Crisis, What Crisis?
Wow! What a night!
Not training, but was up overnight at the Crisis Over Christmas centre at the London Arena in Docklands. For those who don't know, this is a shelter that's open for homeless peeps for about a qweek between Crimbo and New Year, run mainly by volunteers, and, having said for years that it sounded like a great project, this year I'd finally got it together it time to get my name down.
I must confess I was distinctly wibbly about going into it, and I struggled to get any sleep the day before, even after my long bike ride, to try to start not eeling too knackered. As it was I turned up at Docklamds distinctly knackered, particularly after fighting my way between Canary Wharf underground station and Canary Wharf DLR station, which has to be one of the worst signposted transfers I've come across on London Transport! ANyhow, I made it, 15 minutes late, but keen to get started.
After a briefing, we were all allocated to various tasks, and I was helping put out the bedding for the sleeping tent. This was a busy job, and we had to place the beds between peeps who had already crashed out for the night. Physical work indeed, particularly laying out the blankets, which weighed a ton!
Next job was toilet runner - which basically meant going to fetch stuff from stores whenever they were needed in the loos. This was great fun as there was no map of the stores, and it was a matter of hunting, which was particularly fun when the plumbing when pear shaped. Great fun though, and before I knew it, 2am had arrived and I wasn't remotely tired! Next was IT tent duty, which was allocating timeslots, and helping peeps who were a bit stuck. I was quite amazed by how many of the guests had email addresses and stuff!
The next shift did leave me rather tired - as it was gate duty, which really meant just letting people in and out, but it was the middle of the night so fairly quiet, and all I had to do was to talk to the guy I was rostered on with. Not that he was dull, but somehow it felt away from the main action.
Finally - gap duty (stopping people getting through the entrance) of the IT tent while the techies did some repairs.
Overall, it was great fun to chat to everyone, and I was amazed by the wide variety of peeps both on the guest and on the volunteer side.
I popped into Decathlon on the way home - sadly no cheap 2100s, but I did get a rather nice rucksack that will hopefully be suitable for running and cycling. I got home, knackered, but still feeling very chatty, and eventually managed a couple of horus sleep in the afetrnoon. Definitely not a late night for me tonight!!
My planned swim in the morning didn't happen, and that's probably a good thing! The pool shut at 3pm so it's not going to happen now. Legs (and arms from BP) ache like crazy, and I really can't see me doing anything on Crimbo day aching that much. Legs aren't that achey, just heavy from the cycle. A swim Xmas day would be good, but nowehere's open, and I'm not going to swim in the Serpentine!!
Not training, but was up overnight at the Crisis Over Christmas centre at the London Arena in Docklands. For those who don't know, this is a shelter that's open for homeless peeps for about a qweek between Crimbo and New Year, run mainly by volunteers, and, having said for years that it sounded like a great project, this year I'd finally got it together it time to get my name down.
I must confess I was distinctly wibbly about going into it, and I struggled to get any sleep the day before, even after my long bike ride, to try to start not eeling too knackered. As it was I turned up at Docklamds distinctly knackered, particularly after fighting my way between Canary Wharf underground station and Canary Wharf DLR station, which has to be one of the worst signposted transfers I've come across on London Transport! ANyhow, I made it, 15 minutes late, but keen to get started.
After a briefing, we were all allocated to various tasks, and I was helping put out the bedding for the sleeping tent. This was a busy job, and we had to place the beds between peeps who had already crashed out for the night. Physical work indeed, particularly laying out the blankets, which weighed a ton!
Next job was toilet runner - which basically meant going to fetch stuff from stores whenever they were needed in the loos. This was great fun as there was no map of the stores, and it was a matter of hunting, which was particularly fun when the plumbing when pear shaped. Great fun though, and before I knew it, 2am had arrived and I wasn't remotely tired! Next was IT tent duty, which was allocating timeslots, and helping peeps who were a bit stuck. I was quite amazed by how many of the guests had email addresses and stuff!
The next shift did leave me rather tired - as it was gate duty, which really meant just letting people in and out, but it was the middle of the night so fairly quiet, and all I had to do was to talk to the guy I was rostered on with. Not that he was dull, but somehow it felt away from the main action.
Finally - gap duty (stopping people getting through the entrance) of the IT tent while the techies did some repairs.
Overall, it was great fun to chat to everyone, and I was amazed by the wide variety of peeps both on the guest and on the volunteer side.
I popped into Decathlon on the way home - sadly no cheap 2100s, but I did get a rather nice rucksack that will hopefully be suitable for running and cycling. I got home, knackered, but still feeling very chatty, and eventually managed a couple of horus sleep in the afetrnoon. Definitely not a late night for me tonight!!
My planned swim in the morning didn't happen, and that's probably a good thing! The pool shut at 3pm so it's not going to happen now. Legs (and arms from BP) ache like crazy, and I really can't see me doing anything on Crimbo day aching that much. Legs aren't that achey, just heavy from the cycle. A swim Xmas day would be good, but nowehere's open, and I'm not going to swim in the Serpentine!!
Can't wait for the next Crisis sesh - I'm sorely tempted to turn up on spec and put in an extra shift :o)
posted by XFR Bear @ 2:38 am
2 Comments:
Well done, Beary! So glad you enjoyed it. Please turn up for extra shifts if you can. More volunteers are always welcome. I've been on our Gate all night for my first two nights - am Queen of the Gate!!! Got my own walky talky! It was bliddy cold in the middle of last night, I tell you. I hope you enjoy the rest of the week as much.
{{{Beary}}} I'm proud of you!!!
[mwah]
Cheers Wumbly!
And thanks for all the info - it was something I'd been meaning to do for several years, as I've said, but you helped probvide the impetus to acksherly do it :o)
Another sesh later today (afternoon), and apart from a nagging ear ache, I'm really looking forward to it!
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