A view of New Years eve from street level

This article is based on the observations of Mitch who has been living on the streets for five years. Street life has clearly honed his observation skills as nothing seems to be missed. It may seem a bit long and graphic but every night is long if you are on the street.

New Years Eve from the Street- words from Mitch who has lived on the street for five years

At this time of the year people are celebrating looking forward to a New Year and looking back on what had happened last year. For some though it is just another flip over from one day to the next with little to look forward to.

The doorway I sleep in is the same as the one I have been in when I last heard the New Year revellers and fireworks last year and looks like it will be the same again next year as there is little chance of changing my life.

I sit in ‘my’ doorway in the early evening looking out at the many legs going past- I don’t look up to see their faces as they will not be looking down on me. To most of them I am a faceless junkie not worth passing the time of day with- they don’t interact with me and I don’t interact with them as we both remain part of a faceless society as people move amongst others but never really seeing them.

I have sat in doorways looking at people’s feet for so many years I could write book on the changing shapes, sizes and colours of the shoes and trainers that people wear- there are cheap plastic ones for some and then there are high end priced ones that cost more per shoe than what I have to spend in a week.

There are some ladies’ shoes that look like they must have been designed by a structural engineer – the heels are so thin and tall, yet they are expected to hold up a heavy weight who would not look lost in a Sumo Wrestling ring. Guys in cheap trainers and others in designer shoes – all serving the same purpose of protecting the feet. Those who wear no socks this time of the year when cold weather is about is a strange ‘fashion’ statement.

As the evening starts to wind up the pre-loading drinkers with their cans in their early stages of drunkenness become generous wanting to give me a can. It would be strange for some people to find out I don’t drink and the donated cans soon start filling up my carrier bags as I don’t want to say no to generosity. The homeless street drinkers soon see the pile building up and start being aggressive threatening to beat me if I don’t give them a can – if only they would ask nicely, and I would give one to them. On the street you get used to people having little respect for those that are not in the same grouping and see some of us as easy pickings to take things.

Sitting in the doorway looking up at all of the Christmas lights twinkling like 1000s more stars than usual during other times of the year. Normally when you can see more stars clearly at the time of the year it means one thing – it is going to get colder and there could be a sharp icy frost.  The twinkling lights give a false sense about how the weather is going to be till the morning.

The Police have been called to an incident with fighting between a couple of drink fuelled guys who clearly want to take on the world. The worst type of fighting though is when girls start – they shout and scream at each other whilst doing their best to mess up that special hair style done specially for New Years eve at a cost of a day’s wage package – the remnants from the girls are often big clumps of hair on the ground- the seagulls are in for a shock when they dive for food and find the hair.

The guys blame each other, and the girls interject giving their two pennyworth – one of the guys has a bad bloody nose and the other looks like he will need to find a dentist. The Red Cross ‘night angels’ descend from their shelter trying to patch them up to save a trip to A & E. The Police are trying to sort out what happened and decide the best thing is a trip for both guys to the cells until they review the CCTV in the morning. Some of the guys on the street have said the new cells are a big improvement but don’t have any graffiti on the walls yet to read – nothing to read on the walls will make it a boring night.

By now the Street Pastors have heard the commotion and come to comfort the girls- they are really good at being able to calm down those who seem to gravitate to a street fight and save it developing into an all-out brawl. Many of the Street Pastors look old enough to be the grandparents of many revellers and they should be at home, feet up drinking their eggnog, sherry or outdated can of larger (as they bought too much last Christmas) yet they get stuck in and have a laugh with the doorman and revellers waiting to get into the clubs and bars.

As it fast approaches twelve o’clock the street seems to fill up some coming from the pups and others just coming to town to start their celebrations. Everyone is hunting in their pockets to find their phones to take a selfie of the all-important New Year kiss with the one they love or just the one who is standing next to them. The countdown starts 10,9,8,7,,5,4,3,2,1 and the sky lights up with fireworks and the flashes from 1000s of selfie photos being taken. From my low level viewing I can’t see much apart form a sea of legs – some guy and girl shouts ‘Happy New Year mate!!’ if only they knew that I didn’t have any mates but hey ho thanks at least they acknowledged me.

A few people have put some money in my cap –  I’m grateful but not sure if I can spend it on New Years day as lots of shops won’t be open – no ￡1 bakery maybe the CoOp will want to take my money.

Starting to come up to one o’clock is the worst part of a night when the town is open – this is when the first wave of drinkers are starting to make their way home whisks it still just sober enough to slur their address to a taxi driver- the queue for a taxi is starting to weave around the corner.

Worse is to come as someone tries to do a ‘Jimmy Riddle’ in my doorway thinking it funny to see (not sure if he can see) his pixx spraying off the door like a shower of rain -where are the Police or CCTV when you need them. His mate joins in a competition to see who can pixx the highest- thank goodness I have been given an orange plastic sick to keep my things dry – disgusting filthy beasts.

I notice a small group coming from the Kebab shop staggering up the road – for one, the kebab has just hit a belly full of booze and nether like to mix- the internal fight in his stomach to keep the food in or regurgitate is going on- the stomach wins and vomit comes out at the speed of an express train spraying everywhere as it hits the deck- its at times like this you notice people’s feet covered in the remnants of the projectile vomit. I pity any girlfriend or mum who must do the wishing in the morning- he won’t get separated from his mates on the way home as the vapour trail is rank.

His attempt to get into a taxi is soon thwarted – no driver would want that mess in his car – a slight scuffle takes place amongst his mates, all with slurred voices  – “you brought him so you better take him home, yeah but I’ve got work in the morning and need to get home, Ok but we can’t just leave him, well we can either walk home or ring his dad!”. Never did see what happened to him- I’ve had company in my doorway some nights as someone’s ‘mates’ dump their drunken semi comatose mate in my space- do I really look like a guardian angel for a drunk?

Oh well it’s 4.00am and most revellers are going home- the sound of clunking bottles ring out as bar staff throw the empties into the bins, the night staff on the doors have locked up and bid each other a happy New Year.

Just as it seems to be getting quieter the place lights up like the inside of a disco- flashing lights everywhere – trouble is they are only red and blue on the top and front of Police Cars and an ambulance following up the rear. Police everywhere laying out blue and white incident tape and one comes over and asks, “Did I see anything?” Not knowing what “anything” was I enquired and was told a guy had been found badly beaten up. I hadn’t seen anything. New yellow flashing lights appear as a Council lorry came to hose down the pavement where the incident had occurred.

Peace comes to the street again and the artificial stars are still twinkling above for the next few weeks until they are packed away for another year.

The silence is broken again with the Council refuse cleaner and pavement sweepers clearing the mess from the night before at about 6.30 am. The sound of machinery at times is drowned by the noise of seagulls that must have antenna switched on to find their morning meal of kebabs and burgers that have been dumped during the night’s festivities. It appears that no one ever eats a full kebab or burger after they have been drinking. A different type of fighting take place on the street as the seagulls gather rich pickings and blackbirds are outnumbered by seagulls and soon give up.

For many people they will be looking at New Years day as being day one yet for me it will be 1825th (or five years) and just another day.

At least there won’t be so much rivalry between now and next Friday when lots of the night time revelry that happened on New Years Eve will occur again.