London Riots

Anyone in these areas?
Hope you and your bike are ok and stay that way.

Just can't believe what I'm seeing on the telly......again!

Yeah I am , sort of .. The furniture store you see on fire is just over 2 miles from me.

I was out working on the bike fitting the new instrument cluster ( leave that tale for another day), things weren't going my way and I was taking way longer than hoped...

I knew there was an un-easiness about, my walk home I had planned on stopping at the DVD shop but it was shuttered up, so was the Croydon Vistor Centre next door.
People were milling about at home wanting to talk with me and were delaying my job. I wanted to change the headlight bulb whilst all stripped down, turns out my replacement was faulty - so pop inside to find another one. Pam had been trying to call me and panicked when I didn't answer, she had been watching the TV.
As I'm putting the new bulb in I smell burning.. OOOPS I thought I had burnt the wiring on the bike.. The sirens had been going for well over an hour at this stage and I started to filter them out.
Took me well over a minute to realise it wasn't the bike emitting the smell and I suddenly recognised it to be burning rubber (awful flashbacks to my past life).

Pam is uneasy as I guess can be understood. I may have been seen to be the weird one, working on the bike whilst parts of Croydon are on fire.

I'm OK and I hope the bikes are, new one now has the old ones cover on it (really because I tore the seat yesterday and don't want it damaged if it rains).

Tomorrow, will set out as usual to work - I'm lucky I walk there, the Trams all pass through Reeves Corner ( the furniture store on fire), there won't be any service that way. Busses have been set alight, so there will disruptions there too.
I work less than a mile from the fires, no telling if the borough centre will be open 'for business'

Stay safe Steve, keep us informed please mate

Thanks Fi, bike just about all sorted, seem to have misplaced a panel screw :( but in the scheme of things that's minor.

Many roads have been closed off and the looting is still carrying on I believe - Lidl, Argos, Pound streacher are all in the area of Reeves furniture store.
One of Croydon's claim to fame is it is the largest shopping area in London outside of the West End, so many many shops from which to loot.

I thought I left lawlessness behind me 5 years ago, maybe in a way that's why I am calmer than those around me, for now. I had offered Pam that she comes over to mine, but she feels I'm in a less secure position right now.

The acrid smell of all the fires has gotten into the flat, I doubt it'll be a good night for many.

- Thanks Nick

We were thinking of you last night when we saw Croydon on the TV.


Hope Pams OK too xx

Ellie xxxx

A quieter than usual walk into work this morning. Very few people on the streets, the couple of buses I did see were nearly all empty. The trams are running past my place and at this time of morning they are normally bursting at the seams they are so full, but not today.

I'm the only one in the office which smells like it has been on fire. The eerie silence is similar to when everything shuts down here after a snow fall.
People are walking about in a state of shock and I suppose fear for if and when it will happen again. It is very unnerving to realise such destruction has taken place so close to you

just seen it all on the news madness bring back national service for these feral kids hope u and pam are ok steve iam sure they will move on doesnt look like there is much left to burn in croyden

Hi Steve/Pam,

I'm sorry you have to experience any of this. I can't believe what I'm seeing on the news reports. It's quite a mixture of emotions, mainly anger at others behaviour and disbelief, but nothing I'm sure that you haven't already gone through. It looks to me like it is being done by those who think they can get away with it. I sincerely hope they don't.

Take care,
Chris

Absolutely unbelievable. Stay safe steve.

Paul.