Pilot Issue 9 : May 2011

about the front coverMany thanks to Chalkey for allowing us to adapt his artwork for the front cover.

Chalkey has been involved with FLACK”s predecessor, the Willow Walker, in the past. He designed its !rst logo. So it’s good to see this talented artist’s work again and looking forward to more artwork in the future.

Get involved with FLACK

Got an idea for an article?

Interested in learning some new skills?

Want to help with binding or distribution?

FLACK NEEDS YOU!

We’re at Wintercomfort every Thursdayfrom midday - 2.30pm

email: kirsten@!ackcambridge.org.uktext Kirsten on: 07962 685220

or call in at FLACK on a Wednesday 1 – 5pm

The FLACK Base is is a friendly welcoming place with a reliable supply of good conversation, tea/coffee and biscuits. It’s marked on the map on the back cover – very near the Access Surgery, just ask for FLACK at Reception.

Don’t worry about not knowing how to use a computer or spelling - we can help with all that - it’s your stories, opinions and ideas we want.

Why FLACK ?Well ... homeless people get a lot of #ack ! (aka random criticism) ... and ‘to #ack’ means to publicise and promote and that’s what FLACK is all about ... providing a positive insight into who homeless people are, what they have to say and offer.We’re aiming to expand FLACK in the very near future to include the What’s On Listings that Cambridge needs and deserves.

Cambridge Link Up is a homeless led community group organising projects, a w a r d i n g s m a l l g r a n t s a n d representing the views of homeless people to policy makers.

www.cambridgelinkup.org.uk We meet on the !rst Wednesday of every month at 3pm at 222 Self-Build. We can offer small grants, help with footwear and a lot more.

The most unique thing that FLACK has to offer is trust and responsibility. So many projects aimed at people with addiction issues, mental health issues, unemployment, chaotic lifestyles and homelessness actually work on the lack of trust that people have in themselves, they reinforce the feeling that their lives are out of control and that the chaos they are going through is their fate. FLACK actively works against the labelling and marginalisation of people with these kinds of issues, because everyone that walks through the door becomes part of what’s going on, and everyone is handed a sort of fresh slate to start from, creatively. It’s not a case of being given more leeway or freedom as you prove that you can be trusted, FLACK comes from the starting point of trust. Obviously there are boundaries about what is acceptable behaviour but it’s common sense, and people are treated as adults who can tune into that for themselves. There’s no suspiciousness or judgment on people, and no need to back up your problem behaviours with some kind of excuse, because the negative stuff is not really relevant as long as you are engaging with what you’re doing at FLACK. It’s not sensationalised, because no one is treating you with these kid gloves as though you’re special because of your problems. You’re special because of what you can do, like write a poem or a play, make a !lm, tell a joke or make matchstick models or !x bikes, make people laugh, cheer people up, make a really good cup of tea…

What’s happening? FLACK is about to move into new and larger

premises ... we’ll announce where in our next (and !nal pilot issue). We’re than going to take a break from publishing every month so that we can prepare for the launch of (drumroll)

(FULL) FLACK - a proper 32 page magazine for Cambridge which includes all the content you’ve been enjoying as well as a comprehensive What’s On Listings. FLACK will cover everything going on in the

FLACK NEWSFLASHThis is the penultimate pilot issue of FLACK or to put it another way ... the June issue will be the last of our DIY magazines.DONʼT WORRY! FLACK WILL BE BACK

city ... including free events, music gigs, university talks and even jumble sales!

We’ll tell you more in the next issue and we’d love to hear your feedback on FLACK.

What have you enjoyed? what have you found boring? What has been useful? What would you like more of? Tell us about it:

email: kirsten@!ackcambridge.org.ukor drop by on a Wednesday for lunch at 1pm

People are free to engage at whatever level they’d like, from using the opportunity to meet friends in a setting that is away from the negative focus that pervades the hostels, using the chance to improve their computer and literacy skills, contributing some art work or poetry, contributing their opinions, to starting to take the initiative and come up with new projects, articles, and ideas. There is openness to the atmosphere at Flack that lets people breathe and become themselves a bit more. It’s like a tree that becomes more alive as each one of its branches reaches out into the air and blossoms with creative ideas. Even though there is no pressure on people to ‘change’, everyone who has been involved so far, from staff to volunteers to service users, has become more con!dent, more themselves, happier with who they are or at least more aware of who they are and what they want from life. Several people have stopped taking class A drugs, several have gotten jobs, people have learned loads of new skills, people have become a lot more assertive and are embracing their lives a lot more, and I think everyone has moved towards accepting themselves as they are rather than beating themselves up with what they aren’t or what they haven’t done. FLACK actually gives you the ownership of something…and if you have an idea, the response from others is not ‘yes’ or ‘no’ but ‘tell me more, how can we make that a reality?’ and I think that’s really refreshing. There’s really nothing like it at all.

What’s so different about FLACK? Diane Morrison (volunteer)

Slice Six‘Oh for FLACK’s sake!’ ... by Jude Evans

successful. Bastards! F***ing typical! It was deeply traumatic to see Kirsten, always so upbeat, in a state. I felt suddenly like a child watching their parent, the centre of their world, fall to pieces. That news shook us all to the core but it also pushed us, inspired us into action. All hands to the mast!

We made a promo-style !lm (posted on our website) and inundated our MP's office with letters and emails. Julian Huppert did visit our offices recently assuring us of his support. He said 'I will be following your progress closely over the next few months'.

We'll see. For FLACK's sake, (to raise fundalation) my friend Diane's running a marathon. Robin's growing a sponsored beard (in this heat!). I gave away a hundred quid of my grant.

We will never give up!!!!!!

Oh yeah, here's this month’s gossip (aka 'impossible things' aka 'problems'):

1. I got my grant back!!! Finally, Debbie poked them until they had to give it back or be driven mad! Unfortunately it seems to be the only way to get things done.2. After my neighbours got involved, the boiler no longer explodes. It's not the council’s fault they're broke too. 3. My doctors have been talking (!nally!) and agree I'm doing well (yawn, only took !ve months!) Decisions have been made which I hope will add stability and address my underlying mentalness. (I'm not allowed to go into too much detail about that!)

Just a thought. If you, or anyone you know has !fty grand spare, can we have it please!?

For FLACK's sake !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Alright me muckers!?I keep experiencing an odd and unfamiliar

sensation. No, it doesn't burn when I pee! Every once in a while I catch myself wondering who or what I am. I've changed. Who is this new person at the controls? People tell me 'it's O.K it's just real life'. Hmm. Pressure, responsibility and so on...it's going to take some getting used to! The positive is that FLACK is always there to support me in ways that are just right for me. It's open to everyone and anyone who’s been or is homeless. Give a little, get a little back. It's simple and it bloody works! Like no other institution or family member, FLACK says, if you want a non-judgmental, healthy environment in which to spend your time, you are welcome! What are you interested in? What would you like to do? It's not rocket science.

After this month’s FLACK however, we can only afford to produce one more pilot which means dear friends, this is the penultimate installment of my 'slice of life' column. All together!?....Aaahhh!!! But have no fear, intrepid reader. We aren't so much winding down as gearing up!! It's exciting! Not even one year ago FLACK was but a twinkle in Kirsten's eye! Now we discuss sales strategies, market research and hold 'editorial meetings'! My next big experiment will be a collaboration with Toby Peters. We are interviewing ex chief-constable Tom Lloyd who now campaigns for change in British drug policy. Good luck!

Like most worthy causes right now we are skint! Every charity is in jeopardy. Last month we heard devastating news that none of our cash bids were

FLACK Beer Can Photography Project

Last December, FLACK attached several customised beer cans to lamp posts, drain pipes, road signs and bicycle sheds across Cambridge. In each can there was a sheet of photographic paper and a very small pin hole.

Over the three months, light entering the can through the pin-hole gradually caused clouding to the photographic paper inside. On March 24th we collected up all the cans that had survived and took them back to the FLACK base for processing.

Several of our special cans had fallen foul of the curious. We lost one tied to the wall overlooking Wintercomfort’s smoking area and another two in the Memorial Garden at 222. But not to worry, we got some fantastic results from all the cans that did last for the full three months.

Did you notice this beer can taped to a lamp post on Victoria Bridge?

The photographic paper exactly as it came out of the beer can tied to the wall of the bed-sits at 222 Victoria Rd.

The processed photograph of Wintercomfort that we found inside - even though the can had been punched at some point during the three month long exposure.

The image was immediately scanned and inverted using photoshop to create this photograph, in which you can see the trails of the sun over 222 during the winter solstice: Dec 21st - March 24th

FLACK Photography Exhibition ~ Chesterton Tower ~ May 20 - 22Stunning, magical images from our work with photographer, Mark Woods-Nunn.

Friday May 20th 6pm - 8pm ~ Opening event with music from Toby Peters and Ben Sherwooodalso open Saturday and Sunday 2pm - 5pm

Chesterton Tower is worth a visit in itself .... Chapel Street, Chesterton CB4 1DY

They counsel, preach and coach and tellAdvise and boast how they done wellTo take us to that special placeWhere drugs have gone and left a spaceA hole in life, a big black voidThey wonder why I’m so annoyed

You’ve done it, clean, no more they sayYou’ve gone and pushed the drugs awayYou’ve done it, clean, you’ve reached your goalTo them job done, to you a holeA hole, a void, a space to !ll,Never again to wake up ill

No more theft and no more crimeBut something’s worse, that something’s timeThey’ve gone and dropped you like a stoneThey know you can’t cope on your ownSo here’s a bottle do a testShove it mate with all the rest

I was clean at Christmas and now it’s MayHow long’s a week, a month, a dayTwenty weeks, oh, what’s the useTen tests clean, no drug abuseWe want you to go and !ll thisSo off I go to do a piss

Done twelve weeks clean and then got slackNow positive for gear and crackWhen I saw that look upon her faceThen I really want to leave this placeThat test you did was positiveNow, I’ve lost my will to live

I knew soon as my test was dippedSo now I’ve gone and lost my scriptOh shit, now what am I to doI know, rob a shop or twoLook out Tesco ‘cos I’m backTo relieve your goods to sell for smack

Everyday I’m out for moreRun out of shops, run from the lawThe next day, like the day beforeThe more I nick, the more I score24 hours running awayFrom P.C. Knight and P.C. Day

P.C. Thomas and P.C. DixAnd we all know them, the pair of p....s‘Cos some of us got stuck on drugsWe’re not all bad, we’re not all thugsAnd just cos some of us turned to drinkWe’re not all rotten, we don’t all stink

So to everyone who went off the railsWe’ll turn the corner, we won’t all failCome on guys and join the !ghtAnd let them know we are alrightSo twenty weeks and now you’re sadYou did so well then it all went bad

Shoulders slumped and head bowed downFeeling like crap, you want to drownA tide of self pity, a wave of sorrowBut stop, dear friends because tomorrowIt’s true, is another dayAnd all the hard work thrown away

Stop and think, it’s not the endIt’s just the start, so dear friendAll that time you’ve just done cleanIs just the start, know what I meanAll the time spent doing gearTurn it around and face your fear

So take it on, face to faceAnd !ght to !ll the spaceBattle on and !ll your timeYou will win and stop your crimeIf you want it, you must be toughIf you want it bad enough

If it goes wrong, try againYou will do it. God bless, AMENP.S. take it from someone who really knowsI should do, I’ve had enough bloody goes!

Off The Rails Ian Summerfield

FLACK WANTS YOUR SHORT STORIESAre you a man, or woman, of few words?Here’s one I came up with just to give you the idea.

My Earliest Memory Homeless HarryStanding on the pavement outside the Arts Theatre holding my Grandmother’s hand. She pointed at the building and said ‘I’ve been in there. And not to clean it either!’

April Crossword Solution

Congratulations Smithy and Peter!We hope you enjoyed your free tickets for Haddenham Rock Festival.

“My brief and TORRID love affair with Prince William's Kate Middleton”

this is actually a true story  and i've not told anyone  because i l !nd it hard to believe myself !  but yes   back in 2000 when i was sleeping rough, and living round the back of Tesco in Swindon        that Jane Middleton would drive up in her Merc  (FLACK points out the future Princess is actually called Kate Middleton) er, Kate, Jane, whatever maybe she’s changed here name now    nice Merc i would say and she was ever so nice  even then    and so  i kept seeing her  and commenting on her Mercedes            and one day  

when she was reversing out of her parking space trying to get away from me she ran me down  clipping my knee quite badly    i think she felt quite bad about it    and so she took me home    like in Down and Out in Beverly Hills      and i stayed there in the big house owned by her father the Mayor of Elmbridge for, oh, must've been about a week, laying in her big bed with the union jack duvet and photos of Princess Diana on her walls  and in that time, well, let’s just say we were pretty intimate! Ah, she used to kook me splendid fryups in the morning!    i would rub her back before asking her if she wouldn’t mind going to the off licence to get me beer and fags in fact i suppose it was my boozing that doomed the relationship     looking back on it i had the chance of marrying the future queen of england but do i regret it      i remember that last day    fryup in the morning   i asked for beer   she said julian i think you better leave   and i said dont you love me?    i think she said no        i said i’ve got nowhere else to live    and she said that’s your problem              i said can i at least have the Merc?  she said no piss off      i was about to get arsey then her dad came in with her brothers and i was roughly ejected from the big house        that night i slept in my old place behind Swindon Tesco        i often waited for her red merc  but she never came back i could get angry about it  i could call her just a money grabbing tart    but i know prince Bill will never rub her back like what i did    nor will she kook him fryups like what i got! Jay Raphael FLACK would like to point out that it’s quite possible none of this is true

FLACK EXCLUSIVE REVELATIONS !

WHAT’S ON@ wintercomfortfor the homelessalso welcoming people at risk of homelessness and those who have moved on into their own tenancies.

8.30 - 10: Street Outreach

10 - 3.30: Weaving & Sculpture with Roger and Susanna

10.30 - 1: Squeaky Gate Music

12.30 - 3: Jewellry Making

8.30 - 10: Street Outreach

10 - 3.30: Weaving & Sculpture with Roger and Susanna

10 -12: Knitting Club

1 - 2: Computers with Alison

1.30 - 3.30 : Sports with Ally

2 - 3: Shaw Trust Advice (by appt)

8.30 - 10: Street Outreach

10.30 - 3.30: Willow Weaving

10 -12 : Knitting Club

10 - 12 : Job Skills

11 - 2 : Film Club

1 - 2: Maths with Alison

12 -2 Cup Cake Class with Wendy (book a place)

9 - 10: Mental Health Drop-In with Laurence

10.30 - 3.30: Willow Weaving with Roger

10.30 - 2.30: Meet up with Cambridge Link-Up

12.30 -2.30 : FLACK meet-up with Kirsten

8.30 - 10: Street Outreach

9 - 11: Alcohol Drop-In with Malcolm

9 - 12 : Quiz and Board Games

12.30 - 2: Cooking with Wendy

2 - 3: Literacy with Alison

& every day..8.30 - 10 Showers, laundry and clothing store

Free cooked breakfast for rough sleepers or £1.75 + free sandwich lunch if taking part.

8.30 - 3.30 Internet access

& elsewhere see the map on back page for where these activities take place >

2 - 5pm : FLACK TRAININGMake an appointment and we’ll help you contribute to the magazine . 07962 685220

Roots ‘n Shoots: 9.45 pick-up from Wintercomfort

2 - 5pm : FLACK TRAININGMake an appointment and we’ll help you contribute to the magazine . 07962 685220

11 - 5 : Reworks Bike WkShop

Ceramics: 10 -12 & 2 - 4 29 Kidman’s Yard, Primose St

1 - 5 : FLACK Drop-In

Roots ‘n Shoots: 9.45 pick-up from Wintercomfort

9.30 - 10.30 RSPCA Open Sur-gery, Abbey Pool Car Park

9.30 - 12: Carpentry@Reworks

12.30 : Women’s Group @ 222

FLACK CLOSED TODAY

11 - 5 : Reworks Bike WkShop

9.30 - 10.30 RSPCA Open Sur-gery, Abbey Pool Car Park

sunday monday tuesday wednesday thursday friday saturday

1 2Bike Ride to Reach Fair8.45am meet at Reworks

WINTERCOMFORT CLOSED

3Football - meet Jesus Green Toilets 1pm or 12.45 @ wintercomfort

412 -2 Cup Cake Class @ winter-comfort (book a place)

3pm: Cambridge Link-Up Meeting @ 222 Self Build

5VOTING DAY FOR AV REFER-ENDUM

1 - 3pm Hairdresser @winter-comfort

6Street Voices 10.30 - 12.30

Akeman Street

7-8pm: FootballChesterton Sports Centre

7Student Community Action

Cooking and free lunch10 - 12.30 St Paul’s Centre

Hills Rd

8 11am - 6pmTommy McLafferty Football

Tournament Coldham’s Com-mon Pitches

lunch provided

98 - 9 Medical Advice Drop In @ wintercomfort

1 0Table Tennis 1.30 - 3.30 @ wintercomfort

1 112 -2 Cup Cake Class @ winter-comfort (book a place)

Art Group 12 - 3@ wintercomfort

1 211 - 12 : Carpet Bowls12 - 1: Yoga BOTH FREESalvation Army Hall (Mill Rd)

1 3Street Voices 10.30 - 12.30

Akeman Street

1 4 11 - 5 : Reworks Bike WkShop

FLACK FlicksFilm Club at FLACK Base 8pm

1 5 1 6 1 78.30 - 12.30 Podiatrist @ win-tercomfort

1.50 Swimming Parkside or1.30 meet @wintercomfort

1 812.30 - 2.30 Cup Class @ win-tercomfort (book a place)

1 911 - 12 : Carpet Bowls12 - 1: Yoga BOTH FREESalvation Army Hall (Mill Rd)

2 0Street Voices @wintercomfort

Open Jam 12 - 2FLACK BEER CAN PHOTOG-RAPHY EXHIBITION Chesterton Tower 5 - 8pm

2 1Student Community Action

Cooking and free lunch10 - 12.30 St Paul’s Centre

Hills Rd

2 2 2 3 8 - 9 Medical Advice Drop In @ wintercomfort

2 41.50 Tennis Jesus Green Courts or meet @ wintercomfort 1.30

2 5FOOD HYGIENE COURSE

@ wintercomfort 10 - 4.30

CENTRE CLOSED FROM 10.30

2 69.45 Badminton Cherry Hinton Village Centre meet at winter-comfort @ 9.15 (book place in advance)

2 7Street Voices @ Folk ClubThe Golden Hind, Milton Rdfrom 7.30

2 811 - 5 : Reworks Bike WkShop

FLACK FlicksFilm Club at FLACK Base 8pm

2 9 3 0 3 1 M A YThanks Jude for fundraising £100 for FLACK >>

WHAT’S ON@ wintercomfortfor the homelessalso welcoming people at risk of homelessness and those who have moved on into their own tenancies.

8.30 - 10: Street Outreach

10 - 3.30: Weaving & Sculpture with Roger and Susanna

10.30 - 1: Squeaky Gate Music

12.30 - 3: Jewellry Making

8.30 - 10: Street Outreach

10 - 3.30: Weaving & Sculpture with Roger and Susanna

10 -12: Knitting Club

1 - 2: Computers with Alison

1.30 - 3.30 : Sports with Ally

2 - 3: Shaw Trust Advice (by appt)

8.30 - 10: Street Outreach

10.30 - 3.30: Willow Weaving

10 -12 : Knitting Club

10 - 12 : Job Skills

11 - 2 : Film Club

1 - 2: Maths with Alison

12 -2 Cup Cake Class with Wendy (book a place)

9 - 10: Mental Health Drop-In with Laurence

10.30 - 3.30: Willow Weaving with Roger

10.30 - 2.30: Meet up with Cambridge Link-Up

12.30 -2.30 : FLACK meet-up with Kirsten

8.30 - 10: Street Outreach

9 - 11: Alcohol Drop-In with Malcolm

9 - 12 : Quiz and Board Games

12.30 - 2: Cooking with Wendy

2 - 3: Literacy with Alison

& every day..8.30 - 10 Showers, laundry and clothing store

Free cooked breakfast for rough sleepers or £1.75 + free sandwich lunch if taking part.

8.30 - 3.30 Internet access

& elsewhere see the map on back page for where these activities take place >

2 - 5pm : FLACK TRAININGMake an appointment and we’ll help you contribute to the magazine . 07962 685220

Roots ‘n Shoots: 9.45 pick-up from Wintercomfort

2 - 5pm : FLACK TRAININGMake an appointment and we’ll help you contribute to the magazine . 07962 685220

11 - 5 : Reworks Bike WkShop

Ceramics: 10 -12 & 2 - 4 29 Kidman’s Yard, Primose St

1 - 5 : FLACK Drop-In

Roots ‘n Shoots: 9.45 pick-up from Wintercomfort

9.30 - 10.30 RSPCA Open Sur-gery, Abbey Pool Car Park

9.30 - 12: Carpentry@Reworks

12.30 : Women’s Group @ 222

FLACK CLOSED TODAY

11 - 5 : Reworks Bike WkShop

9.30 - 10.30 RSPCA Open Sur-gery, Abbey Pool Car Park

sunday monday tuesday wednesday thursday friday saturday

1 2Bike Ride to Reach Fair8.45am meet at Reworks

WINTERCOMFORT CLOSED

3Football - meet Jesus Green Toilets 1pm or 12.45 @ wintercomfort

412 -2 Cup Cake Class @ winter-comfort (book a place)

3pm: Cambridge Link-Up Meeting @ 222 Self Build

5VOTING DAY FOR AV REFER-ENDUM

1 - 3pm Hairdresser @winter-comfort

6Street Voices 10.30 - 12.30

Akeman Street

7-8pm: FootballChesterton Sports Centre

7Student Community Action

Cooking and free lunch10 - 12.30 St Paul’s Centre

Hills Rd

8 11am - 6pmTommy McLafferty Football

Tournament Coldham’s Com-mon Pitches

lunch provided

98 - 9 Medical Advice Drop In @ wintercomfort

1 0Table Tennis 1.30 - 3.30 @ wintercomfort

1 112 -2 Cup Cake Class @ winter-comfort (book a place)

Art Group 12 - 3@ wintercomfort

1 211 - 12 : Carpet Bowls12 - 1: Yoga BOTH FREESalvation Army Hall (Mill Rd)

1 3Street Voices 10.30 - 12.30

Akeman Street

1 4 11 - 5 : Reworks Bike WkShop

FLACK FlicksFilm Club at FLACK Base 8pm

1 5 1 6 1 78.30 - 12.30 Podiatrist @ win-tercomfort

1.50 Swimming Parkside or1.30 meet @wintercomfort

1 812.30 - 2.30 Cup Class @ win-tercomfort (book a place)

1 911 - 12 : Carpet Bowls12 - 1: Yoga BOTH FREESalvation Army Hall (Mill Rd)

2 0Street Voices @wintercomfort

Open Jam 12 - 2FLACK BEER CAN PHOTOG-RAPHY EXHIBITION Chesterton Tower 5 - 8pm

2 1Student Community Action

Cooking and free lunch10 - 12.30 St Paul’s Centre

Hills Rd

2 2 2 3 8 - 9 Medical Advice Drop In @ wintercomfort

2 41.50 Tennis Jesus Green Courts or meet @ wintercomfort 1.30

2 5FOOD HYGIENE COURSE

@ wintercomfort 10 - 4.30

CENTRE CLOSED FROM 10.30

2 69.45 Badminton Cherry Hinton Village Centre meet at winter-comfort @ 9.15 (book place in advance)

2 7Street Voices @ Folk ClubThe Golden Hind, Milton Rdfrom 7.30

2 811 - 5 : Reworks Bike WkShop

FLACK FlicksFilm Club at FLACK Base 8pm

2 9 3 0 3 1 M A YThanks Jude for fundraising £100 for FLACK >>

object of the month # 8by Josie Camus, Fitzwiilliam Museum

Study of three male nudes on clouds, seen from belowGiovanni Domenico Tiepolo (1727–1804)

© Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge

The Fitzwilliam has a great drawings collection, with something from almost every artist you could think of. Unfortunately it stays packed up in the basement most of the time, as the museum is not like the Tardis, and has limited wall space. But, for the next few months, the keeper’s choice of Italian drawings is on display to the waking world, and is not to be missed!

This one is my favourites from the exhibition. It’s so simple, but so joyful, a bit surreal and possibly naughty!? This six-legged two-buttocked beastie is called ‘Study of three male nudes on clouds, seen from below’. It’s a classic case of less being more, as the picture gives away few clues about the scene, but leaves lots to the imagination. It’s also a great drawing technically, as feet are always difficult things to draw, and these ones are all at funny angles and foreshortened.

The artist is Giovanni Domenico Tiepolo (GD), whose Dad was a famous painter of religious and mythological subjects. GD had more of a sense of humour though, and made a lot of pictures as ‘entertainments for the children’. He was endlessly drawing Punchinello, the deformed clown who later became our ‘Mr Punch’, and often mocked the pretentiousness of art viewers.This drawing can be found in Gallery 13, on the !rst "oor.

FLACK FOODHearty Macaroni Cheese

200g macaroni350g broccoli #orets340g can sweetcorn,40g butter40g plain #our600ml semi-skimmed milk,175g strong Cheddar 1tsp English mustard (optional)

Heat the oven to 200°C, gas 6. Cook the macaroni in a large pan of salted water for 5 mins. Cut the broccoli into small #orets add to the pan and cook for a further 3 mins until the macaroni and broccoli are just tender. Drain, and turn into the ovenproof dish.

To make the sauce: melt the butter in a pan, stir in the #our and cook, stirring over a medium heat for 1 min. Remove from the heat and gradually add the milk, stirring well after each addition. Return to the heat and bring to the boil, and cook, stirring, until the sauce thickens.

Remove from the heat, add the mustard if using it, and season with salt and pepper. Add three quarters of the cheese, stir until the cheese has melted.

Add the sweetcorn and pour into the dish, fork the sauce through the pasta and broccoli. Scatter the remaining cheese on top, then bake in the oven for 20 mins until the dish is bubbling and the top is golden.Emma Hyde

Ready Steady Ping Apple Dessert2 apples 85g marzipan8 tablespoons of mincemeat. Zest and juice of one lemon.

Cut tops off two apples. Remove and discard central cores, then stand the apples in a microwave-safe dish. Break marzipan into small pieces and mix with mincemeat and lemon zest. Spoon the mix into the centre of the apples and pour over the lemon juice.

Cover the dish with cling !lm, pierce several times and microwave on High for 4½ minutes. 

Remove the cling !lm and leave to stand for 5 minutes before serving. Bon AppetitSimon Flack

Why I Sing The Blues Nick Dominguez

I sing  The Blues for no other reason than I simply love the music and seem to have a voice that suits it. It has absolutely nothing to do with my time on the streets or any hardship or problem that I might have had at one time or another in my life. As Stevie Wonder once sang 'I call it pretty music but the old folks call it The Blues'. Well that's how I feel and I love singing The Blues, it is indeed pretty music.  As far as my personal musical tastes and development have been concerned, The Blues (in their purest form)  probably haven't been as important an in#uence on me as say Soul or Rock or Reggae. Saying that, Soul as a musical genre was a synthesis of The Blues and Gospel Music and Rock was a continuation of early  Rock & Roll, which in itself had been heavily in#uenced by The Blues. Reggae, although musically very different to The Blues is nevertheless still a form of folk music (as is the Blues), made by the descendants of African s laves and celebrat ing  the existence of a people in crisis. Anyone familiar with the music of Bob Marley or Burning Spear will see the obvious parallels in the

subject matter not to mention the warmth that one feels whilst listening to either genre. Reggae itself was a development of the early Jamaican Ska which had been heavily in#uenced by the 1950's R ‘n B of New Orleans and the music of Fats Domino, Louis J o r d a n a n d P r o f e s s o r Longhair,  which had drawn heavily on The Blues of the nearby Mississippi Delta.  

Quite possibly my earliest recollection of hearing The Blues was when I heard The Rolling Stones sing Little Red Rooster as a small child. I had no idea back then that the original version of the song was by Howlin' Wolf. The Stones were basically a bunch of white English kids who listened to the music of Muddy Waters and  Robert Johnson  and Mick Jagger and Keith Richards et al. They tried to emulate their musical heroes after being turned on to the music  by the late British Blues legend Alexis Korner, w h o m S t r e e t Vo i c e s ’ o w n harmonica player  Robert Waugh once jammed with.

Over the years I’ve listened to The Blues a lot and it’s been obvious to me what a far ranging in#uence it has had. My particular

favourites have been Howlin’ Wolf, Elmore James, Muddy Waters, John Lee Hooker and Sonny Boy Williamson.  The huge in#uence they had on not only the Stones but also Jimi Hendrix, the Doors, Eric Clapton, Janis Joplin, Led Zeppelin and a whole host of others has been both obvious and substantial. In relation to Soul music i t ’s somet imes hard to  fathom out  where The Blues ends and Soul begins, particularly when you listen to singers like Ray Charles or Bobby 'Blue' Bland.

  I know where The Blues  came from and I’ll always acknowledge that. They were the product of an oppressed, downtrodden people and the conditions they lived in. They tell a story of poverty, of lost love, pain, anger, loneliness and being the underdog and  most of the other things that a homeless person will go through at one t ime or another. I k now I have. They also tell of what it’s like to be alive and to be a survivor, and that's  always something to celebrate, and that's  why The Blues  has survived and retained its timeless popularity.

Keep on Rockin'

www.streetvoices.org.uk

Get yourself a library card Homeless Harry

Okay, I’m probably preaching to the converted, but just in case you are not already a library user, may I recommend that you become one. Am I stating the bloody obvious? Well yes I am, but I’m not apologetic about it. Like so many things in life we take the library service for granted and somehow we never take the time or trouble to use it. We are too busy, we never get round to it. You are not a great reader; you are not a lover of books. Well fair enough, some people aren’t. But that is not a good reason not to use the library.

Personally I use the main library in the city. The one above Lion Yard. So this is the one that I am quali!ed to write about. Normally I have a book out on loan and this therefore dictates that I have to return to the library and invariably I will take out another book. But let’s forget about books. You don’t like books. There are plenty of other reasons to use the library.

If I am stating the obvious, let’s go through the list. Why do I like the library? First and foremost it is free, now for anyone on a bene!t payment that has to be a good reason to commend it. Secondly it is a nice warm place to sit in quiet civil ised surroundings. Now if you do pop in just to take the weight of your feet, go up to the second #oor and read the papers. I’m not a great fan of the British press so I usually opt for one of the American newspapers. It’s nice to get a different perspective of the world. I am not interested enough in the American’s view to pay to read it, but if it’s free I am willing to take a look.

Now if you are on the second #oor, check out the notice boards. There is always a good array of things

to do and local places to visit, many of which are also free. Then there are the magazines. I love magazines, but I’m not prepared to fork out a quid or two to read one, but in the library there is always a good selection of magazines and periodicals to read. And this includes a wide variety of publications on specialist topics. So if you’re a fan of Motorcycle News don’t buy a copy, go and read it in the library.

My favourite part of the library is the !lm archive. This is free. You can collect a set of headphones and watch anything in the !lm archive. This is a seriously good selection of dramas, documentaries, local interest !lms and a wide collection of !lm history. This really is a “must do” place to while away an hour or two.

If !lm is not your thing, try the Cambridge archive a fantastic collection of local history books and documents. There are some real gems to be found here, particularly the social and economic histories of Cambridge and the surrounding villages.

You can also rent DVD’s and CD’s from the library and the rates are pretty reasonable so for !lm and music fans it’s well worth a look. It has a good selection. Also available and free is an hour per day on a computer, this really is of bene!t. Check your e-mails, surf the net and if you’re job searching, apply for jobs. For 10p a sheet you can print anything you need. Very useful if you’ve got to produce job search evidence to keep the Henry Giles crew happy.

Joining the Library is easy - you need two forms of ID, one of which includes proof of your current address. Don’t worry if this is tricky because you are a rough sleeper or staying at Jimmy’s, ask the staff at Wintercomfort to help you with providing the necessary documents. And remember you only need a card to borrow, you can use all the library’s facilities on site for free!

Lion Yard Library Opening Times:Monday: 9am - 7pmTuesday: 9am - 7pmWednesday: 9am - 8pmThursday: 9am - 7pmFriday: 9am - 7pmSaturday: 9am - 6pmSunday: 12noon - 4pm

Confessions of a Gaming Addict Ramona Osan

There is one hour left of my mists. I should perhaps read a book or call a friend. Or bake. Or... Instead I stay hypnotised looking at the screen as the minutes pass. It is almost like there is an invisible thread tying me to my chair. Once the mist lifts up I am !nally going to be able to scout another player city and attack. Steal his loot. Get those missing supplies to build more troops. To attack more cities. To steal more loot.

After all, this is the moment I have been waiting for, for the past 6 days. I just can’t stand up and go when there is just one hour left. I should. But then there is someone in my alliance asking for help. I can also switch from the alliance chat to the global chat where more people like me are sitting and waiting. They should call Camelot the waiting game. To build a farm to level 1 takes 7 seconds. To build the same farm to level 6 takes 7 minutes. To build a wall to level 4 takes almost 2 hours. You would go away and !ll those 2 hours with other things but why to leave the nice comfy warm chair for 7 minutes? Then another 5 minutes. And time passes. And the evening comes to an end. And I am still there in front of the screen with a to-do list of chores bigger than the night before. But then there is more than building to it. There is the attacking part. The one I am waiting for. And whilst I’m waiting I can chat to other people in the same situation as me. We all have something in common. We are waiting together. Some will do small chat, some others will post lyrics from their favourite songs, some others will *pass beer* around and some others will just do the troll role. A troll is someone who is causing troubles. Like the other day there was this player posting against US Marines. Or this other lady N_Satiable, posting about her not being in a cage anymore. I have just given up this game. Before it there was a war game called Evony. Before that

there was another. Probably the !rst one lasted the longest. More than 2 years playing on line. But that was before I discovered Evony. Don’t you wish to know the catchy phrase for Evony? ’Come play My Lord, Evony is free forever’ Free fun, why not?

My character lasted only 6 months because I didn’t feed my army when I was away for a week. They all died, poor little archers. There were almost like my virtual babies. I had to wake up before work to feed them (gather food resources) and I had to check on them before sleep time to see if they will last for 8 hours, and if not, I would probably set my alarm clock at 5 am just to feed them.

It was then I had a break for the !rst time. No game playing for 3 years. It was strange; I had so much free time on my hands. No rushing home to check on my attack reports. I had no idea what to do with my free time.

I am de!nitely not alone. There are a lot of gaming addicts out there. A friend suggested Gamers Anonymous. It does sound like a good idea. But is there such an organisation?

Is it escapism? Has this become a social issue now in the age of the computer? This modern age when neighbours e-mail each other when they could drop by for a cup of tea and a homemade cake?

I still can’t !gure out how and why it all started and then went on for more than 3 years. I can’t even explain why I felt enough was enough when I put my foot down and said no more playing. But I know it was part of me. Probably still is. And I can’t help thinking about those characters and troops and attacks whilst I am, slowly, getting into a regular habit of catching up with my real life friends and keeping busy in the evenings.

AA or GA? Whatever it is, your secret will be safe with us.

Tommy McLafferty Football Tournament Emma Hyde

What's it all about? The tournament is a fun day of 5-a-side football, with teams competing against each other from ten hostels in and around Cambridge. It all kicks off! with registration and sandwiches at 11.00am followed by a warm up session with Cambridge Utd coaches, and the tournament itself starting at 1.00pm. There is a no football boot policy, ensuring that anyone can play whatever their age, !tness or ability. You don't have to be a Fabregas to join in! And once you've registered with your team, you'll also be able to a have a professional coaching session prior to the event.

Why Tommy McLafferty? Tommy was a much loved member of the homeless community who passed away last year. Tommy used to play football for Celtic and he also coached a boys team in Torquay. Tommy never lost his passion and enthusiasm for the game, so we decided to name our tournament in his honour.

The Tommy McLafferty Cup will be awarded to the Player of the Tournament. Last year I picked out Musa Kamara, and this year he’ll be joining me to pick out another star player.

This is a great social event with a few games of football, the chance to catch up and grab a bite to eat and remember friends who sadly can't join us, with those that can.

To register to play for a team talk to your support worker or contact FLACK.

Forget the Champions League, the Premiership and the FA Cup, this is the date all true footy fans look forward to. The Tommy McLafferty Tournament is fast approaching.

Confirmed Date : Sunday 8th May from 11am

Confirmed Venue : Coldhams Common Football Pitches

Alan Jones played for 222 Vic Rd last year and he always kept his eye on the ball! The Cambridge Link-Up & FLACK team will be wearing black armbands this year in his honour.

‘Alan who?’ I hear you say. Alan was the man who, until recently, could be seen at the top windows of the bedsits, in his room, shouting ‘Yum yum!’ to anybody passing by underneath. In 222, where he lived, his door was always open; his generosity was incredible. Alan

loved company and had many good friends.I knew Alan for about thirty years. We always

played football against each other and he wasn’t half bad, he was quite useful at knocking in a few goals. In later years we both used to sign on at the same time and also collect our Giros together and walk to the Post Office.

The best story about Alan that I can remember is when we went !shing together last year. We sat about thirty yards apart and it was dusk as we started our session. After a bit of banter, betting on the !rst !sh, and after a couple of tinnies, Alan was concentrating so hard he was completely focused, not even answering his phone when it rang. After about two hours of talking to him and getting completely snubbed, I thought, ‘He’ll do anything to win a quid off me’. But he was actually asleep! That was Alan to a tee, he always made me laugh.

He was a proper geezer, loved a drink, loved his football, !shing and Arsenal. But above all he loved his kids and was even a single father a few years ago. Alan always did his best to keep himself in work and was respected throughout the building trade.

In the last six months of his life, Alan’s health deteriorated rapidly. He had a series of strokes which prevented him from being able to manage stairs, and he spent his !nal few months in the large room at 222 Victoria Road. Alan was almost housebound and I had to go to his hospital appointments with him. He did want to get well, he tried really hard but as well as his strokes he was battling the drink. It was very hard for Alan to give up drinking; he drank because he was so frustrated by being nearly housebound after having lived such an active life before his strokes, and his drinking most probably hindered his potential recovery. Recently Alan

Remembered Friend ~ Alan Jones 1965 - 2011

suffered another huge stroke from which he would never recover. His life support machine was turned off twenty-four hours later.

There will never be another Alan Derek Jones and I miss him already. Alan will always be with everyone who knew and loved him because his personality was too strong not to rub off on those who were blessed with knowing him. Alan was a good mate and a gentleman with good morals, a hard thing to !nd in people these days. For the rest of my life, every time I catch a !sh I will know Alan is watching over me, holding a whisky and coke and watching my back. My thoughts go out to his family, about whom he was always chatting, saying how proud he was. He will be sadly missed.

Ian Summer!eld

A few words for Alan ('Uncle Yum Yum')

When I close my eyes I can see him standing outside the door to the telly room at the 'twos'. Sun shining on his !rst roll-up of the day, he shouts his familiar exclamation. 'YUM YUM!' When I learned of Alan's passing I went into temporary shock. It's always horrible to hear about the death of a friend (especially street brothers and sisters) but when I saw his face on the reception desk at the bus I head-butted the door a few times! I couldn't take it in! I still can't. My only comfort is the fact that people do live on through their actions. No matter who you are or what you're going through, everyone possesses the ability to make a difference in the life of another. No matter what Al' was going through, he was a friend when I really needed one. He was one of the rare people (in our situation) who look beyond their own problems and look out for others. Although he is gone, I will never forget how, when I was desperate and outnumbered by bullies, he looked after me and Curly. They loved each other too. He made us feel safe. He shared what little he had and reminded me that there are good people out there. I hope he's !nally where he wants to be. He's locked in my heart forever.

Jude Evans

Useful Telephone NumbersAccess Surgery : 01223 358961 Addaction (Alcohol): 01223 723069Addaction (Drugs) : 01223 723020Addenbrookes Hospital : 01223 245151Cambridge City Council : 01223 457000Cambridge Link-Up (Emma) : 07870 559455Camdoc (out-of-hours) : 01223 464242Centre 33 : 01223 316488Crisis Loan : 0800 0327952 (new number)

DWP : 0845 6043719 FLACK (Office) : 01223 366532Jimmy’s Nightshelter : 01223 576085 Police: 0345 456 456 4 Sexual Health Clinic: 0845 6505152Willow Walk Hostel : 01223 519400Wintercomfort : 01223 518140 222 Victoria Rd Hostel : 01223 352718Boots Late Night Chemist: 01223 357487any others we should include?