Cat Women

Pushing a borrowed (now returned) Tesco trolley around your very own neighbourhood is an interesting experience to say the least.  Clunking with a deafening metallic rattle as the pans and tins collide with every bump in the uneven pavement, Renee and I have been hard to ignore when transporting bits from our houses to the Terront Road Hall.  Our neighbourhood being Haringey, there are one of two reactions from most passers-by:

1.       They are so conditioned to the general state of anything goes craziness that they look once and then consciously look away for the fear that we are in fact lunatics who have cats following us everywhere, much like that school teacher in ‘South Park’ (my flagrant use of stereotyping will be explained below)

2.       They laugh out loud and point!

I prefer option one, although it does raise some interesting thoughts about our perceived attitudes to homelessness in Haringey, hence my somewhat offensive use of generalisation.  No doubt we Londoners have learnt to ‘look away’ as a defence mechanism to avoid unpleasant confrontations or an even more unpleasant knuckle sandwich, but are we happy to just write people off if their behaviour or circumstances make us uncomfortable?  I think we are all guilty of that sometimes aren’t we?

This feels particularly resonant because on my way home from an amazing week three of the pilot, I met a man on my street picking through the wheelie bins which were awaiting collection, loading up his trolley with anything even barely edible.  I had some of our leftovers with me, and he accepted them with too much gratefulness, I ran home to get him some more food, but he was gone when I got back out.  I wish I had told him to come next Friday.  I am nothing short of grateful for the amazing, beautiful families who are coming to eat week in week out at our pilot, they are our bread and butter, no pun intended, but I’d really like us to be able to meet the needs of some of our other neighbours too.  I bet we could learn loads from each other.  If you know anyone who could use a good meal, free of charge, of course, if it is not within their means, send them along to us.

WHEN: FRIDAY 12 – 2

WHERE: TERRONT ROAD SALVATION ARMY HALL, N15

ASK FOR RENEE OR KATE

Sorry if I have disappointed anyone with my philosophical rant!  The title is misleading if you were hoping for references to the skin-tight lycra wearing DC femme fatale.  I can’t speak for Renee, but I look nothing like Halle Berry in, or out for that matter, of a catsuit, mores the pity.  Good job I can cook, eh!  (Just joking, I am a feminist, I promise)