rather than just ignore them.. She hadn't lived in California too long before she developed a habit of carrying bottled water and granola bars in her car.. And when she came across a homeless person she would offer that.. Many times she and her husband when walking out of a restaurant with left overs gave them to the homeless who were outside the restaurant hoping for just such a thing.. i don't have alot of money but leave it to my daughter to show me ways that i can still help.. Hugs! deb

EM Griffith said...

There's a growing homeless population in CA, where the weather tends to be more hospitable. In our small town, there's a community of homeless living along a river bed. Last winter's storms caught some off guard and they had to be rescued by helicopter. On our news last night, we saw city employees in San Francisco hired to clean human excrement off the streets from the homeless population there. My oldest son did a video documentary on the homeless for a college course, interviewing several people who didn't want to be homeless (or choose to be), but had found themselves unable to afford housing. We help support programs that provide food and shelter and I donate a lot to a veterans' organization. Steps are being taken in our area to build housing facilities for the homeless who want help.

Derek Faulkner said...

In Sheerness, the main town on Sheppey, we have a guy who used to be homeless but now has accomodation, who sits in the main High Street every day, whatever the weather, even the Beast from the East and collects money for the homeless, who he has a list of. Every £5 collected makes up a small pack of essential items that he gives the homeless guys. He attended one of our Parish Council meetings and explained what he does and we donated a couple of hundred pounds to his cause.

Lynn Marie said...

My brother slept in his car in North Dakota two winters ago moving between Walmart parking lots and highway rest areas. He's in his late 50s, worked all his life, but could not find a permanent job at his age and didn't have a place to live. Most of his jobs had been as a merchant mariner or for companies that provided housing so when he lost his job he lost his home. Out of pride, he waited until he was completely broke before letting me know. He survived on what I was able to send him and he was able to piece together through day labor. He stayed in shelters a few times, but they were full of drunk people behaving horribly and he got sick and very depressed. He developed circulatory problems from sleeping sitting up. Job applications are all done online nowadays and the HR software is a nightmare, so if you don't have a computer with internet, you have to use public libraries that don't have the best computers. He stayed with me in my small condo last winter which was not easy for either of us. He's since managed to keep piecing together work with companies that hire people as needed, then lay everyone off after a couple of months; better than day labor at least. Through it all, he never gives up, keeps applying, keeps trying. Somehow his car has not died. Any one of us in the US at least are just a paycheck or two away from homelessness. Think how you would survive if you were in their place - I don't think I'm tough enough or brave enough or smart enough. Are you?

No Roots said...

Same as Tom. They are often aggressive and if shops dare to warn the customers, the liberal idiots tell the shopkeepers off!
I haven't seen a true tramp for about twenty years. She stank like hell but she didn't deserve her shopping trolley sent up in flames.

Gwil W said...

There are tramps, or as they are called the Landstreichers, but they rarely frequent the cities preferring to wander the countryside. The cities are the domain of the alcoholics, druggies, beggars organized gangs far outnumbering the genuine unfortunate.

Rachel Phillips said...

I feel sorry for the former soldiers who come out of the British Army, probably had problems when they were 15 at home and went off and joined up. They come out with nowhere to go, no family and no idea how to cope, Many end up on the street. They are particularly sad ones.

JoAnn ( Scene Through My Eyes) said...

I'm saddened when I see homeless, no matter the reason they are in such a state. The US has a horrible problem and some cities are finding ways to help - and others are just mean and ugly about it and don't want to help at all, just make it worse for people in a bad situation. The homeless are someone's mother/father/brother/sister/aunt/uncle/cousin, etc - and deserve respect no matter their lifestyle. Most of them are much braver than those of us who have the luxury of a house.

Simon Douglas Thompson said...

We got addicted homeless folk both on the street and in hostels. It is difficult to know what to think

shadypinesqltr said...

I live in a moderate sized town in mid Michigan and never thought we had a homeless problem until a temporary winter evening shelter opened up hosted on a rotating weekly basis by local churches. I had rarely seen anyone who looked stereotypically "homeless". My church congregation hosts two weeks each winter and it has made me realize that most of us are just a paycheck away from homelessness. Guests range from couples who's flat has burned down, gay college students who have come out and been cut off by their parents, unemployed, financially broke people or those recovering from addiction or psychological issues. Everyone of them have been appreciative of our efforts, polite and respectful of the rules. During the coldest parts of the winter we routinely have a full "house" of 30 guests.

Joanne Noragon said...

I really have no contact with homeless, social services is around for them. Different when I was a girl, though. We had tramps through.

Susan said...

Even in our remote location on the coast of British Columbia we have a homeless problem. Most people are helped one way or another because, being remote, we are used to taking care of our own. Drugs, mental health issues and lack of affordable housing are the cause. When I lived on the prairies, with bitterly cold winters, occasionally someone would die from exposure, this in a city of oil barons. The police carry blankets in their cars to hand out to people rough sleeping as it is called. In winter not everyone can find a bed in a shelter as the demand is high.

angryparsnip said...

We have so many Homeless Veterans on the street. Many times they have lived in little groups but the police and other have them move on. We also have older women who have lost everything through old age, divorce who can not live on 200 or 400 dollars a month in Social Security. Then the people who have mental health problems. We have let them all down.
This is what makes me so mad, sorry, upset, we pour all our collective sympathies and monies to the mass of illegals from Mexico and more and support them but our own American citizens we have let down.
The majority of the very liberal Democrat Party (my party for over 60 years but not now) have forgotten about the people of America who really need help and need it today.

Dave said...

I remember tramps from about 60 odd years ago when I lived in Lincolnshire. They would set up camp in a spinney and do odd jobs on the farms for food or money and often snared rabbits as a food source. They were solitary men and never stayed too long in one place and as youngsters out on our bikes we often came across the remains of their camp.