A Lamb for the Slaughter by Norbert Lawrie

Oxford Street here in London’s very busy shopping West End, provided me yesterday evening with why standing up and actively fighting for housing is so important.

The person that I’m thinking about in this post, I came across last night and who one does not expect, to find sleeping rough on one of Europe’s most polluted streets, with the highest levels of toxic air in the world, but which never stops those who remain as keen as mustard, to take the risk and risk all the toxic, to off load or unload themselves of hard earned earnings in these robbing shops and restaurants.

What can I say, it’s hard to say…But last night, I came across hidden in between two shops, covered with a sleeping bag and sat on a fold-up-chair, was this lovely looking old lady, she reminded instantly of my own grandmother, she must have been in her early eighties, sitting with all her worldly possessions as a young office worker stopped on her way home to talk with the old lady. My mate spoke to the lady as well asking her if she was keeping safe and well. She was very shy and retiring and I think she just wanted to be left alone.

On our way home we discussed the situation, a senior citizen, who could be someone’s grandmother? She may even be the grandmother to many and yet still sleeping rough on Oxford Street?

I am not making this up, I was witness to this last night and words do fail me, I have none as this is horrific to even think of in this so-called modern day and age, proof if any were needed that our welfare system, the provision of caring and looking after the welfare of the young, old and sick, has been butchered like meat for the market.