Toby's journal

I see my old near-neighbour, the Hackney Mole-man is in the news again.

I just wish someone could get the crazy guy to make sense long enough to find out why he did it..

Something I like about London: Cycling along the pretty canal towpaths, as the flagstones clank under my tyres, on a sunny day.

Something I dislike about London: Crackhead (black/white)-trash teens under canal bridges, baring their teeth at me like animals as I cycle past.

What is it with me and trouble.. Sometimes it feels like I get far more than my fair share of it here.
On Friday night I wandered over to the bus stop on Essex Road, only to discover there was a mob of around 20-40 youths wearing tracksuits and hoodies, engaged in pitched battle, roiling back and forth across the road in waves of attack/defence. Pedestrians fleeing down side streets, and shops locking up their doors - and then staring out in morbid fascination.
An armada of police cars approached, and the mob fled at the sound of the incoming sirens - still flinging bottles at each other as they stampeded past the flinching pedestrians who had been hiding around the corners.

The other week there was a "minor" gun battle between two cars in rush hour, near Hackney Central - I gather the only injuries were bystanders hit by ricocheting bullets, rather than the gangs involved. That's only 1.3 miles east of my place! I believe that's something of a first for the area (although of course it has nothing on Lower Clapton).

I thought this area was getting BETTER, not worse! WTF?


In other news: Went to Matt's birthday drinks and dinner. Practically rolled home on my stomach afterwards and had to have a lie down. It's now 1am, and although I've perked up, I suspect my window of opportunity to go clubbing has expired.. :(

Thanks to Michelle, we have this news story about The falling-down house over the road. Apparently the rumours were true! Who knew?