Monday 25th August 2014
15:09
Going to see BB perform at the Fleece, then kill
time in town, then head down to the sleep out. Feeling? I'm not
sure. Nervous, though I can't work out why. Mostly excited- we've put so
much work into this. It's raining quite heavily, and I'm already damp,
but that's just increasing the excitement- it feels like it raining will
make it more difficult, and we'll be putting more into this
18:07
Was contacted by the Bristol
Post earlier- they will come along. Fab!!
Sat by the fountains on a bench covered by a plastic bag. Will be
living in these leggings so can't afford to get them wet. About to head down to
Poole's Wharf.
Feeling nervous but very excited. Want to get started!!
19:51
All set up!! Spoken to Bristol Post, and BBC Three/Chantelle's photographer friend are here. Everyone very very excited; morale is high!!
Zulu Crew!!
20:53
Some people have gone to the shop (we're allowed to spend a small amount of money); the rest
of us are back at base. BBC Three have left now, having filmed a great
segment of us discussing using condoms as water carriers. Everyone still
in very very high spirits!! Getting quite dark now, torches are being
switched on. Feeling good.
22:10
Dark now. We're all sat around
outside, having eaten, played cards and used the string. Beginning to
assemble some kind of shelter. Starting to get quite tired; it's also
getting colder. However, the view of the river is beautiful.
22:57
Just been given a donation! It's
started spitting with rain, which isn't great. Had a nice chat with
Pippa/Daniel/Rochelle/Abi. Now all getting into our sleeping bags. Put
extra layers on, so not too cold aside from feet. Getting very tired
though.
23:35
Rain went off and then returned. All
in sleeping bags singing Let It Go. Morale is excitable, but not
towards sleep out. I'm a little damp, but actually really enjoying it!
BBC 3 have been back & filming; they're due back tomorrow. Just been
given umbrellas. Woo!!
23:51
Heavy rain. Morale low. Several
people want to go inside. Refusing to give up!! I'm really enjoying it
actually, though could do without the damp, especially as I'm now wet
inside my sleeping bag. According to Chelsie, 'This is s**t. Extra s**t
than it was'. Abi wants to go inside. Ash is in his tent. Dan's asleep.
Rochelle feels awful. Chelsey & Chantelle are 'not too bad'. I don't
mind!
Discussing difficulties for homeless people- you'd want shelter,
but shelter often means being away from business, so possibly less safe.
Umbrella
update- useful, but cause problems themselves. The people who have us
umbrellas are watching through the windows and laughing at us.
23:54
Chelsie said she's 'still having fun'.
Tuesday 26th August 2014
00:33
Ash,
Dan and Rochelle are all asleep. Abi's cold but not tired. Chelsie
feels much better but her feet and sleeping bag are wet. Chelsey feels
warm and sleepy. Chantelle's alright but a bit cold. I'm tired but not
sleepy and a bit cold. Chelsie/Abi/me are sat around chatting and
playing a loose version of the question game. We can also smell weed.
Quite strongly in fact.
Tired headache is setting in, which is irritating. But still, it's a really good experience.
01:04
Everyone's
awake. It's raining pretty heavily again. Wet and cold. People grumpy,
morale low. Just want the night to be over really.
01:06
Most people have run inside.
Chantelle, Ash and I are still out, but Ash is in his tent so doesn't
count. I am determined to see this through.
Rain much heavier.
My sleeping bag is completely soaked, as are my clothes. So cold. No
chance of any sleep after this. Just want to go inside, but determined
not to.
01:11
Just realised that my shoes are soaked. As is my bag.
01:47
Rain
has cleared and isn't due back until 4. We are all sat outside again,
in various positions- I'm cuddled up against the wall, Chelsey is sat
next to me, Abi/Daniel are sat under the tarpaulin and Chelsie/Rochelle
have spread their sleeping bags away from the tarpaulin and are led on
them. Chantelle and Ash are in the same positions- Ash in the tent and
Chantelle cuddled up at one end.
I have a headache. Morale is actually okay (but emotional-
Chantelle says 'I feel like I'm on a f*****g emotional roller coaster').
I just want to sleep and to be warm and dry. It's nowhere near as bad
as I thought it would be though!
01:57
I want to sleep so badly but I am so freaking cold.
02:47
Trip
to shop (not actually cheating; within rules). I got Mountain Dew. I
have never had Mountain Dew before- but I think tonight it's a
necessity.
Spent the last not-quite-hour dozing badly and shivering a lot. Now stood up, trying to convince the others to play a game.
The
cold and wet is awful. Worst part is trying to pass the time. Next rain
storm is due at 4; I both want it to come, so time can pass, and not,
cos rain.
I couldn't do this every night.
03:32
Had
two sets of people walk past now and chatted to both- the conversation
was very very much appreciated, especially as both sets were so lovely!!
Me/Rochelle/Abi/Chelsie are sat at the table chatting, the others are
still at base. Beginning to grow numb to the cold; just really really
need some form of distraction or entertainment!!
04:00
The hallowed four o'clock!! Woo!!
Pleased to have got this far- as I just pointed out, it's all easier
from here. Or we hope, anyway.
No rain yet, which is pretty
fab. Not feeling as cold as earlier either. Rochelle/Abi/Chelsie/myself
are all still sat chatting, which is nice. We think everyone else is
asleep, but no-one can be bothered to check. We text the BBC 3 guy to
ask him to bring board games. No reply as of yet.
Very very tired, but no chance of sleeping- too cold and wet. Just
hoping to ride it out and to collapse at home at the end of it. Keep
imagining the end result, which has many variations depending on how we
feel- includes pizza/baths/hot chocolate/pjs etc.
Abi is feeling cold but feels 4am by the harbour is cute. Rochelle
is bored, and she and Chelsie feel that the team leaders shouldn't be
asleep! I'm enjoying spending time by the harbour but feeling very
tired.
We're now awaiting 6am- the return of BBC guy, sunrise and
(hopefully) the return of at least one of the guys who came past
earlier. When they came past at first, we told them they were a
highlight. Dying for entertainment, or conversation, or any change to
sitting around really.
05:30
The sun is rising and so are we!!
We've got hot drinks (we had facilities that we weren't going to use,
but people offered- we're allowed to accept offers- so we turned them
down and made our own) which have helped- really sugary coffee whoop!!
Spent the last hour and a half chatting with Rochelle/Abi/Chelsie, which was interesting hehe.
Feeling
a lot more motivated now. Harbour is so beautiful, can't believe that
so many people don't see it like this, with the sun rising. Truly
breathtaking. Also enjoying being out as the day begins, seeing all the
van drivers going past, and the occasional person on their way to work.
Something beautiful that I can't put my finger on.
Rochelle wants a bath and says she's achy; Chelsie just wants to
put make-up on. We're all feeling much worse for wear- we smell damp and
look like people who haven't slept/washed etc. Can't imagine how it
must feel to do this all the time- short discussion earlier on self
esteem of the homeless.
Everyone very drained. We just want to sleep, but we feel better being up and about.
On another note, feelings towards Ash are not positive- he's slept in his tent the whole night through!
Half an hour till 6, when BBC 3 guy should return and we'll be halfway through!!
09:09
All up and packed/cleared away. Had a
chance to dry off, but now wet again due to clearing up. Going to head
back to the Station. Everything wet and a bit Urgh.
09:45
Back at the Station. Long trip back with equipment, all
heavier in the rain. I walked through the fountains- my shoes and
dignity were past saving. Now crashed upstairs.
10:24
Still sat in the Station. No energy. Hoping to get breakfast soon. I'm on my third coffee of the day.
11:38
Everyone's
crashed in the chill out room- we're really lucky to have this space!
I'm feeling exhausted, and it's a safe bet to say I'm not the only one.
13:44
So tired. So freaking tired. And
damp. And everything smells damp. Just been to the Big Issue exhibition.
Now on to Wild Goose. Some people slept earlier.
13:49
General feeling- achy and damp, looking forward to getting it all over with. But proud!
15:40
Been
to the Big Issue exhibition and to Wild Goose for squash and cake! Very
nice!! I am feeling tired but otherwise alright. Rochelle is 'alright'
and Chelsie is 'sad' because she doesn't have a keyboard!
It's been nice to get out and about today. We were discussing the
sleep out earlier and realised how important conversation and social
input is to people who are homeless. As a result of this conversation
and my own perceptions I have vowed to make sure to talk to everyone and
anyone- you never know who could need it.
Less than two and a half hours to go!! Part of me wants a bath-
part of me is now past caring. I'm dry (aside from my feet) and warm-
what else matters?!
17:00
ONE HOUR. I don't even feel tired anymore. My feet are wet though.
17:32
Half an hour. Not even sure whether I'm excited anymore.
17:43
Practically quarter of an hour. I think I'm falling asleep.
18:00
WE ARE DONE!! OVER AND OUT!!
18:18
Got in the car and realised just how freaking tired I am- falling asleep as I type!
21:31
Bath
felt so so good, as did getting out of wet socks! Feet feel very happy.
Still haven't slept- falling asleep as I type once more.
Wednesday 27th August
11:41
We're in the Bristol Post!!! Woo!!!
13:43
All settled back into 'normal life', so wanted to reflect a little. Overall, I am so so pleased that we did the sleep-out. It was a very eye-opening experience, and one that I think everyone should have at least once. The rain made things a lot more difficult- once we were wet it was impossible to get dry again, which in turn made it impossible to sleep, and made the next day very very difficult. However, I think we coped really well. There were no arguments, and we did well at passing the time (we kept creating goals to look forwards to, such as the sunrise and the BBC 3 film crew returning. Two things I really noticed- firstly, the impact of being social. We spent a lot of time chatting together (got to love those weirdly deep early morning discussions) which helped. More noticeably, we realised how happy we were when passers by stopped to speak to us- it was so so nice to speak to people who weren't in our group (big love to the Zulu Crew- that's not an insult, they know what I mean!). Secondly, we realised how really tiny things became quite big in terms of entertaining us. Sometime in the early hours Chelsie tried to wiggle through a sign, and it had us all amused for ages. Shows how desperate you get really!
Though we cannot and will not say that we know anything now about being homeless, we did find the experience incredibly eye-opening in terms of what a rough sleeper may face. We encountered many challenges that we didn't expect to face, and it's made me really think about the world around me, the people I share my life with and how I treat both.
Zulu Crew & Wild Goose Staff!
So yeah- that was that! Pictures will be up later!! If you want to find out more...
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Also- both of the pics on this post were taken by our amazing photographer Liam- please check out his site at TinTin Photography!!