Big Freeze

Please feel free to moan on GN.

My neighbours and I keep an informal eye on each other. We are all similar ages and some divorced and widows. I'm sorry I can't help you

Our 'watch' started when a neighbour had a hip replacement wand was worried no one would notice if she didn't appear. It gave us all food for thought and we now keep an eye on each other!

Thanks, oldwoman, I was beginning to feel ostracised. I just don't like meaness. Perhaps people are just wary of seeming nosy?

I agree with you wot, I also live in a rural area, am now snowed in and will not be able to leave the house until after the snow has thawed (the garage is at the bottom of a long steep drive). I am more fortunate that you as I have had phone calls from two of my sisters in law and a nephew called in on Tuesday lunchtime to check if I needed anything (they all live the other side of the city). No neighbour has checked on me and the last time I was ill and didn't open my curtains for a week not one neighbour noticed - not even the one who has a spare key. Like you I am aware there are people a lot worse off than me, which is why I feel uncomfortable when I do have a moan!! Hope you are managing to keep warm

Isolation can make one cranky.

I'm fully aware of the plight of others worse off than myself. That doesn't mean I am not entitled to a moan on gn.

A. GN friend has been caring but no one near. I'll get over it. I look young a and fit so don't get sympathy !!

The people in the big farmhouse joined onto the back of my little cottage. Other people are far away. When his dad was next door, I made sure he was okay

Who is aware of your situation wot?

Not a disability but my balance is bad since my aneurysm op and I'm in a rural location.

So true what many have said, that it’s complicated. The Bodach worked in a homeless hostel, and much was made of the local authorities closing the hostels and rehousing the service users. Problem was, that so many of them, for whatever reason, couldn’t cope with managing their own affairs, and the support they were offered was inadequate.
Some preferred to be on the streets with other homeless people, and wouldn’t go to shelters for fear they’d be ‘ forced’ back into a house.
And someone mentioned a dog, but there are lots of shelters which don’t allow dogs, so the people prefer to stay on the streets.

Sorry, you are angry wot. Do you have a disability that means you can't get out?

Im only 67, what's it going go be like when im 87?

I'm probably self indulgent and just feeling sorry for myself, but no one in my so called neighbourhood has bothered to check on me. I haven't seen a soul for a week and I can't walk or drive due to the ice. People are bloody selfish. (Ones round here are) given myself a headache now through getting angry!

So true MOnica, the church in our parish has no priest, the vicarage sold to pay for urgent repairs to the church, a retired priest holds some services but no money for the heating. The church in the next parish rents part of the church as a cafe, not a seperate room but at the west end of the naive. The Tuesday morning service had to stop, chatting and drinking coffee wasn't comfortable for those who were taking communion or for those drinking their coffee. So easy to place the responsibility onto the church and away from the community.

What church are you talking about Maluchatchful? Neither catholics nor CofE have bank accounts full of cash.

In both denominations they have fewer and fewer cleryman, that they have difficulty paying, the biggest problem being pensions. Both denominations are shedding churches. Even Bishops palace's have been disposed off in the big sell-off and bishops live in far more modest homes.let alone all those Rectories and vicarages they have been selling off for over 50 years

Yes, the value of their churches is great, especially when on prime sites. Should the Archbishop of Canterbury sell off Westminster Abbey and Lambeth Palace as development land? They would probably be quite glad to do so. I was recently in Ripon Cathedral, They had a big notice saying that it cost £1,500 a day to maintain it. I think Westminster abbey costs many millions to run.

At times CofE in particular have tried to sell off important artworks, where they have them. An example is the Zurbaran paintings at Aukland Castle in Darlington. There was such a shindig raised over lost heritage, they hastily with drew the plans.

Remember each parish in both denominations is responsible for the upkeep of the parish church and in the case of catholics, providing the priest's salary.

So, what riches?

Mosques in the North West are opening their doors to homeless people, though I don't know if they are sleeping there. A good example to the Churches?

Then we will not agree MaluCatchul, you want the church to close it's doors to people with spiritual needs for people with physical needs . Should families attending the funeral of a loved one hold the service in the grounds because a coffin placed among people's beds would not be acceptable ?

Annie Bach I don't blame the Christian people at all as they have no control over the Church. My point was that the Church is very very rich indeed and so COULD open their doors to homeless people in need. They have the funds to be able to pay for insurance, food, heat, staff yet they do little. Where I live there are homeless people and they can go to a shelter where, funnily enough, I volunteer all year round, not just on snow days. Not that it matters but actually I am also a Christian.

As usual MaluCatchul you are using the old - lets blame Christians and not society . Have you offered the sofa in your living room to a homeless person? Or are you taking the - it's the duty of Christians not me attitude.

I was in a mental hospital in the seventies One of those large, grey buildings , corridors, wards some locked , when I drove away I said - never, ever again. Yes along time ago and that hospital was closed some years ago. Then we had care in the community, houses were provided for small groups of people, result was NIMBY. I worked with mental health charities from the late seventies untill I retired last year, more and more were suffering from alcohol and drug addiction as each decade past.

Christian not Christin

The Church of England is worth literally billions. They make more money than McDonalds. They have billions of pounds in investments. They can afford to insure their buildings for any purpose. They can afford to employ any amount of staff and to pay any amount of bills for heat and food. They don't though. No idea about the RC Church apart from the Vatican Bank also has billions sitting in it. Good old Christin charity at its finest - again.

A few years ago a friend was worried about a relatively young homeless man wandering around her's, and several local villages and she did everything she could to reach out to him and help him, but he made it absolutely clear that he didnt want to be helped and preferred his solitary and hard existence. The reason was he had been involved with social services and mental services and found the experience so traumatic he wanted no more contact with them.

He is not alone in this. Although not homeless a relation of mine, after his first experience with going into a mental hospital came out swearing that he would kill himself rather than ever go through such an experience again.

glammanana, there is a huge difference in costs of insurance for a hostel and a Church, a church would have to have change of use , they would have to make the building suitable and safe for living accomodation , it isn't as simple as leaving the doors open , and the church would be responsible for the safety of those who sleep there. This would mean employing wardens.

We are one of the richest countries in the world, so no this should not be happening. This problem is a big reflection on our society as a whole with the seriously disabled losing independence payment after lengthy investigations and medicals. A friends daughter is now virtually housebound after losing her mobility car. She has a long term disability that is only going to get worse. I think it we have to look at just who is getting richer and how the disadvantaged seem to be paying for it. Guess the next Labour government will have a go at sorting it out!!?? Those in power only have themselves to blame.