PHONE RINGS
Alcohol delivery. You just 
 called us?
Is that you trying to work out my 
 alcohol? It's fucking lovely.
Cos alcohol's my best friend. Do you
 want to get yourself arrested?
Go on, then, arrest me. Do you know 
 how drunk you are? Fuck off.
I'm not going to accept that just 
 because you're drunk. No.
20 quid for eight beers?
Ha-ha! Cheers!
Wow. Looks like you've got a lot of 
 champagne in there.
Jesus.
In four months there's been three 
 people that have passed away.
Look at me. I'm a nervous 
 wreck here.
INDISTINCT CHATTER
Sorry, I can't stay still. Don't 
 know what's wrong with me. Ah, dear.
Is it cos you need a drink? Yes.
I mean, I've got no money,
and I hate it.
I hate when I'm like this.
Can't stay still.
You all right, there, Des?
When you end up in hospital, 
 sometimes you just want to give up.
Especially when you've lost your 
 loved ones. I've lost all my family.
I've got two kids and that, 
 but nobody gives a monkeys,
you know what I mean?
They don't like me drinking.
Probably a strong cider, 
 strong lager.
Tenner a day, you're done.
Most of our residents do have an 
 alcohol addiction, yeah.
Want to sign for me?
There's yours. All right, Colin?
Thank you very much. All 
 right, mate.
'We're just doing daily alcohol.
'Some people get them at eight. Most
 people get them at ten,'
depending on how dependent they are.
You're welcome, you're welcome.
'Part of the reason that we give out
 cans is to try and reduce
'the risk of withdrawal and 
 everything that goes with it,
'like seizures. And also, I suppose,
 some of our residents'
are seriously reduced in 
 their mobility,
and so getting to the shop can be 
 quite a problem for them,
and that would be quite dangerous if
 they couldn't access
the alcohol that they needed.
There you go. Thank you. 
 All right, mate.
'You could describe it as 
 harm minimisation.
'If they are going to drink,
'then at least drink something 
 that's not so harmful as, like,
'the super-strength alcohol, which,
'it's not just alcohol - there's
'chemical components in there 
 that just'
really damage your organs really 
 badly, quite significantly.
And I think the most worrying thing,
 as well, is that these cans
are usually about £1 a can and, 
 for me,
that rings alarm bells.
If something's cheap, why is it 
 cheap, you know?
A lot of times when I'm 
 describing the job,
a lot of people are still 
 so surprised by it.
They ask the ins and outs of the 
 job, like, "How does it work?"
I said, "It's literally just like 
 ordering a pizza,
"but it's alcohol and 
 cigarettes instead."
Literally.
You'd be surprised - I'm getting 
 orders on a Monday morning at 7am,
and I was like, "Shouldn't 
 you be getting ready for work?"
It doesn't make any sense.
This is the expensive stuff.
How you doing? Are you all right? 
 You all right? Cash? Cash, yeah?
HE LAUGHS
INDISTINCT CHATTER
Sounds like you've got more than one
 girlfriend in there.
It's not fair! No!
INDISTINCT
It's 204.15, yeah?
Sorry?
Her ex-boyfriend was telling her... 
 You don't need the gym, no.
100% sure.
You don't need the gym. 
 Don't listen to him.
Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas to 
 you. Have a good night, all right?
Yeah, I'm sure.
HE LAUGHS
He's got more than one girlfriend in
 there. She was stunning.
So, I think he's living the
lifestyle that we would like 
 to live...
..but some of us got to 
 deliver alcohol.
£20 tip. Lovely for Christmas.
We're proud to be British. Bam! 
 LAUGHTER
I've had a lot to drink... 
 LAUGHTER
Cos alcohol's my best friend.
Oi oi! Oi, it's Charlie Bear.
INDISTINCT SINGING
Father, we thank you for the 
 honour of serving you,
and we pray this evening, Lord.
We pray for a night of joy and 
 people having a good time. Mm.
We just put tonight in your arms, 
 in his name.
ALL: Amen.
There may be people having work 
 Christmas parties this evening,
so that's something to consider.
It's what we've sort of being saying
 the last couple of weeks.
See you later.
I'm a street pastor.
And we go out in Kingston
and in other towns round the 
 country,
just making sure that the 
 youngsters that go out to the towns
during the Friday and Saturday 
 nights are safe.
Eh... Just some chicken. 1.40.
Past your bedtime. You should be 
 home in bed.
SHE LAUGHS
My goodness. What are you doing out 
 at this time of night?
If we come across any that are very 
 drunk and need help,
then we will give it to them.
'Fuck off!'
What's the matter? Eh? He was 
 really horrible!
You're freezing, darling.
Luke? Have we got a space blanket?
You ask the doorman to call us.
And what's your...? Like, 
 who do I say? We're street pastors.
Street pastors. If you need us to 
 come back.
Thank you. Oh, no that's lovely. 
 You sure? It's actually so warm.
Good night. Merry Christmas. 
 Yes, and you, darling.
I hope they're not too long.
WOMAN CRIES
I've told her that she can still 
 report it.
It happened last week!
Someone just came up to me!
Basically, a group of lads hadn't 
 even walked past,
and they picked me up as a joke and,
 like, carried me along...
And I thought it was funny, because,
 like, they just carried me along.
But then they put me down,
and one of them, like, 
 grabbed me...
Right in my private area, like...
And were these people that you know 
 or people that you don't know?
People I don't know.
Sorry. I'm sorry. No, 
 don't apologise.
I'm sorry.
No-one's going to take me seriously!
We're taking you seriously.
I don't think it's fair that 
 that happens, no.
Because I think the boys would laugh
 it off as a joke,
whereas it had obviously affected 
 this lady, you know,
drunk or not, quite badly.
And it should be understood that 
 that sort of thing isn't...
Shouldn't be allowed.
I think sometimes the young ladies 
 it does happen to
are probably too drunk to realise,
the next morning, what happened.
Er... Extra-dry Prosecco.
Youngsters take their own booze when
 they're waiting
to cue up for the nightclubs.
Alcoholics that are wandering around
 Kingston collect these bottles up
and drink the contents.
Probably better for us to get 
 rid of them as well.
It's not as bad as other peoples'. 
 I've seen other peoples' rooms.
But I can't be praised for this.
HE LAUGHS
It's kind of embarrassing, 
 in a way.
In the other hostels that I've 
 been in,
plenty of violence and that, but 
 nothing so here.
Nice day today. Lovely 
 winter sunshine.
Can feel it on my face.
In a few weeks, I'm going to be 
 moved on. So, I know that much.
I don't know where I'm going to go 
 or where they're going to put me.
They've actually suggested that my 
 best option is to go into detox.
I'm just waiting for...
Well, I don't know what I'm waiting 
 for, to be honest. Erm...
I think they said something 
 about funding. I'm just...
Do you want to do detox?
For my own good, yeah. The other day
 I didn't have a drink.
Well, I had one can, and I didn't 
 sleep that night.
And I started hallucinating. And it 
 sounds really weird, but it's true.
I was seeing things that 
 weren't there.
I was seeing black bags in the 
 street, thinking it was a person.
You know, it's really weird.
It's a really strange experience.
It's actually terrifying, cos...
Cos sometimes you worry because you 
 think you might have a seizure.
And that worries me the most.
If I stop drinking, dead, 
 I might have a seizure.
I've seen people in other hostels 
 having seizures,
and they're terrible to watch.
You do meet famous people every 
 now and then, though.
Rita Ora whenever she's in London. 
 She's a regular, actually. Um...
I've met Example.
I've met Kano.
I haven't personally met, but other 
 drivers have met
Peter Crouch, Heston Blumenthal...
Quite a few, quite a few.
PHONE RINGS
Hi, how can I help? What we got?
We've got beers, wines, cigarettes, 
 champagnes, spirits.
What were you after, 
 do you know? Any idea?
Yeah, course we've got vodka. 
 Grey Goose, Belvedere...
Depends which brand you're after.
Is there any particular 
 brand you're after?
Cool, one of those. Any mixers with 
 it? Coke?
Our largest order, the one that 
 we're most aware of,
was £671.50.
I mean, they actually spent £1,000 
 that evening.
It was the Brexit winners, on the 
 referendum night.
The main party contacted us after
there was the announcement that 
 they'd won,
and they celebrated in 
 absolute style.
They were literally at the 
 Houses of Parliament.
Alcohol delivery. You just called 
 us? Did you need to place an order?
I mean, at one point we had a 
 disabled lady
who'd order alcohol from us every 
 three or four nights, I suppose.
Two bottles of vodka. Because she 
 couldn't get to the shops.
So, it's not just for young people 
 looking to continue their party.
Erm, we deal with all walks of life.
Do you feel bad about that?
The disabled lady?
Eh, not being able to get out?
Just... Two bottles of vodka 
 a night seems a lot.
Yeah, but it's every, I would say, 
 probably four days.
Erm...
I don't feel particularly 
 comfortable about it.
But it's not for me to...
It's not really for me to, 
 sort of, question how
they lead their life.
What we are going to do is 
 reposition Nathaniel from where
he is at the moment on the map 
 up into the West End of London,
because we are just coming into peak
 time now and, undoubtedly,
we'll get a flood of calls 
 for the west part of London.
There's a fella here.
That's him. Good.
Are you paying cash or card, mate?
I'm playing... I think I had a card,
but I'm trying to look at what I've 
 got.
Two bottles... Two bottles of wine.
And then... A pack of Rizla. 
 And you want to add some beers.
Yeah. Can we put some beers 
 on top of that?
It's a Christmas thing. 
 It's a Christmas thing.
I don't do this... 
 Do I do it every week? I don't.
I've done it the last 
 bloody three weeks.
It's... Seriously, it's Christmas 
 stuff.
So, what are we doing? If you want 
 the beers, it's an extra 20 quid,
for eight beers. 
 20 quid for eight beers? Yeah.
Unfortunately. 20 quid for eight 
 beers. That's all right.
Can I just take the case? 
 Do you want to take the whole case?
It will cost you more. 
 82 quid for colder beers.
That's what we do. You have a good 
 night, mate. Take care. We will do.
Nice one. Love to everybody.
NAT LAUGHS
Cheers! He's having a 'mare.
NAT CHORTLES
On to the next one now. 
 I've got another one.
The word I get most to describe 
 myself is,
"Oh, you're a lifesaver."
HE LAUGHS
You've run out of beers. 
 All the shops are closed.
You're not ready 
 to call it a night yet.
So in comes Nat, innit, 
 to save the day.
It's nearly quarter to four.
CHUCKLING
DANCE MUSIC BOOMS
It's my idea of hell, 
 going into one of those places.
LAUGHTER
'I did used to come into Kingston, 
 actually.
'We used go out and have a drink,
'but very rarely got drunk.'
'Even my children,'
didn't used to get, you know,
so drunk that they couldn't remember
what they...
..couldn't remember what 
 they'd done the night before.
Erm...
'Well, I suppose the last ten,
'20 years or so,'
it's got a lot worse.
Jesus!
RAISED VOICES
Tubby's just turning 
 everybody out now,
so there's a lot of people waiting 
 for cabs and taxis and lifts home.
They all seem very jolly tonight.
SHE LAUGHS
RAISED VOICES
ARGUING
Oh.
ARGUMENT CONTINUES
Shall I give them a lolly?
Have a lolly.
And be friendly. 
 We're being friendly. Are you?
Are they? Do you know what 
 they're arguing about?
Do you know what they're 
 arguing about? No.
RAISED VOICES
Do you want to get yourself 
 arrested? Go on, then, arrest me!
Please arrest me.
And you cannot touch 
 me. I am a person.
I'm a person.
Good night. Good night. 
 Thank you. OK.
Is he all right, this lad?
Yeah. It's just some cleaning. Yeah.
BEEPING
CHORTLING
This the longest lift.
It's only one floor,
but it takes forever.
Oh, this... Oh, yeah, this is the, 
 erm,
arts room.
I dunno if I showed it to you 
 before. This is the arts room.
This is where the residents 
 do all their art.
These pieces here are from
a good friend of mine, John, 
 who recently deceased.
They've been kept up in his memory, 
 basically.
Erm, all I know is he went out
to get a drink and he collapsed
and died on Wandsworth Road.
Uh, dear. Was he a friend of yours?
He was an excellent friend.
I'd known him for ten years.
We'd been in three 
 different hostels together.
He thought 
 I was following him about!
Bless him. Good old John.
Do you think he died 
 of something related to alcohol?
Eh, there's a very distinct 
 possibility.
'When you... When I get 
 involved with things, like,
'it keeps me away 
 from the drink for a bit.'
There's a...
There's an organisation 
 up the road, Wicks Lane,
and it's amateur dramatics.
I got involved with them 
 there four years ago.
It's my fourth year in a play.
This year, it's called Home.
And it's about...
It's about street...street life.
About residents of a street
and everyone's got 
 their little role to play.
I'm just going 
 to go and read a poem,
or a verse of my poem.
It's going to be really good.
Last year, when we were at the 
 Omnibus Clapham Arts Centre...
..I took a bow and the audience 
 were clapping for me.
That made me feel really happy.
And I felt like 
 I'd achieved something.
Hi, Ray. Do you want to come 
 down for your medication, please?
Thank you.
I've been at Robertson St 
 for four months now.
How many people 
 have died since then?
Three. Possibly four.
Do you think people 
 view alcohol as a drug?
No, I don't think they do, 
 actually. I don't think they do.
I think they see it 
 as like as a means to relax,
something to enjoy 
 yourself with and stuff like that.
And, erm... No. Not a drug.
I don't think that people see it
as something that you can 
 seriously get addicted to,
until you are actually 
 in that addiction.
I can't believe this!
HE CHUCKLES
Excuse me, please.
Thank you very much.
He missed rehearsal
and he missed the tech 
 and the dress this morning,
so it is 12th Hour stuff, 
 but he's here now
and so he will be in the 
 performance. He will be in the play.
I'm sorry about... That's all right.
I'll probably have 
 to read my text. No, that's fine.
You will need to do that. 
 Is that all right? Yeah.
We need to get you to 
 do your bit in front of this
fantastic set here.
SINGING
APPLAUSE
Homelessness.
What is homelessness?
On the outside looking in?
Sleeping rough,
I cry in silence.
Salvation. Sanity.
Shelter.
APPLAUSE
On you come, sir.
Oh, Gawd Almighty!
I'm going to sit over here...
I was so nervous.
INDISTINCT SPEECH
..child of the universe.
I wasn't born to shine.
Look at me. I'm a nervous wreck 
 here.
Oh, God, I'm terrible. Gawd!
HE LAUGHS
I can't believe this!
So I'm going to go back
to the Robertson Street Project
and have a can of beer.
It might not be such a good idea,
but if I don't get rid of these 
 nerves, I'm going to go mad.
Do you think you need to have 
 another drink? Definitely.
I'm sorry, I've got the shakes.
I thought it was nerves, 
 but I actually have the shakes.
No, it's better if 
 I just take the edge of myself.
I don't even know 
 if I've got any money on me.
I'm skint. Hold on.
No, I can't be skint.
That was me. That was me.
HE CHUCKLES
That was definitely me.
I want to stop what I'm doing, 
 basically.
I'm not playing games. 
 I want to stop what I'm doing.
Just get my own place to live,
get a job.
Maybe it's a bit too late. 
 I'm only 47, but...
I don't know. 
 Do you think 47's a bit too old?
Course I can get a job.
I'm just going to the shop there.
I'll just quickly be a minute. 
 In and out, in and out, in and out.
Shake a leg.
See, it takes the edge off you
when you feel a bit jittery.
That's what I call it - jittery.
But the thing is, I mean, 
 you hear about alcoholics.
I mean, yes, I'll admit 
 I've got a problem with it.
That said, 
 I don't say I'm an alcoholic.
I say I've got issues with alcohol.
And, erm...
But the problem is, I rely on 
 alcohol
to get me through 
 any day of the week.
So...that, my dear friend, is that.
HE LAUGHS
