Ok. So I live in North London. Which generally makes people think I'm posh. At the moment, it makes people worry for my life. Why? Because we're under attack. On Saturday Wood Green got attacked. I didn't hear too much about it so assumed the shops would be fine by Sunday. Went to go get a suit with The Lad on Sunday and the entire high street was cordoned off, buildings had been trashed, walls had been torn down, windows smashed. It was like walking through the set of 28 Days Later. All of the buses back home had stopped, so our usual 329 journey home that takes 20 mins, took almost 2 hours. On the diverted bus, we encountered some of the fuck-wits that had been at the riots the night before, who were still drunk and high on violence, one only sixteen years old. They jeered and yelled the whole journey, winding each other up, a girl in the group urging them to fight. Eventually, they got off the bus, the sixteen year old was knocked unconscious onto the pavement by a thuggish 30 something in full view of everyone on the vehicle, and the driver drove off as fast as he could (and for those that would claim that the riots were just black people, all of this group were white. It's not about race, it's about people being thick as pig shit and badly raised). Usually he would have stopped and called the police, but not in the tense atmosphere that we were all part of. I grew up in Tottenham, my Grandparents still live there, and have been scared to leave their house since the riots. They couldn't even go to church on Sunday, because all the roads were closed and there were burnt out cars everywhere. That's not right.
But we thought it was over.
Then last night, the violence moved even closer to home. Twitter was buzzing with news and pictures of a car on fire in Gentleman's Row, people looting HMV and G. Mantella *a small jewellery shop*. It was rumoured that Nandos and Krispy Kreme were ablaze (now we know that they had 'just' been looted) The retail park had also been targeted. Throughout the night we heard sirens and helicopters, till it finally died down at about 11.30. This afternoon my brother went to the town to see if he could help with the clean up but was advised to come back almost straight away as police reports were saying that gangs of teenagers were heading to Palmers Green, and then to Winchmore Hill. Which is a small suburb where I live. It is now very very quiet outside. Normally you can hear cars but it's weirdly quiet for a Monday evening, apart from the odd police helicopter above. There's a sense of waiting to see what happens. My brother's weirdly hyper, it's the first time anything this dramatic has ever happened to close to him.
Not sure how tonight will go. Mixed rumours of youths in Broomfield and Grovelands' parks, some say they're leaving, some say they're heading out to do damage. Fingers crossed?
On a happier note I had an interesting time today doing a bit of Mystery Shopping. Minimum wage, but the easiest job ever! Back to the call centre tomorrow though, doh! Lovely lunch with The Lad today too, now we're all snuggled up, watching things on the internet and trying to ignore Benji the cat who's raging his own riot against my bedroom door.
Keep safe Reader!
Ash
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