h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I mentioned a while ago that I was concerned about a degree of gentrification occurring in this part of Peckham...technically Nunhead.

It is small still in my street...but clearly there, judging by the oh so 'tasteful' chrimbo decorations on some doors and windows this year, also accompanied by perfectly clipped hedges, and shocking tidiness in their front yards.

Everyone, including me, was up the street earlier doing last minute food shopping for Christmas. And they were out in force again.

I have no objection to happy families with their 2.4 kids. But for Christ sakes, 'when in Rome'..blah blah.

Firstly I saw coming towards me this morning on the pavement, two young boys on scooters. The six year old on his 2 wheeled scooter, followed by his younger brother on a three wheeled one. They were brilliant. Full pelt and far ahead of Daddy weighed down with his provisions.

When I got to Daddy I smiled and said 'man they are brilliant on those scooters'. This is normal in Peckham/Nunhead. Daddy look aghast for a moment. 'A woman I don't know just spoke to me in the street'. A watery smile appears as I repeat what I said, a touch more forcefully. The watery smile gains a bit of water, and I receive an embarrassed nod.

Up at the shops. I see an identikit. I kid you not. Another Daddy with two daughters about the same age, with the same scooters.

I don't bother saying anything this time.

Thank god they are still in the minority. But I can see that local shops are doing a roaring trade, and they are starting to sell different things.

The butchers is choka with organic stuff now. The fishmongers is full of stuff that Rick Stein talks about. Local to British waters caught stuff...well mostly from Cornwall where Rick Stein has his fish restaurant.

Look this is all to the good. These are things I like to buy too.

But I worry about the price we may pay if these people start to swamp us...

What I'm saying is. 'Please don't infect my community with that very British reserve that means everyone is alone in their little bubble, and normal warm interaction is blanked.

They are human beings. So why this stupid coldness? What are they scared of?

I want to be friends and neighbourly with them, like I do with others here.

But I find them a very weird species.

There's plenty of other places in Britain they could live if they want to be surrounded by their type.

Oh I know. They have the money to buy up local property, and take advantage of the people here being in financial bad straits. They watch those TV programes about getting bargains in undiscovered jewelled areas.

They disrespect our culture though.

I live here to get away from such people and their coldness.

I think I'll secretly call them, 'Big Society, Co-alition Spawn'

And one of their fancy cats now spends more time in my hovel than theirs

Rock on Stripey...

"I don't bother saying anything this time."

I think you should have.

Don't let them bring their bubble into your community.



I think I may have told you one time about the story my home-builder neighbour told us as kids and parents and dogs were gathered for our evening visit in the alley . . .


Down the road an old house had been torn down and a new, bigger house was going up. My friend the home-builder went by just after the framing was finished to have a look around, a fairly normal thing around here. He had a friendly conversation with the framer for a bit and then a new person came up from the basement and said belligerently:

"who are you?

"I'm a neighbour. I live just up the way. I was just having a look around."

"I'd appreciate it if you'd leave."




So, after he'd told the story of his brief visit, one of our group in the back alley asked our friend: "so who was this guy from the basement?"

"I figure it musta been the owner and he doesn't like nosey neighbours"

Another neighbour ed and said "He's moving into the wrong neighbourhood!"


Continue being friendly. Don't let them change things. They can join in or not, but don't change to make them comfortable in their bubble.

That's my opinion.





four more hours to

Yeah well you don't have to contend with all the baggage of the British Class system. Or our history of suppression of rural communities and working class issues.

It's a ing mess to do with history and identity that's been suppressed for centuries.

There's a lot to play for in the coming decades I think, until the British Empire is finally put to bed, in the Union.

( I heard on the radio earlier that the our Royals still follow the German tradition of Victoria and Albert, and give presents on Christmas Eve evening..)

There's a weight of history here like you wouldn't believe...just below the surface.

But I take your advice and shall continue to be normally neighbourly in the street. If they do their stupid blanking thing...too bad. I'm expecting it now at least.

I think some of the complaining about 'Britishness' which you and zoomer make is a bit mis labelled.

It's not just confined to Britain because of Empire. There's some here, not from Britain, that are far more British than me.

It's not just about nationality.

A couple of years ago a nice couple moved in across the road. A black woman and her white husband with 2 children. Totally middle class. From the start they took a dislike to me.

Nothing said..(that's the way). Just attitude. I got to hear they didn't like a woman of my age being single living directly across the road from them. They didn't believe I was just an artist, when they has seen me out and about filming and taking photographs.

They went so far as to let their hedge grow high so I couldn't see into their living room.

What an insane attitude...They moved here cos they got the house on the cheap. But they have no concept of neighbourliness or community, like we have it here...and that can include arguments on occasion to clear the air.

Clearing the air is an important part of things here.

Oh no they won't do that.

Luckily most people around here don't think like them. But I worry if that type start to become the majority.

I'm not meaning to complain about "Britishness" on hootoo so much as narrow insularity and an imperial attitude poo-pooing things colonial and foreign (all the while paying lip service to the idea of global inclusivity).

Which is fairly close to what you're saying I think.


But I don't want to rehash hootoo stuff now.



I do have one neighbour who fits the pattern you're describing a little:


He's a radio personality, she's a lawyer. They tend to keep to themselves at home, although now, after a few years they make a little conversation and I was flattered last summer when he waved to me as they passed me driving one day. They still don't come out for the big annual street party, but, one day . . .

But, I still help him shovel the snow unasked and I still keep an eye on their place during the day when they're at work and I'm at home.

There's more an more engagement as time goes by. I can't make them engage, but I can try to engage myself, and leave the metaphoric door open.

Yeah here in real life. we aren't *literally* close like say we have close friendships with one another. It's a *feeling* thing. Like a *friendship* one step removed.

There's some here I could approach 'in extremis', which I have...but mostly its just ordinary banter and friendliness.

I'm wondering whether new people moving here have some sort of jaundiced attitude to people already here, from ridiculous newspaper stereotypes.

In an English rural community its still normal to be how we are here.

It's this horrible nouveau riche insularity that I hate. Moving up in the world.

But I'm going to just carry on the same.

*I had so many problems with my upstairs neighbours for entirely different reasons. A succession of imigrants from various African countries...bornagain Christians...but the latest lot are lovely. Complete mutual respect. Even the shark 'landlord' is friendly again, and wished me 'Merry Christmas'....well 'Happy' I think