Showing posts with label UK Homeless. Show all posts
Showing posts with label UK Homeless. Show all posts

2/19/12

Gospel.

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The Gospel of (Homeless) James.
By Martin Wroe.
Edited By Uncle Monty.
Graphics By Alex Albion.
=.=
It can be deadly living rough. You’re not safe anywhere.
Anyone can come and kick you or stab you. People can
be on drink or drugs, they can be out of control.
No-one is safe. That’s my opinion.
=.=
The Churches Nightshelter is very helpful, in fact churches
are generally good if you’re homeless. If I wasn’t in the Shelter
tonight I’d probably be sleeping out in some church grounds
or somewhere where it’s a bit warm, an underground
car park or a squat in a house if I could get into one.
=.=
It’s hard sleeping out, the winter cold is the worst of it.
Even in my sleeping bag I might sleep four hours at the most.
Worst of all is getting your head down in a nice sleep,
then being woken up by the police and told to move on.
=.=
I look back on me life sometimes and think it went wrong
somewhere. If I could turn the clock back, I wouldn’t be in
the situation I am. I’m from the North East originally, born
in Bishop Auckland. I didn’t know me mam really, she died
young. She was 34. I was 7, me brother 10. Me dad raised
us, he was a miner and a gravedigger but he gave up work
 to look after us.
=.=
At school I was good at athletics, beating boys who were older
than me. I was a medium-distance runner, 10,000 metres, 15,000
metres but I couldn’t get into PE college because I didn’t pass 
me history. I wrote a letter off to Dennis Smith Stables in Bishop
 Auckland to try and become a jockey and I was apprenticed for
 two years. I’d be getting up at five, mucking the stables out, get-
ting ready for riding out, going to race meetings. It was hard work
 for £19 a week. I gave me Dad £9 or £10 and spent a lot of
what was left on alcohol. You could get four pints for a
 pound in those days.
=.=
I didn’t make the grade as a jockey and I came to London
looking for work. Me first job was in a Gentlemans Club,
Boodles, on St James’ Street, near the Ritz, it’s still there
 today. The chef said, ‘You’re a pretty good worker there
James.’‘I said, ‘I try me hardest chef.’ He offered me a job
and I was there about five years: kitchen porter, helping
the chefs prepare the food, doing the wash-up, mopping
the floor, stock-taking. It was hard work, nine in the morning
 till nine at night, so no socialising till the weekend but I loved it.
I was taking home £200 a week, living in a hostel in Dean Street.
The eighties was brilliant, I’d turn back the clock to them anytime.
=.=
Later I was a security guard in Fitzroy Square, then at Liverpool
Street Station. But, as I say, the alcohol got to us. Vodka,
Southern Comfort, vodka, lager as well, strong lager. I don’t know
 how much I drank, too much. It was getting out of control. After
 work I would head to an off-license for some cans and go back
to the hostel. I started missing shifts at the security place,
 they started getting cross. I lost the job.
=.=
In 1992, I was diagnosed with epilepsy and I’ve not been able
 to work since. I had a flat in Waterloo, but it was on the ninth
 floor so when the lifts weren’t working it was a bit hectic. I
couldn’t manage the climb and I left.  I lived with a girlfriend
for some years but when we split up she kicked me out. I’ve
been sofa-surfing ever since. Then something happened.
It was about eight year ago.
=.=
I was feeling really hopeless one night, really down, I felt like
 I was going to kill meself, felt really washed up, thought it was
time to go… but something happened which has changed
 me life. I was actually drunk, out of my head. It was some-
where in Camden, a car park – to this day I’m not sure
where – and I just went on me hands and knees and asked
God for help. I said, ‘Please help me, I need help
 desperately, get me out of this mess I’m in. Please.’
=.=
There was no booming voices, no opening of the heavens, no
choirs of angels but something happened to me. I had a feeling,
 something inside me was trying to get out and tell me something.
It was like me soul was trying to get out and say, ‘You’re a
naughty boy James – help yourself ‘cus people will not help
you, you’ve got to help yourself.’ I believe that was God.
=.=
That experience made me really believe I was going to
change my life around and it has changed me life. I’ve
 not done drugs or had a drink since, I’m teetotal now.
The paranoia, the drugs and beer that was poison to my
 body have all gone. I used to have rages, shouting, punching
 the wall, whatever, I stopped all that. I’ll never forget that
 night. I went home, got the Bible out and read Psalm 13.
=.=
How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long
 will you hide your face from me? How long must I bear pain
in my soul, and have sorrow in my heart all day long…. But
I trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your
salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt
 bountifully with me.’  I prayed for help in that car park
that night and I got help. It has given me strength and a
sense of purpose.
=.=
I’ve made some good friends on the Churches Nightshelter.
 We’re all in the same boat, everyone has a problem but every-
one has a different problem. I’m 51 now so I’ve a lot more
experience of being homeless than others living rough and I
 say to people, ‘You have to help yourself, no one else can.’
=.=
I do wonder why I’m still living rough, living in hostels, on the
 streets. It’s because of relationship breakdown isn’t it? And
 finance and drink. There’s a few things… I’m still asking for
 help, I’m still homeless. Sometimes it’s tiring, exhausting, and
sometimes I get cross with God, I say: ‘It hasn’t gone my
way today, why don’t you help me?’
=.=
But I believe I will get my own place and start again. That
slowly my life is getting back on track, and things are changing
 for the better. I read my Bible and say my prayers and I feel
asthough God is helping me, that it’s like he’s speaking to
 me and he’s got a twinkle in his little eye…’
...
More like this in "The Gospel According to Everyone."
By Martin Wroe.
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In his Diocesan role, Martin Wroe is an Anglican Curate.
He is the author of "The Gospel According To Everyone."
He is licensed under the ecclesiastic authority of the Lord
Bishop of London, the Rt. Rev'd Richard Chartes,
who is also a close friend of Prince Charles.
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Uncle Monty, who 10 days ago underwent a very successful
heart op, is an old age pensioner, an avid Anglican blogger,
and an unjustly "debadged" Big Issue vendor by the vile sod
Peter Bird, who is the little creepy-crawlie brother of  the od-
ious and ever greedy and god-jeering Anthony John Bird, 66,
who with his now much estranged business partner Gordon
Roddick, 72, co-founded The Rotten Big Issue.  John Bird
is so estranged from so many people it's pitiful!
Yet, they still put his pigface on TV.
=.=
BOYCOTT THE BIG ISSUE.
London's homeless could be forced to move as far as Hull.
By Jamie Doward & Sam Brodbeck.
=.=
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Stephen Farrow, 47, WANTED For Questioning
 In Terrible Murder of Rev'd John Suddards, 59.
~ News Update ~
STEPHEN FARROW HAS BEEN DETAINED
IN FOLKESTONE, Reports The Guardian.
...
Vicar murder suspect (shown above) seen in Sussex. 
The nationwide manhunt for a man wanted over the murder
of a clergyman in his vicarage has switched to Sussex.
...
Rev'd John Suddards: Murdered At His Anglican
 Vicarage While Helping The UK Homeless.
'I know I'm taking risks by letting vulnerable strangers in
to my home', said vicar found stabbed to death. Rev'd John
Suddards was found with multiple stab wounds. His body
was discovered by builders who were carrying out work
at his vicarage.  By Luke Salkeld & Nichola Jones.
=.=
Good Man Maurice John Young.
Church's £60,000 legacy from 'broke' recluse Maurice
Young, who lived in a shed. By Luke Salkeld.
=.=
Hideous Trevor Phillips, 59, of EHRC. He's cost the UK
millions of quids with his assinine court litigations. He's just
 an immigrant troublemaker and foreign transplant who was
politically-hired by then foul New Labour! His professional
reputation is almost nil as equalities chief.  He's a rabid and
seething socialist and a nominal Methodist, too.  The EHRC
should have been shut down by now without any further
ado and Phillips dumped on the garbage heap of the evil
and anti-Christian and anti-White New Labour outfit.
Trevor Phillips is "The Black Version" of
despised and detested Tony Blair.
Christians 'aren't above the law', says equalities chief Trevor
 Phillips. Christians who want to be exempt from equality legis-
lation are like Muslims trying to impose sharia on Britain,
Trevor Phillips, the human rights watchdog, has declared.
=.=
As funds for nonprofits wane, charities find ways to raise
their own. By Katie Johnston, International Herald Tribune.
=.=
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Oh, Happy Pancake Day This Shrove Tuesday
or Mardi Gras to you all, Uncle Monty.
+Quinquagesima (bcp), 2012.
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Feedback & Comments
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Since Feeding The Birds. By Uncle Monty.
=.=
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Homo Anglican Cleric & His "Pretty" Black Boyfriend!
Gay White Anglican Cleric plans to "Marry" his "Pretty"
Black Boyfriend.  Next, they'll demand to adopt some
 UK mixed-race kid, if they have indeed since "married" ...
(Scroll down at madnewsuk to read the caustic and disapproving
 comments against such crazy "Christians."  Christian Voice
founder Stephen Green described oddball cleric Colin Coward
as "mentally ill."  As a traditional Anglican myself, I think such
an oddball like Coward should have been defrocked or un-
frocked  on the spot. He also represents all that is wrong
with the English Anglican Church of today. UM.)
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Did Archbishop Rowan Douglas Williams Betray Gay Cleric?
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12/22/11

Open Mic.

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Xmas Open Mic At CRISIS.
By Uncle Monty.
Photos By Alex Albion.
Part 2 of 2.
===
For me, it was hard to engender the Spirit of Christmas
at the so-called Xmas Open Mic at where not a single
Christmas decoration was in sight save for some small
 mince pies for sale inside the CRISIS Skylight Cafe
at where the Open Mic was held just days before
Christmas Day. Nobody even wore anything Xmasy,
except one performer with his blue and white Santa
 hat and myself with my colourfal and noticeable
shiny green Xmas Tree hat.
===
Chorally, I also found poor Christmas pickings at the Xmas
Open Mic at CRISIS that saw more performers than
visiting patrons at its venue that was held at its East
 London Commercial Road HQ. I was among just an
handful of those patrons who witnessed what was
more a corny and common Tin Pan Alley* Show
than anything to do with Christmastide. 
===
* Meaning of Tin Pan Alley: The New York Herald referred
to it as "the sound made by many pianos all playing different
tunes being exactly like the banging of many tin pans in an
 alleyway." The term is used in a somewhat derogatory fashion.
===
Worse still, from the word go, I realized I'd made a bad
mistake even going to such an Open Mic whether it
was Christmas or not at CRISIS. So I was there and
since I was there I decided to stay there and see
 the whole Xmas Open Mic from beginning to end that
 lasted close to three very long hours for me. It was
my first visit and will now probably be my last!
===
There Was An All-Around Shabbiness and
Slothfulness - Much Like An Inertia - With The
 Performances of The Streetwise Opera Just Like 
It Was With Much of The Whole Xmas
Open Mic At CRISIS.
===
Of course, there were exceptions that I found with
Ken Roberts (shown below) with his classic peform-
ance from "The Phantom of the Opera." Lord Andrew
Lloyd Webber would have been very proud of Ken and
rightly so!  Ken does all of his own makeup, too, along
 with his own special white mask that sets him apart from
the other less than grand performers at the Xmas Open
 Mic at the CRISIS Skyline Cafe.
===
Two other performers impressed me. They were Anne
 Mary (shown with me at the above caption picture) and
her partner Peter Pereira, who brought the house down
 and they most certainly deserved that with their skillful
and delightful guitar playing.
===
Ken Roberts.
===
Guitars Galore At The Xmas Open Mic.
===
Goregous CRISIS Staff Member!!
===
This Guy Was All Guitar Playing And Good At It.
===
He was the only one with something Xmasy. He is also
a member of The Choir With No Name - TCWNN -  
along with The Streetwise Opera. Both, of course,
are populated almost exclusively by homeless people.
===
Obviously, many of the performers were non-Christian
and foreign ethnics as they bellowed out their various
 vocal offerings or their common musical gigs that showed
no sign of Christmas from beginning to end. Compared to
the sheer delight of the very Xmasy performance two
nights earlier at The Choir With No Name (TCWWN),
it was almost depressing at times for me to watch the
CRISIS so-called Xmas Open Mic Night at where even
with such loud applause I was at a loss to appreciate
the poor, mechanical, and at times, purely low level
of talent I saw.  It appeared, too, that the performers
were mostly performing for the other performers and
 not per se for the public patrons present like me.
===
If I had to pick the best, it would have to be Ken
Roberts and Mary Anne and Peter Pereira at
 the Xmas Open Mic, although they neither did
anything very Xmasy at the CRISIS Skylight Cafe.
Nevertheless, Ken, Mary Anne and Peter were
the best of the more than 25 other homeless
performers. Being homeless is no excuse for
not trying to be the best in whatever one can do.
===
Here's The Good Exception: Anne Mary Pereira.
===
Of course, I had expected a very Xmasy night out
at CRISIS that did not transpire for me and so that
maybe why I was so chafed and peeved as I watched
various guyz and galz doing their rather non-Christmas
gigs. CRISIS is located in the heart of the Muslim-
dominated Tower Hamlets of London and that may
 also be one of the reasons why I saw no Christmas
 decorations. What a pity, if such is true!!
===
And Sadly, This Is Home For Many Homeless This Christmas.
===
I have now thus attended two homeless Xmas events in
the past week. Both are a far cry from what The Big Issue
fails to do for the homeless at Christmastide. It begs
Christmas donations from the gullible public to "help
the Big Issue vendors," but provides little or nothing for
them except a rather poor Vendors' Party that isn't worth
 the time or energy for most vendors to attend. If they do,
they're lucky to get a small bottle of spring water and an
even smaller bar of Divine Chocolate to which old Gordon
 Roddick, co-founder of The Big Issue, has a vested and
 business interest in. The vendors might also get a plate
of food cooked at Union Chapel when Paul Joseph
 and Bad Ass John Duffy did the cooking there. Both of
them have since quit The Big Issue like so many other
staffers have over the past few years under the gruff and
tyrannical and greedy management of the vile Bird Brothers.
Pigface John Bird retired this year and his scum brother
Peter Bird is probably next, if he's not already been
booted out for good from The Big Issue HQ at
London's Vauxhall. Perhaps they'll send him off to
Scotland again to help the new editor Paul McNamee?
Peter Bird was almost useless when he was last at
Glasgow, so I'm told. 
===
At one time, vendors would get a nice wind-
breaker jacket and a new pair of Camper sneakers or
trainers at Christmas, but The Big issue seems to have
cutback even on such corporate handouts to vendors
to save their own big profits and fat bank accounts
for their own fat catz. "To hell with the vendors,"
they could easily say amd do.
===
 Thingz have changed alot at Bird's once
flourishing pigsty that functioned for years at the
 expense of the homeless as always. With Christmas
here again, the vendors will be for the most part in
the usual situation of trying to make heads or tails on
 the streets. While, of course, the vile Bird Brothers
and their rich gang like Trudie Styler, James Cann
and Nigal Kershaw, always come out best!!
God damn the godless sods!!
===
Upon leaving the Xmas Open Mic Night at CRISIS
Skylight Cafe, I saw a chilly, cold and wet late night as
 I got No. 40 bus back to homebase. While on the bus
a black bitch and a hostile middle-aged white guy got 
 into a verbal row that saw all the blacks on the bus
 gang up on the white guy who stuck out his tongue
at them and the nasty black bitch then made obscene
gesticulations and comments about white folkz. It
could have turned even more ugly had the white guy not
gotten off two stops later. The black bitch demanded
 the bus driver to stop and call the police so that she
could report him!! The driver just ignored her as she
then got off at the next stop with her screaming baby
 carried on her back like she was still living in far
away Zimbabwe or Zululand instead of at England's
capital city of London. The incident just closed a
rather all around depressing evening for me with no
 Christmas cheer at all as I arrived back at homebase
to start to scribble my blog notes on my Dell laptop
for this my last story of the year 2011 called
 "Xmas Open Mic At CRISIS."

Fraternally with the homeless, Uncle Monty
+It Came Upon A Midnight Clear, 2011.
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'So many homeless are working' - "we're paying tax
 and sleeping on the street'".  By Rosamund Urwin.
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Feedback & Comments
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No "Dear Leader" Anymore.
By Uncle Monty.
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Friend Jillian w/Uncle Monty At Royal Corporation Xmas Lunch.
Above Xmas Photo By Gary Day.
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Tonight, Thursday, I have been invited to the Brompton
 Oratory Carol Service that I am looking forward to very
much as a confirmed Anglican attending what is the
 most outstanding traditional Catholic and high ecumenical
Christmas Service in London. I feel so delighted to have been
invited. And, the latest secular news media rubbish about
Benedict XVI's "iffy" health is refuted by the Catholic World
News Service (CWNS):  "Pope plans full liturgical schedule
 for Christmas season. That's not something a sick man can
do," stated CWNS.  Also see: Calendario delle
 Celebrazioni del Tempo di Natale at The Holy See
website.
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Now for a couple of images from last night's Traditional
Carol Service Held At London's Famed Brompton Oratory.
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The Brompton Oratory Christmas Choirs, 2011.
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London's Famed Brompton Oratory At Early Nightfall.
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The Vile Bird Brothers of The Big Issue. They're The
 Same This Xmas As They Were The Last ... And
Will No Doubt Be The Same Next Xmas, Too.

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12/19/11

Xmas Songs.

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Christmas Songs of the Homeless. By Uncle Monty.
TCWNN Photos By Alex Albion.
Caption Photo By Gary Day.
Part 1 of 2.
...
It is true that for many of the homeless there is little or
no Christmas songs or yuletide joy for them. Yet, there
 are some homeless folkz who do rejoice at Christmastide
and that I saw such folkz just days ago at the big gig of
Christmas songs of the homeless. The Choir With No
Name (TCWNN) proved that Christmas isn't just
doom and gloom for those homeless with Christmas
songs and melodies in their hearts.
+
Although two days later, I didn't see much of the Spirit
of Xmas when I also covered the "Xmas Open Mic at
 CRISIS" to see what the homeless had there for their
 Christmas songs. I left rather peeved. In part 2, I will
tell you what happened at The CRISIS Skylight Cafe.
+
In the meantime, Christmas is what you make it (or
 don't make it) despite being pennyless and homeless
 and marginalized at our all too secularized and
commercialized Christmastide that is so oftentimes
coupled with utter antipathy for Christendom's
Birth of the Holy Child.
+
At Union Chapel, though not a religious gathering,
some 850 folkz and 330 choir members came to
celebrate Christmas in their own good way and to
 hear the joyous Christmas songs of the homeless as
presented by The Choir With No Name (TCWNN),
under the vibrant and lively direction of its inimitable
choir director Marie Benton. She is the soul and
glue that makes TCWNN what it is ...
...
But this night, Marie plays abit of a second fiddle as a
black stout lady (shown below) opened the TCWNN
Xmas Show with her resounding voice and her great guitar
 playing as over a 1,000 people then looked on in their
sheer anticipation of what was to come next  from the
Xmasy atmosphere inside Union Chapel.  Everybody
just joyfully jingled along with Christmas songs reverb-
erating from on high, if not with outright chapel carols
coming from the mouths of the other 13 various choirs
also present to vocally help everything to go along!
+
She Opened The Xmas Homeless Show.
+
The Brum homeless & nameless lad (shown be-
low) did his momentary salute at the end of his onstage
 singing. I regreted not recording what he did, since it
 would have been a kind of iconic image of the spirit he so
 positively displayed.  I tried later to find him back stage
 to ask him to do what he did onstage for one of my
 cameras. But alas he had already headed back to
 Brum  before I could find him. Such a simple salute
 by him helped to sum it all up for me at the
Christmas Songs of the Homeless.
+
He was among the many other TCWWN members
 who gave the homeless a very good name by their
personal presence and their outgoing talents that they
freely shared with those folkz more fortunate than
them at this English Christmastide.
+
A Perfect Match For TCWNN!
+
 Only the stone-hearted would have rejected them out
of hand as the happy stage become one and them -
almost inseparable they became as the night of the
 Christmas songs of the homeless rejoiced, clapped,
 danced, cheered and whistled to everybody's support
 and delight. It was almost intoxicating and exhilarating
 to me and I am sure it was for many others folkz at
Union Chapel - both for the homeless themselves and
 those who paid good money for the privilege of
spending an evening with them singing and rejoyicing.
+
Only She Had A Black Shaggy Coat With A
Great Song In Her Heart of Empty Homelessness.
+
TCWNN Choir Director Marie Benton Kneeling
 On Stage Before One of Her Homeless Singers.
+
This Guy Gave No Hint He Was Homeless
+
Smart & Talented
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He Not Only Has A Good Stage Persona,
But He's Also Remarkably Photogenic.
+
Here she is once again at the closing moments
of the Christmas Songs of the Homeless with 
a showy bouquet from her audience admirers.
+
Of the 13 other choirs present at the Christmas Songs
 of the Homeless by TCWNN at Union Chapel, the list 
included Singingworks, ESKA, The Goldsmith's Vocal
Ensemble (GVE), Sol Singers, Soul Sanctuary Gospel
Choir, The Key Changes Singers, Vocality City, and
The Norton Rose Choir with their "variety of repertoire
 from Mozart to Kaiser Chiefs," stated the program notes.
+
"The Choir With A Name," That I Did Not Get!
+
These guyz & galz (shown above) belonged to
 "A Choir With A Name," but I never got its name!
Yet they were a joy, soundwise and photographically,
 for me. They were mainly college kidz from what I
could see and a far cry from those TCWNN homeless
persons. Their commonality, however, was evident
by their God-given gift of singing that transcends
national borders, creed, race, political ideology,
social status, and/or economic ladder.
+
Singing is a good future and not a bad dead end
 for many homeless. While others can kick a foot-
ball at the Homeless World Cup (HWC) to rightly 
enhance their self-worth and wellbeing, there are
 those who use their vocal cords to set the world
on fire!! And then, step out of homeless to a brave
New World just waiting for them.  Bravo to one and
all at The Choir With No Name. You're all true stars
 that shined so brightly at the Christmas Songs of the
Homeless. Bravo, to you all once again!!
+
And it should be noted, they now have two choirs with one
based at London's King's Cross and the other at Birmingham
in The Midlands. Thus, we now have The Choir(s) With No
 Name(s) to happliy contend with and they performed together
 for the "very first time" at Union Chapel, so noted Marie
 Benton. So that deserves another Bravo, and, of course,
 a very Happy Xmas to each one and all of them ...
...
Have Yourself A Traditional Merry Xmas
& A Blessed New Year, Uncle Monty.
+O Root of Jesus, 2011.
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Feedback & Comments
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Inside CRISIS Skylight Cafe.
Xmas Open Mic At CRISIS.
Coming Next By Uncle Monty.
Part 2 of 2.
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My Best 11 Images of 2011.
By Alex Albion.
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The Bastard Bird Brothers of The Big Issue.
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