Busy bees

Today was one of those days, I saw just about the whole crew within minutes.

Going down Porchester Road I passed Jim, so I thought I'd see what he was up to. He walked north to the fried chicken shop, where he did a 180. Dod was also coming up Porchester Road, he went into CostCutter and bought a doughnut. Jim followed him in, the shop has two entrances (one locked) and a central island, I could see that he was looking to shoplift. He went in, walked around the island and walked right back out. There were staff everywhere, he was not going to be able to lift anything. Dod walked out munching ona doughnut. Jim was looking through the door of the bookies next door. He continued down to the Queensway/Westbourne Grove junction, where he stopped and looked to and fro, up the various streets, nothing doing I suppose. He headed off down Westbourne Grove.

Outside the Bestway supermarket by Khans on Westbourne Grove, was a female junkie who I have seen here before. I've seen her shuffling between begging on this spot, and checking out the bookies onPorchester Road just last week. I did a loop around just to get a closer look at her. She is maybe 5'6", caucasian, ginger/dark blonder hair, and was dressed in brown clothes, and wrapped in a manky threadbare orange blanket, and dark drown corduroy 'flower-pot' hat. I'll call her Ora. The hat was pulled down low, but she seems to have piercing blue eyes.

I stop off for a haircut at the barber. I tell them that I've been watching a junkie, and they start giving me their own stories. I describe various incidents that I have seen, and tell them about Ali. At the same moment as I am describing the guy, one of the barbers asks 'Do you mean this guy?' pointing outside. Indeed, there he is passing by, what a coincidence lol! One of the guys tells me that Ali has been thieving and dealing crack on Queensway for eleven years that he is aware of (since the barber started working there aged 15). Apparently Ali is Algerian. They tell me that he was stopped by the police last week in a basement office on Queensway in possession of several bottles of perfume. The police could do nothing, they had no proof it was stolen, so he was let go. They also tell be about witnessing junkies clearing out shelves in Whithards (in Whiteleys, next to M&S), and thieving from Maplins, the electronics shop, and Greggs the sandwich shop. In the latter case, the staff just put up with the thieving, because they do not feel they are paid to take the risks of challenging these people.

Up and out onto Queensway. Sta and Dod are begging in front of Tesco. Whistles are exchanged and a caucasian guy in a black hoodie and black jeans joins them, I'll call him Dea. Sta picks up his wooly hat of coins and they head off north, crossing the road outside Maplins. I try and clock the new guy in the hoodie, as he seems like an orchestrator. He is being very discreet, his hood right down, and looking at the ground, but then surely anyone would wonder who the hell is hanging out with wrecks like Sta and Dod. I watch them cross in front of TGI's. Dea looks back my way a couple of times, and I think he might have clocked me, so I move on, Dod & co going into a phone box in front of TGI's.

Coming back home, Dea is sitting in front of HSBC begging, now with his hoodie off. Now I recognise him, he was there last week, he has quite a beaky nose and short dark blonde hair. Last week I thought he looked to clean to be a junkie. Dod, still in his black and yellow headband is heading south, his way. They chat for a minute or two, Dea gets up and they both start heading north up Queensway. I'm in front of them. Somewhere between Bayswater tube and Boots (opposite Whiteleys) they disappear. Down past Tesco, Sta is sitting down and begging, his hands in the usual prayer position.