UK Hobo! ^^

[Number 16 Bus Shelter]

Hey Comrades,
Living in NZ at the moment, but moving in Janurary to London, to become a squatter, and a 'freelance excess reduction engineer engaged in the reallocation of surplus' as I have heard dumpster-diving described. ^^

Im getting a UK visa (at the moment it looks like it will be a 2 year one) for a variety of reasons, mostly to become more active in the political movement.

As said I would like to live the freegan style -(free + vegan), but Im not sure how to go about it when I arrive in London.
Is there an organisation for squatters, with an office in London which I can visit?
Anyone who knows a squatter who I can meet? (I would prefer someone with a political bent, but as long as he/she wont stab me with a needle, it'll be good ^^)


Thanks

[Pirate turtle the 11th]

depressing bastardness aside try the rampart social centre.

[OneNamedNameLess]

It's his choice Joe.

There are some permanent squats in London but some are taken and held for only a few weeks. I recently met someone who squatted in London for a while with roughly 100 others who were not all political. However, they have all been evicted now so it's just your luck.

This may help http://www.squatter.org.uk/index.php?option=com_frontpage&Itemid=1 It's a site called advisory service for squatters. There is an active forum and a squatters handbook.

Here is the address of the group:

Angel Alley (84b Whitechapel High Street, London E1 7QX), the same building as Freedom Press (U.K.) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freedom_Press_(U.K.)).

Enjoy your hobo lifestyle mate :D I personally don't see the problem with it if you are quite content. Why would people want to live in a housing estate with their parents eh?

[Number 16 Bus Shelter]

Hey, thanks Anti, you too Joe. You're right, perhaps I might have gone on a bit of a rant, but it seemed like you were only posting to make a piss remark, and I blew a fu-fu valve ^^

All, good, thanks for the links, Anti
There seem to be quite a lot of Anarchists who hold true to this life-style. Hopefully I can meet up with them, somehow

[Pogue]

Hey, thanks Anti, you too Joe. You're right, perhaps I might have gone on a bit of a rant, but it seemed like you were only posting to make a piss remark, and I blew a fu-fu valve ^^

All, good, thanks for the links, Anti
There seem to be quite a lot of Anarchists who hold true to this life-style. Hopefully I can meet up with them, somehow

In London there is an anarchist Centre called Freedom. On the top floor there is the office of the Advisory Service for Squatters.

http://www.freedompress.org.uk/public/news.oml.html

[Number 16 Bus Shelter]

Ah, so they are political... Well, looks like I have a plan now, even if all it is, is get off the plane and go to Angel Alley.

Well, thats all the planning I need!

Cheers,

[Number 16 Bus Shelter]

But if he´s going to actively participate in politics instead of passing his time eating fried broccoli out of a Food Not Bombs bin, then I´m fine with it.

Well Yeah thats the main reason for going in the first place -
a rual island With a population of 4 million is not exactly a brewing pot of revolution.
So Im going to go to the UK to join Left wing groups, Enviromentalist marches etc, etc, etc.

But, I have NO contacts, I do not want to get a job, and would rather squat as I do this. ^^

[OneNamedNameLess]

I just think Sven´s actions are more of the lifestylist, Crimethinc, ``drop out and blow up´´ bullshit. But if he´s going to actively participate in politics instead of passing his time eating fried broccoli out of a Food Not Bombs bin, then I´m fine with it.

I do food not bombs too. People can be lifestylists and still be politically active. CJ mentioned the Rampart squat in London. Most of them are the undesireable lifestylists you guys speak of. However, they formed a new Anarchist group known as the Whitechapel Anarchist Group who have done a great job organising and participating in working class struggles. Why is it ok for people to lead consumerist, materialist lifestyles and not an alternative one? You guys live in a house, some others live in a squat. So?

[OneNamedNameLess]

Because if you get people who live completely different lives to everyone else then they come up with ideas and actions that tend to be irrelevant to everyone else.

Harmless?

Well yes if it wasnt for the fact they often adovicate reactionary crap as a result have a habit of tarnishing down to earth leftists reputation.

Put your bias aside mate. Why should everyone live the same lives as everyone else? That sounds extremely authoritarian to me. You are also making social outcasts of these people. I could say trans and homosexuals live completely different lives to everyone else which is harmful to our movement and shouldn't be welcomed in the class struggle.

Ideas and actions that tend to be irrelevant to everyone else eh? Just where are the left right now? We are detached from most people's everyday lives as it stands. We are not above squatters and vegans.

Just how do they tarnish the reputation of the left? Surely the right do that by adopting the skinhead image, calling themselves socialists, using anarchism to promote nationalistic ideas etc, etc, etc. Some leftists also blacken the reputation of other leftists such as left wing 'terrorists'. Others also go around glorifying North Korea. Then there's the Sex Pistols... just kidding.

[ls]

Hey Comrades,
Living in NZ at the moment, but moving in Janurary to London, to become a squatter, and a 'freelance excess reduction engineer engaged in the reallocation of surplus' as I have heard dumpster-diving described. ^^

I'm not trying to be offensive or anything, but why do you feel the need to do that?

If you're coming over purely to do that, it would honestly seem like a waste of time. If you're coming over because you want to see the UK or something then fair enough, I'd understand or if there are more jobs over here and you want one that's fine too of course. But if you're coming over purely because the squatting scene is better, you should ask yourself: squatting is not a choice for some people, it's a way of surviving best when you're homeless and have been denied multiple forms of accommodation.

All I can advise is that you seriously think this over..

[Plagueround]

The DIY forum is not the place to be a bunch of vile dipshits to each other. We go over this every time someone posts a thread about freeganism, dumpster diving, etc.

Flames will be split from the thread and warnings will be handed out to all who continue.

[Number 16 Bus Shelter]

I'm not trying to be offensive or anything, but why do you feel the need to do that?

If you're coming over purely to do that, it would honestly seem like a waste of time. If you're coming over because you want to see the UK or something then fair enough, I'd understand or if there are more jobs over here and you want one that's fine too of course. But if you're coming over purely because the squatting scene is better, you should ask yourself: squatting is not a choice for some people, it's a way of surviving best when you're homeless and have been denied multiple forms of accommodation.

All I can advise is that you seriously think this over..

Well, As I have said MANY TIMES, I am NOT comming to the UK simply to Squat. Im comming to the uk, because in essence, I (insert) want to. Im going to join Left wings groups while I am there, and while I am doing that, to live I am going to squat and dumpster-drive as an alternative to Getting a freaking job and getting a flat.

So, like I was saying? anyone I could meet up with in the uk?

Edit. Toned down the post a bit, as it looks like mods are removing all.. er.. flamming. hmmm.

Also, The somewhat zenophobic mindset of the UK is insisting that not only must I have a fortune in my bank account with proof that I earned it, (More than 3 months of bank statements, but also that I Have an address in the uk which must be verified, among other things...

So, can anyone of you nice chaps help me out?(with the address I mean. Im rich enough. Im typing this from my super-yacht, you know.) I promise Im not that difficult to get along with, really... I won't eat everything in your refrigerator..
No, joking.
(I really will eat everything in your fridge)
No, I need not stay with you... Its just to keep the facists happy ^^
So anyone willing to help me out here?

please.

(cherries, anyone?)

Sven

[ÑóẊîöʼn]

I'd like to help, but I live in Slough... It's only 20 minutes on the train from London, but it might be too far for your purposes.

EDIT: Ooops nevermind, I didn't completely read the above message.

[Number 16 Bus Shelter]

Thanks, NoXion...
By your edit do you mean you can't help me out, or you can?
Not quite sure,
but thanks in any case.

[ls]

Well, As I have said MANY TIMES, I am NOT comming to the UK simply to Squat. Im comming to the uk, because in essence, I (insert) want to.

What do you mean by 'in essence' you want to?


Im going to join Left wings groups while I am there, and while I am doing that, to live I am going to squat and dumpster-drive as an alternative to Getting a freaking job and getting a flat.

Fair enough, but other folks on this forum have expressed that doing similar things has ended up going pretty wrong for them, admittedly they aren't scenarios quite like your one but they have been similar. I believe our psycho for instance decided to squat instead of have a flat, but it did not work out quite as he planned.

I'm not saying squatting is bad, it is most effectively used as a last resort kind of thing, that's all I'm advising. It's up to you after all, this is only a forum and there is no need to get all hateful..


Edit. Toned down the post a bit, as it looks like mods are removing all.. er.. flamming. hmmm.


So, like I was saying? anyone I could meet up with in the uk?

Getting involved in the squatting scene is not too hard. RAMPART among a few other places should get you in a squat with relative ease.

North-east london squatters network (http://nelsn.wordpress.com/about-nelsn/) could help, their main thing going on is on 2a belgrade road (http://belgraderoad.wordpress.com/).


Also, The somewhat zenophobic mindset of the UK is insisting that not only must I have a fortune in my bank account with proof that I earned it, (More than 3 months of bank statements, but also that I Have an address in the uk which must be verified, among other things...

It's a lot worse for illegal immigrants among others.


So, can anyone of you nice chaps help me out?(with the address I mean. Im rich enough. Im typing this from my super-yacht, you know.) I promise Im not that difficult to get along with, really... I won't eat everything in your refrigerator..
No, joking.
(I really will eat everything in your fridge)
No, I need not stay with you... Its just to keep the facists happy ^^
So anyone willing to help me out here?

please.

(cherries, anyone?)

Sven

Best of luck finding somewhere, if you do decide to come over.

[bailey_187]

go down to speakers corner in hyde park

theres a couple of smelly environmentalist down there. i dont know if they have a house though.

[Number 16 Bus Shelter]

Cheers, Is....
Slightly aggresive posts don't equal hate-mail, though. ^^
Well, I take those links and look them up, and try to sort this out.
Well see what happens,

cheers again everybody,
and bailey 187, I LOVE smelly enviromentalists! :laugh:
haha.