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8/6/2019 Off The Wall Issue 13
1/24
Also in this issue...Ba ha Mara // A w cmm Cr r Ba?sbr h // tr Ckg // Bk rw // sp o
heroin:our experience
I n f o r m a t I v e l s u p p o r t I v e l c r e a t I v e
OffTheWalln.13
Spring/Summer
2009
smackgearveinsdirtybrownSKAGmethadonebagels
subutexscriptsneedlesfoildealerscoringsyringe
pins
swabs
8/6/2019 Off The Wall Issue 13
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What is the Idea?
The Council is acting as a direct link between you
and national government. Your feedback in the form
of a written proposal could make a genuine
difference to your area.
What is Sustainability?
Sustainability is dened in the Act in broad terms,
and can cover anything which could improve the
economic, social, environmental well-being of the area
or promote participation in civil or political activity.
Apply for a proposal form and ethnic monitoring form from: Luke Byron-Davies,
Bath & North East Somerset Council, Policy and Partnerships, Keynsham Town Hall, Keynsham, BS31 1NL
Tel: 01225 396102 Email: [email protected]
Environmental well-being
Promoting local energy and energy efciency.
Helping the environment.
Measures to reduce the level of road trafc.
Economic
Provision of local services.
The number of local jobs.
Planning policies that help achieve the aims of the Act.
Social
Ending fuel poverty.
Promoting local produce and ending food poverty.
Increasing social inclusion.
To increase community health and well-being.
Participation in civic or political activity
Promoting greater participation in decision making
8/6/2019 Off The Wall Issue 13
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o t Wa Magaz 15/16 Milsom Street, Bath BA1 1DEt 01225 329411 ema [email protected]
Par Midge Ure o t Wa edra tam Acting Editor: Rachel; Computer Reviews: Stephen (back next issue!);Books: Jim; Food words and pictures: Rachel Adrg sa Sean Kehoe ([email protected])CrbrJustin; Kangey; Gemma; Sean; Jamie; Becky; Simon; Peter; Stu; Jim; StephenCopyright 2008 Drugs and Homeless Initiative. All rights reserved.
Ba ha Mara 4
t Rad addc... 6
Mad Par 1 8
Gg gar a bad am 9
Mad Par 2 10hr & Mad: t Fac 11
sbr h 12
i mak m mad! 13
tr Fd pca 14
otW Bk cb 16sp 18
Ar & Pm 19
Wa a Dhi 20
A w cmm cr? 22
nx : hmIn Issue 14 well be talking about the many issues surrounding
homelessness. If youd like to have your say contact us on the
address below, or come along to one of our meetings at Hay Hill
Church, every Tuesday lunch at 12pm.
C
3
1612
o t Wa No.13, Spring/Summer 2009
18
8
8/6/2019 Off The Wall Issue 13
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4
Pcr pca: Ba ha Mara
n pa, ga...Check out these pics from the day, courtesy ofGmma, and below we chat to service
user sa K about his experience of the race...
o t Wa No.13, Spring/Summer 2009
Wa mad wa r adw dd dcd d ?
I gave up smoking in October last year
and considered entering for the race
then but decided not to when I realised
the cost involved as I could not afford
it. After I started smoking again over
Christmas and my coughing and wheezing
soon returned I was lucky enough to get
one of the last places available running
for the DHI (free). I thought doing
something as big as this would mean I
couldnt smoke anymore.
t ab r rag - w
ard, w ad w mc
dd p dg br rac...
I had already started going to the gym in
August using the BADAS and DHI cards
that are available. I started concentrating
on my running more at the end of
January so it only left me six weeks. I ran
three times a week for three weeks but I
only got up to 4 miles when I got a bad
back. I became increasing nervous as the
race date drew nearer as I knew I needed
to train more but was scared I might
make my back worse and have to pull
out. By this stage I had told my children
that I was running The Bath Half, they
were really excited so pulling out was not
reallly an option. I decided to play it safe,
not train and chance it on the day.
ha r c mara ad
w w prgr w r r -
mara?
Run? I have had difculty walking sincethe race. I have not had any grand ideas
of running a full marathon. As I crossed
the line I felt that was about as far as I
could have managed. I am considering
running the Bristol Half on Sunday6th September for the DHI - if
anyone is tempted there are places
but you need to see Hannah on
reception asap as they are limited.
Dd g a bzz w
d? Wa wr
g k?
I was really pleased when I nished,
I was determined not to be on the
bus that picks up the people at the
end. I managed to complete the coursewithout stopping which was my real joy.
My aim was just to get round and thought
I would denitely need to stop.
hw dd x da?
The same as I felt for the next week -
in pain
hw wa rgaa
mara?
Obviously organizing a big event like this
is difcult and in the main I feel it was
done well. The worst part was perhaps
when the serious runners lapped us mere
mortals. People appeared from nowhere
frightening the life out of me with loud
halers, screaming at us to keep to the left
to let the super human beings past.
A wa p dd kw wr
gg ?
When I got to 8 mile I started to think,
hey you might do this, particularly as I
had only run 4 miles previously. It wasnt
until about 2 miles left that I knew Iwould complete it without stopping
hw dd war ac r?
A lot was made about the sunshine and
how it made things difcult but I lovethe sun. I remember looking out of my
window the week before and it was
snowing with heavy winds blowing so a
little sunshine put a spring in my step.
Dd d crwd cragg?
The crowds were great. They lined the
course all the way, even out by the dual
carriageway. I spotted a number of people
I knew along the way and their screams of
encouragement helped but the last mile
particularly was made easier by the huge
cheering crowds.
Dd ak war ad dd d a
w?
I took on board lots of water and lucozade
which denitely helped in the sun. My
body obviously needed the liquid as I
dont think I went to the loo for the rest of
the day.
hw a acd r ra ?
Im not sure if it has affected my overall
tness from one race but it has affectedmy belief. I was amazed my lungs held
out as well as they did. I know I can do it
now so I have more belief in my legs also.
Still smoking though!
8/6/2019 Off The Wall Issue 13
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5o t Wa No.13, Spring/Summer 2009
hw dd w d?
Daniel Carmichael: 2:07:53 (Client)
Sean Kehoe: 2:07:43 (Client)
Darren Barnett: 1:42:28 (Client)
Amanda Morris: 2:25:26 (Supporter)
Dean Morris: 1:37:39 (Supporter)
Rebecca Ewing: 1:53:36 (Supporter)
Jason Ewing: 1:53:36 (Supporter)
Robin Fearnley: 1:42:10 (Supporter)
Kelly Packer: 1:58:44 (Staff)
Hannah Weisberg: 2:25:25 (Staff)
Jamie Newman: 1:45:33 (Supporter)
Stuart Meddick: 2:11:29 (Supporter)
Dean Mahony: 1:59:55 (Supporter)
Craig Turner: 2:11:29 (Supporter)
Craig Packer: 1:42:54 (Supporter)
DHI would like to thank the runners
for their tremendous efforts in their
training and on the day in their superbtimes accross the nishing line.
Wed also like to thank the following
suppliers for their support for Team
DHI in their kind sponsorship; Safe
and Sound; A.R.H. Maintenance
Services; Oxford Medical; Giles
insurance; Canon
If you would like to get involved with
the Bristol Half Marathon on Sunday
6th September, we are obtaining Gold
Bond places and will have entries for
next years Bath Half Marathon to be
held in March 2010. Please contact
Hannah Weisberg in Bath reception or
on 01225 329411 if youre up for either.
8/6/2019 Off The Wall Issue 13
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o t Wa No.13, Spring/Summer 20096
6-pag pca ar: hr
t rad addc...Kicking o our key eature this issue on Heroin, is the rst o a
two-part eature byDHI service-user Jam
Iwas born in Bath but have only lived here
for a few years. Until I was 30, Id spent
most my life living in a small town in
North Wiltshire. Im the youngest of ve
children. Ive one older brother and three
older sisters. At the age of 6 my parents split
up. My mum left, leaving my dad to raise us.
Within a year of my parents divorce, my
dad remarried. My new stepmother already
had four children. For a while, we all lived
together but it was far too cramped. My step
mother suffered from depression and several
times attempted suicide. I think that the
pressure of us all living under one roof hadjust got too much for her. So my dad moved
me, my brother and the youngest of the sisters
into another house. My older two sisters being
over the age of sixteen by then had decided to
move out and go their own way. Determined
not to have another failed marriage, my father
continued to live with my stepmother
and her children. He would come
around in the mornings to get
us up for school and again
in the evenings to cook us
dinner but then return hometo my stepmother. I can
remember being rehearsed
in what to say if social services
should come round asking
questions.
Children are very adaptive and I learnt
to cope with this situation. In fact, as a child,
I would have felt it was wrong to be unhappy
over the absence of my parents. After all, most
of my friends would have thought it great to
have their homes to themselves. So I would
tell myself I was lucky. As an adult, I see just
how inadequate my childhood was and realise
that the most damaging thing to me was that
it left me with a feeling of being unlovable. If
your parents cant love you, then who can? Its
only been recently that Ive been able to put a
description to this feeling but it is a feeling that
has affected me greatly.
I rst used a mood altering substance
when I was about 12 and got drunk at my
oldest sisters house. I soon started drinking
regularly. I had a Saturday job and with the
money I earned I would buy alcohol. Or more
precisely, I would get complete strangers or
friends of my older sisters to buy it for me. It
was through friends of my older sisters that I
rst bought Cannabis. I was about 14 and I had
wanted to try it for a long time. I had this nave
idea that it would transport me to some kindof magical psychedelic world, where I would
experience strange surreal visions. As a result
when I did try it, I was quite disappointed.
I actually felt the effect of the tobacco more
than the cannabis and so I stuck to alcohol. It
wasnt until I was about 15 that I tried it again
with a clearer idea of what to expect. I quite
enjoyed it and soon I was buying it
regularly. I think that one of the
things I liked about it was that
I was the only one out of my
friends who knew where to buyit, which meant they had to get
theirs through me.
Through scoring for my friends,
I soon got to know the various
members of my small towns drug
scene. I soon met people who were taking
other drugs and so I started to experiment with
amphetamines and LSD. At the time, these
were the main drugs that people in my town
used. Through buying drugs for friends, I soon
realised that if I could buy in large amounts,
I could make a prot. Pretty soon, I was
regularly dealing cannabis and amphetamines
to friends.
When I turned 16, my dad nally gave up all
pretence of being a parent and the youngest
of my sisters had left as well. With her gone,
my father thought the house too expensive for
just me and my brother so he moved us into a
bungalow and had the tenancy signed over to
us. In reality, it didnt make much difference.
Also, at the age of 16, I left school and was
accepted into catering college but after a year
I got bored and left. I got a couple of jobs in
kitchens but soon realised that I could make
more money dealing. So I started claiming
benets and dealing. By now, I was fully
enmeshed in the local drug scene and for
the rst time in my life, I felt I was part of
something. The others in the drug scene reallyseemed to care about me if only because I sold
them drugs and I felt a sense of belonging
that had always been absent in my life until
then. For those in the drugs scene, it seemed
perfectly normal to spend every day trying to
get asout of it as possible on whatever we
could get our hands on. At that age, I gave no
thought as to where this lifestyle might take me
or the consequences that it may bring.
At 19, I moved to the Netherlands, solely
because of their relaxed attitude to drugs. As
well as being the reason for moving there,aftera couple of years, drugs also became the reason
I had to leave. For about six months, every
other week I had been bringing Cannabis
back to England. I should have made plenty
of money through doing it but instead I would
spend not only my prots, but also the prots
of the Dutch dealer who was funding the
smuggling. Through spending too much on
Cocaine and alcohol, I got into a huge amount
of debt and eventually never returned, keeping
all the dealers money for myself.
I used his money to set myself up in a small
bed-sit. For the next couple of years, I lived
on benets and spent almost every penny on
drugs and alcohol. Id stopped any dealing
through my time abroad as Id lost touch with
8/6/2019 Off The Wall Issue 13
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most of my contacts. When I returned from
the Netherlands, Id put my name down on
the council housing waiting list. At the age
of 24, I got my rst council at. Around
the same time, I started casually seeing a
woman, who was a lot older than me. She
dealt cannabis and amphetamines, which if
I am honest, was a large part of why I was
attracted to her. Our ing didnt last long
but we remained close friends. One day
she made me a proposition. She felt she
needed to stop dealing. She was becoming
increasingly worried that if she was caught, she
might have her daughter taken into care. She
felt a sense of responsibility to her customers
and friends to ensure that they could continue
to score decent sized good quality deals plus
she also needed to cover her own habits.
Her proposition was this: she would
introduce me to her contact who could give me
credit on as much amphetamine and cannabis
as I needed. In return, I would supply her with
enough drugs to cover her habit. At rst I was
sceptical but on nding out how cheaply hercontact could supply the drugs, I soon realised
that this could be a great opportunity. I was
soon dealing to both her customers and my
own friends. Within a couple of years, my
business had grown and I had become one of
the biggest dealers in my town.
With my success came a lot of attention
and I stupidly wasnt that discreet. One
morning I was raided by the police. They
didnt nd much drugs, just a lot of money,
my scales and a list of people that owed me
money. They prosecuted me for dealing.Before my court date, I was advised to get
a job as Id be less likely to receive a prison
sentence. I got a job and it worked because I
only received a ne and community service.
My brush with the law didnt stop me dealing.
It just made me more cautious. I started
keeping my drugs and money locked in a tool
box at work and instead of selling in small
amounts, I set up several others to deal for
me. I still continued to get raided by
the police on a regular basis,
though they never found
anything except for a bit of
personal. I did think about
stopping but I couldnt
refuse the money it made
me and I loved the respect that it seemed to
earn me from those within the drug scene.
But my main reason for continuing was
my girlfriend at the time who I truly loved
more than Ive ever loved anyone. I knew
however that she didnt love me. She was an
amphetamine addict and whilst she was with
me I supplied her with her drugs free of charge.
At the time, I didnt view myself as being an
amphetamine addict because from Monday
to Thursday, I worked and did not use it.
My weekly routine for those years remainedunchanged. I would pick up my drugs on a
Thursday evening, distribute them to those
dealing for me and Id then stay up all night
with my friends taking speed and playing on
the playstation. Friday, after Id nished work,
I would take more speed, drink vodka and pop
an ecstasy pill or two. Id then either go out to
the pub with my mates or clubbing with my
girlfriend. If we didnt go out, wed stay at home
and spend the night playing scrabble or having
drug fuelled sex sessions. Amphetamines seem
to super charge your sex drive.I would stop using amphetamines on a
Sunday, try to go to sleep in the afternoon and
sleep through until Monday morning, when
Id get up and go to work. Id work all week
without using, then Thursday evening the
whole crazy cycle would start again. After about
three years of living this way the amphetamines
started taking their toll. I began to become
increasingly paranoid. My every waking hour
was spent on edge, thinking that my
front door would come crashing
in at any moment, that Id be
raided by the police.
It was around this time that
I rst came across heroin.
Until around 1997, heroin
had never really been available in the
small town that I lived in. Id never met
anyone that was a heroin addict. To begin
with, I used it to help with my speed come
down on a Sunday. I thought that it was
wonderful. It ticked every box of what
Id always wanted a drug to be. Under its
inuence, I would have strange beautiful
dreams and I stopped feeling paranoid. I
started to care about little else but taking
heroin. It stopped being just a Sunday thing
and soon I was using it all weekend every
weekend. I then started using it a couple of
times in the week and this soon progressed
to every day. My girlfriend didnt want to try
it and we split. My dealer who supplied me
with the amphetamines and cannabis that I
sold, said he didnt want to do business with
a heroin addict so I stopped dealing. Within
a few months, my girlfriend returned to me
and we started using together and soon she
was addicted but unlike amphetamines, I
wasnt prepared to fund her habit. So we split
up for good. I didnt care. I had a new love inmy life; heroin and I was willing to hand over
my whole life to this drug. Pretty soon, my old
friends started to distance themselves from
me to be replaced by other heroin addicts.
In the next issue I will continue to give you
some insight into the life of a heroin user and
also how I manged to stop using.
I thought about getting clean, but wasnt
sure where to begin. In the town where I
lived, at that time there was no help available
to addicts, the local doctors wouldnt even
write prescriptions for methadone. I had alarge habit and knew that I would be facing a
punishing withdrawal, with no friends other
than heroin addicts and no family to escape to,
getting clean felt impossible.
When I had the security of a home and
money, I would look down on addicts who were
in the situation that I now found myself, never
considering the events that had brought them
there. From a position of comfort, supported
by those who love me, I may have had the
belief in myself that I could stop. Having
though never been encouraged to believe that I
could be anything better, I felt unable to escape
the path that I was on.
t b cd i 14 ...
7t r drg c ra md car ab m f bca i d mdrg ad i f a f bgg a adawa b ab m f .
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8
6-pag pca ar: hr
As a bit of background
to keep the following
discussion in context, heres
a bit of information on those
involved... Beckys experience
of Heroin is limited to injecting
three times and smoking on the odd occasion
in the past. She is not a user but has experience
of friends who are, and have been in the past.Simon and Peter are attending DHI to
address their history of Heroin addiction as
reccommended by the court. Justin has used
drugs since his teens, going from using drugs
recreationally to becoming a full blown addict.
He has struggled with Heroin use for the last
10 years. Sean is not a Heroin user but has
friends who are, and have in the past. Kangey
has limited exposure to Heroin. Hollyworks
for DHI and was taking the group.
Simon: How TV shows Heroin is
unrealistic I think ...
Becky: Ive tried Heroin three times - Im
denitely not addicted, and havent used it
again. The rst time I tried it it made me
very ill, and I didnt do it again for a year
... I was really drunk and tried it again ...
and it made me sick again. I always had a
perception of heroin as being scummy - I
was happy to inject speed, and Ive done
crack, but I always thought heroin was
some how worse ...
Justin: Thats probably a lot to do with the
media ...B: I think differently now - crack is far
worse than heroin ... cracks scummy
S: Heroin makes you weaker - crack makes
you more aggressive ...
J: I saw a study once, with some rats
taking both crack and heroin ... the
drugs were in the their food and it
was an experiment to see how the
rats reacted to the drugs ... the rats
had some of the crack, didnt bother
with other food or drink, just kept on
returning to the crack, and kept using it
until they died ... the ones who had theheroin tended to drink and eat before
returning to the drug.
S: Humans wouldnt act like that though ...
Sean: It maybe illustrates the need for crack
- its a more aggressive drug and people
maybe need it more..
Kangey:What is crack and how do you
take it?
J: Lets talk about methodone a little - from
my point of view its far from perfect, but it
does offer a solution of sorts. Many addicts
are happy to sign up for scripts and it does
help ... when there was none available in
Wiltshire there was a big problem with shop-
lifting and the the like. Heroin was a very
big issue and there were a lot of bad social
problems associated with it ... methadone
helped, but it does slow the mind up and
people do get stuck in a bit of a rut with it... I think subutex is a much better option.
When I moved from methadone to subutex
I felt like I was on speed! I had a sex drive
again, I wanted to go out and felt very
enthusiastic again. I realised how much the
methadone was dragging me down ... I felt
totally different when I moved onto subutex
... very motivated.
Mad:Solution or Problem?Par 1 f a w-par dc... far c pag 10.
o t Wa No.13, Spring/Summer 2009
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9
K: So whats methadone and how do you
take it...
J: You pick up your scripts - I pick up
subutex weekly ...
H: Can a doctor make a difference?
S: Youre on your own on methadone and it
encourages you to stay on it longer ...
J: Its different with different doctors
denitely ... some doctors will happily keep
people on scripts for seven or eight years ...
B: Ive heard that methadone is harder to
get off than heroin ...
J: Yeah I kind of agree actually
S: Thats because methadone is so much
purer than heroin ... it mucks with your
head ... its a much longer withddrawal.
J:But with a methadone pescription you are on
a known quantity, its much more manageable,
you know exactly what youre taking ... with
heroin off the street you often have no idea what
or how much youre taking and its practically
impossible to manage your intake.
S:Yeah - if you take heroin on the street
you will simply do more if you need it ...and the purity will always vary ... youll
keep doing more, and it is hard to manage
that - no withdrawal
J: Methadone is more manageable as its
difcult to buy less than 10.00 worth of
Heroin at a time ... and you rarely ration.
K: Whats methadone and is it bad for you?
J: Its a man-made opiate used to stabilise
Heroin addicts ...
Peter: I was addicted to heroin for 20
years ... Ive been methadone scripted for
5 years, on and off. Without methadone Iwould be in jail for burglary - its provided
me with a lifeline ...
H: How have you found reducing your
scripts?
P: They havent been reduced at all over the
5 years ...
H: Have you used again?
P: Having a bit of a relapse at the moment ...
J:You have to be down to 30ml of
methadone before you move on to subutex.
B: My ex-boyfriend went from Heroin to
subutex ... went onto subtex 8ml ... but he
only had a very small heroin habit.
J:Yeah, that sounds right - you need to
have a very small habit to not go on to
methadone at all ...
For me, gear used to be a beginning into my world ofcreativity not an ending where the eyes close and themind goes blank leaving the user bereft of ideas.Gg Gar a Bad nam - see below
So why were we having a debate in the frst place?
The ollowing letter landed on the OTW desk and
the strong eelings it provoked in the O The Wall
team led to this issues debate. Turn over or the
second part o the debate and some o the groups
thoughts on Methadone - positives, negatives and
reducing your scripts.
lWalking through Bath the other day, past the
diggers and the rubble that have transormed our
heritage site into a building site, I took a moment
to consider the plight o the real homeless. One
character was sitting up against the wall with his dog
who seemed to realise his master was not a middle
class citizen. I am lucky that although sometimes
my state o mind is on the streets, I do have a roo
over my head thanks to my parents who allow me to
share their house. I do take pity on the vagabonds,and i they make the eort to entertain with a pipe or
something I will spare some change. I wonder what
becomes o them when the sun goes down, being a
sheltered sort o chap, I really dont know what they
do. They are, o course, as much Gods creatures
as the proessionals who pass them by each day.
Whether heroin, the topic o this piece, is to blame
or not I cant be sure without asking, which would be
rather un-polite. The olk who give heroin a bad name
by breaking the law and causing nuisance to obtain it
I eel have a lot to answer or and make the business
o keeping a drug habit all the more anti social.
In the movie drama o my little lie, gear has
oten been the heroine. She inspires, excites and
supports my imagination and indulgent delusions. I
always say that in my home, I keep 2 whores; Art and
Music, which are brought to lie when I use. I have
never stolen or begged to obtain my fxes over the
last seven years unlike people who commit heinous
acts to get theirs. That, to my mind, is what makes
heroin a dirty word amongst clean livers. Dont get me
wrong, drugs in general are a blight on society, (and I
hide my doings as best I can). I wish the army would
destroy every poppy in Aghanistan and the brown
powder never reached our shores. Its ironic that inNovember, we wear a poppy or remembrance yet
to me it symbolises everything the orces and society
stand against or the rest o the year.
But heroin is in this area and there is no lack o
it. I use it and it has helped me overcome a severe
psychosis. My point is that i users could keep gear
on a tight leash like that homeless dog and behave
like adults and not kids who know no limits, it is
possible to contain a habit without it spiralling. It
takes sel belie and a bit o love in your heart: loveor yoursel and others. For societys part, prescription
drugs like meth and subutex need to be available
more readily, not months down the line rom when
you frst approach your GP. Counsellors should have
experience o what a nasty 4am cluck eels like so
that they can empathise and not just sympathise.
For me, gear used to be a beginning into my world
o creativity not an ending where the eyes close and
the mind goes blank leaving the user beret o ideas. I
was a user or seven years and I still cannot say I am
completely out o the woods, but with sel belie and
support rom my amily I never let the powder havetoo much power. I smoke and I have never played
darts with the stu, and although my habit is a bit
selfsh I believe I never directly harmed anyone and
my mother would say that it made me a better person
( bearing in mind I have suered rom serious mental
health problems) to some extent. I believe criminals
who hurt other people motivated by addiction are a
dierent breed to placid sel supporting users.
For me, gear has been a necessity, especially in a
world that sends out mixed messages; or example by
day its all fre and brimstone condemnation o scum
drug dealers that are reported in the Daily Mail;;
ater the watershed, it can be portrayed as lovable
rogues with an alternative liestyle, or example Pete
Doherty and Amy Winehouse. These characters are
never called scum: but why not, I dare say that they
have got high on their own supply. Society needs
to be educated that there are many acets to the
drug world and the realm o heroin. For now, I am
driting around it taking care not to get sucked into
the vortex; the black hole that can lead to untold
suering ending in tears. But thats lie; trial and
error making us what we are. For a middle class boy
with cool parents it has been an interesting journey
that has not yet run its course.Thanks to places like BADAS and DHI the journey
need not be a lonely one and with a bit o social
education heroin doesnt have to be a dirty word
even i it is a bloody dirty drug.
Gg Gar a Bad namB s Fc
8/6/2019 Off The Wall Issue 13
10/24
To bring our debate to a logical
conclusion we discussed the postives
and negatives of a Methadone
pescription and how you go about
reducing the amount you take without
getting stuck in a rut...
hw d g ab rdcg?J: You need a desire to get clean ... groups
helped for me, and I think people telling me
that I was better than this and should domore with my life ... I was lucky to have the
motivation to turn things around ...
K: Was it your decision to go to subutex ...
and are you still reducing?
J: Yeah, Im on 2.8ml now and still reducing.
No bad relapse, so I feel good about the
future. I think as I got help before and it
helped, I knew which channels to use if I
relapsed again and that gave me condence.
Mad:t p
1.You dont need to commit crime as itsfree, so you dont need the money to feed
your habit.
2.You dont need to mix it with heroin at all
(Peter: Ive been using heroin on top of
methadone, so some people do need it ...)
3.You dont inject or smoke it ... taken
orally, its much safer to take and its
hard to overdose.
(Justin: But its still not good for you
Simon: It rots your teeth really badly as its
full of sugar.)
4. Its no magic cure, but compared to heroin,
it helps you cope with your addiction and if you
have the right attitude, it can help you focus.
Mad:t ga1. The hard facts of methadone are that it
rots your bones, and damages your spine.
It does bad stuff to your body and rotsyour teeth.
(S: When you start using heroin, you stop
living ... I lost all my learning years ... and
Ive lost condence because of that. Because
I starrted using so early, I missed all that
time when I should be learning social skills,
interacting and so on ...)
2.You still have a methadone head. You
arent that different from an addict - still
perceived as an addict by some people.
3.Youre not in touch with your emotions at
all ... youre emotionally immature. Stuntedemotionally ... partly because methadone
saps you of energy and the will to interact,
and partly because you havent learnt through
experience to deal with other people ...
4. Lack of motivation ... lack of condence
that if you come off it you might be worse
off ... its seems a safer and happier place on
scripts than off them ...
P: I manage to get to the gym ... so I guess
its personal ...
Kangey: Is it like morphine in hospital?
J:Yeah, same kind of thing ...
S: Did you get depressed on methadone?
J: Yeah, very ... Im on subutex now.
S: If you use methadone and heroin ... you
get benets from methadone ... but youre
still using
J: Heroin didnt really do much for me but it
seemed cool at the time ... the idea of doing
heroin was attractive ...P: I get bored on methadone ...
Jus: When youre reducing on methadone its
like coming out of a dark room into a bright
light ... you feel, ultra-sensitive ...
S: On methadone, it feels like your
testosterone (as a man) is supressed ...
Jus: I dont think thats the case - it simply
dulls your sense, so it might feel that way ...
10
6-pag pca ar: hr
o t Wa No.13, Spring/Summer 2009
Mad:Solution or Problem?Par 2 f a w-par dc...
WhAt is suButex? Buprenorphine, sold under the trade name Subutex, is a long-acting opiate primarily used to treat narcotic (opioid) dependence.
It is most commonly sold as a pill that dissolves under the tongue. Its main purpose is to prevent withdrawal symptoms from occurring in an
individual, by stimulating the opiate receptors in the brain. Subutex has a greater attraction to the opiate receptors than other drugs such as heroin
and methadone, which reduces or removes the desire to take such drugs. Subutex binds so tightly to the opiate receptors, that taking heroin or
methadone will have little or no effect. This drug is generally used in narcotic drug treatment programs, and prescribed in varying doses. The effects
of subutex are less pronounced than those of other opiates, giving the individual the feeling of being somewhat normal once more.
8/6/2019 Off The Wall Issue 13
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11
hrHeroin is a natural opiate made rom
morphine (opiates dull pain). Morphine
is extracted rom the opium poppy.
Like many drugs made rom opium,
including synthetic opioids (e.g.methadone) heroin is a very strong
painkiller. Street heroin sold as brown
is sometimes used by clubbers as a
chill out ater a big night out. Brown is
still heroin but some people mistakenly
think its not as addictive.
The effects Heroin slows down body
unctioning and substantially reduces
physical and psychological pain. Most
users get a rush or buzz a ew minutes
ater taking it. A small dose o heroingives the user a eeling o warmth and
well-being. Bigger doses can make
the user sleepy and very relaxed. The
rst dose o heroin can bring about
dizziness and vomiting.
Chances of getting hooked
Heroin is highly addictive. Over
time, eects o heroin on the
brain cause craving and a strong
psychological desire to keep on
using. Also tolerance builds and the
desired eects reduce so much that
users have to take more just to get
the same eects and even more
just to eel normal or to avoid a
very unpleasant withdrawal state.
Drugs have been developed to
help treat heroin addiction. These
include opiate substitutes or heroin
such as methadone and subutex
(buprenorphine) and also drugs like
naltrexone that block the eects o
heroin so you cant get a high once
you have become drug-ree.
The lawHeroin is a class A drug. Thismeans that possessing it can lead
to a prison sentence o up to 7 years
and an unlimited ne. Supplying
(which includes giving it to a riend)
could lead to a lie sentence and
another unlimited ne.
Appearance and use Heroin comes
as a white powder when its pure
(diamorphine), such as that used
by doctors. Owing to the range o
substances its cut with, street heroincan be anything rom brownish white
to brown. It can either be smoked or
dissolved in water and injected or, i
high purity, it can be snorted.
Cost Prices can vary rom region to
region. The prices given here are an
average o street prices reported
rom 20 dierent parts o England.
Feeding a heroin habit can cost up
to 100 a day.
PurityA user has no way o knowing
what their heroin is mixed with.Recent tests have shown it can
contain nutmeg, brick dust, and
ground-up gravel but its more
commonly mixed with sugar, starch,
powdered milk, or quinine.
The risks Deaths rom overdoses
occur. But the risk increases ater
a period o the drug because the
bodys tolerance or the drug goes
down. Overdoses can lead to coma
and even death rom respiratory
ailure (i.e. when breathing stops).
I heroin is taken with other drugs,
including alcohol, overdose is
more likely. Other downers such as
benzodiazepine tranquillisers are
also associated with heroin overdose
deaths. Theres also a risk o death
due to inhaling vomit as heroin stops
the bodys cough refex working
properly. Injecting heroin can do nasty
damage to your veins and has been
known to lead to gangrene (death and
decay o body tissue, usually a digit or
a limb) and tissue inections. The riskso sharing needles and other works to
inject are well-known, putting you in
danger o inections like hepatitis B or
C and HIV/AIDS.
MadMethadone is one o a number
o synthetic opiates (also called
opioids) that are manuactured or
medical use and have similar eects
to heroin. Methadone and Subutex(Buprenorphine) are used as opiate
substitutes or heroin in the treatment
o heroin addiction.
The effects Opiates are sedative
drugs that depress the nervous system.
They slow down body unctioning and
reduce physical and psychological
pain. The eect is usually to give a
eeling o warmth, relaxation and
detachment. Methadone can help to
relieve eelings o anxiety. See also theeects o heroin.
Chances o getting hooked
Methadone doesnt deliver the
same degree o buzz or high as
heroin. It allows people to tackle
their psychological addiction and
stabilize their liestyle when used as a
substitute or heroin. Such treatment
may be continued or a long period
o time in some cases. In treatment,
opiate substitution therapy, such as
methadone and Buprenorphine, is
usually aimed initially at obliterating
withdrawal symptoms and supporting
stabilisation o health and liestyle.
The dose can subsequently then be
reduced slowly by agreement until the
user is o the drug completely. There
are still problems with heroin withdrawal
symptoms, but this method is much
less severe than going cold turkey.
The lawMethadone is a Class A drug -
illegal to have, give away or sell
(but oten prescribed). Possession
can get you up to seven years in jail.Supplying someone else, even your
riends, can get you lie imprisonment
and/or an unlimited fne.
Appearance and useThe methadone
thats prescribed to people trying to
come o street heroin is usually a
liquid which is swallowed, but it can
come in tablet or injectable orm.Subutex (Buprenorphine) is dissolved
in the mouth. Eects can start quickly
and can last several hours.
Cost Prices can vary rom region to
region. The prices given here are an
average o street prices reported rom
20 dierent parts o England. The street
cost o methadone is 1 per 10ml.
PurityMethadone thats prescribed
by a doctor is subject to stringent
controls, as with any other medicine,
so you can be sure o its strength andthat it has not been tampered with. You
cant be as sure with methadone thats
bought on the street which may be an
unusually concentrated variant and
more powerul than expected.
The risks Some people are sick the
frst time they take it and they can
become constipated. With high doses,
the sedation dominates and users eel
sleepy. Too much and you can all into a
coma or stop breathing completely. Many
women dont have periods when they
use opiates regularly. I they cut down,
or stop, the periods may return. Theres
a good chance o getting pregnant
during this time i they dont use
contraception. Opiates may possibly
increase the risk o miscarriage and
still births and opiate users may give
birth to smaller babies. Its not a good
idea to stop using opiates suddenly
i youre pregnant as this can cause
premature labour and miscarriage.
Methadone may be continued
throughout pregnancy to minimize suchrisk. Your driving licence is invalid on
a methadone treatment programme
unless agreed by the DVLA ollowing
receipt o supportive medical advice.
hr & Mad:t Fac
Feeding a heroin habit
can cost up to 100 a dayhr & Mad: t Fac - see below
8/6/2019 Off The Wall Issue 13
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o t Wa No.13, Spring/Summer 200912
G m ar!
WAlK oF the issue
sbr hRac gets off the sofa and stretches her legs...
Bored, depressed, unt, or whatever,
people keep telling me exercise is
the answer? Normally Id go down
the pub, and get pissed to disguise
the boredom, but this Sunday Id decided to
get off my ass and arrange a walk, if youre
fortunate enough to have some mates invite
them too. You know the expression the
more the merrier.
From the town centre of town in Bath,
get a number 13 bus from Bath Abbey to
Batheaston, (if walking from town, follow
the London Road, this is roughly a half-hour
walk) get off at Batheaston High Street,
opposite the White Hart pub,(which is nowclosed). Walk straight ahead, up to the
batch and keep walking, till you get to a
sign Solsbury Lane.
Walk up Solsbury Lane, it starts as a
one road lane, with no walk way on either
side, so be alert for cars coming up and
down the road, take the right, we walked on
up, the trek to the top was narrow and steep
with great views all around.
After some distance up, we reached
the end of the road. a big secured house
on the left and in front of us a large metal
gate. Over the gate we proceeded up the
grassy hill, then we reached a sign...
Little Solsbury.
Well worth the walk, nice breeze,
nice views, not feeling tired anymore but
exhilarated, so time for a smoke. Id been
up her many times before, for solstice,
partys etc. and had heard all kinds of stories
about the hill, passages to the underworld!?
King Arthur spending time up there? and
apparently an indented turf maze was
somewhere on the hill???? We decided to
check this one out, walking to the right,to the west corner off the hill - after a ve
minute walk - was in fact the maze!
It wasnt that impressive but something
to do, so we walked around it.
Then walked right around the top of
the hill, passing many strange mounds and
remains of campers campres, then back to
where we started. Then back down the hill -
homeward bound - which was a damn sight
easier than walking up!
t Fac!The national trust owns only the top of this
hill which was a walled village of the early
Iron Age from about 300BC to 100BC. Atrst the area near the edge of the hilltop was
cleared to a rock base on which substantial
timber-framed wattled huts were built. a 20
wide rampart was then made, faced inside
and outside with well-built dry stone walls
and lled in with loose stones. The outer
face was at least 12 high. After a period of
occupation some off the huts were burnt
down and the rampart was overthrown. The
site was abandoned and never used again.
8/6/2019 Off The Wall Issue 13
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13o t Wa No.13, Spring/Summer 2009
Wa r b?
My current beef is about the
telephone equivalent of
spam, by which I mean the
endless unsolicited calls I
receive from so-called cold callers trying
to sell me double glazing, tted kitchens
or nancial advice, asking me to take part
in some pointless survey or telling me Ive
won a holiday in a competition I never
even entered.
These calls are the reason you will
always get my ansafone when you dial
my number. I grew so tired of elding up
to six calls a day that I no longer answer
until I know whos calling. I am notexaggerating when I claim that over 90%
of my incoming calls are from sources like
the above, a liberal sprinkling of wrong
numbers and people trying to make a
hairdressing appointment (my number is
similar to a salon in Oldeld Park). When
I occasionally try 1471, I usually nd the
number has been withheld; just as well
for the caller, who might otherwise start
receiving calls throughout the night to
see how (s)he likes being bothered at
inconvenient times.
Its probably my imagination, but such
calls always seem to come in the middle
of a favourite TV programme or when
Im cooking, eating, in the bath or about
to go out somewhere. At least all I have
to do now is rewind the tape when its
convenient, which is better for me (and the
caller) than losing my rag and hurling a
torrent of abuse down the line.It is time that these cold calls were
made illegal. If I wanted to buy double
glazing or whatever Id go to a shop or try
Yellow Pages or even the Internet if I had
a computer. I certainly do not want to be
bothered in my own home in my leisure
time. I did once register through BT as
a customer who did not want to receive
these nuisance calls, but I still have to
eld just as many.
Whilst on the subject of
telephone rage, am I the only one
who repeatedly has problems when
calling utility companies such as
BT and EDF? No matter how
many times I press the number
I want, the same message keeps
repeating, until I am eventually
put through to an adviser because
I am experiencing difculties.
When I ask why this keepshappening, nobody seems to know
what I mean. Another example of
technology gone mad?
Well, Id better bring this rant to
an end. I have to go home and check
my ansafone for important spam calls!
It just makes me mad!A Beef about Spam byJim timoney
Do You Speak English? byJim timoney
Welldo you? Or do youspeak yank speak? I nd
the increasing number of
Americanisms creeping into
our language both annoying and worrying.
Of course, this is not a new phenomenon,
but it seems to be becoming more and more
widespread, especially among the young,
and I believe it to be not only unnecessary
but also unpleasant to hear. It is also totally
not cool, a word which is not even new in
this usage, having been widespread in my
youth in the sixties (man); in fact, I think it
probably goes back as far as the American
jazz and blues era dating from the early
twentieth century.
There is simply no need to absorb all
the expressions heard in US sitcoms andother TV programmes and lms (many
of which I enjoy). (Aside: even this word
processor has just tried to tell me how to
spell in American). I accept that Americans
are entitled to speak to American (very
magnanimous of me, I know), but it is
sooooooooo not right that we should
besmirch our own beautiful English language
with this inane yankspeak.Even our commercials are peppered
with American accents. (Aside: computer
reprogrammed to use real English). I
sometimes heaven forefend catch myself
using the phrases I nd so offensive; I am
quite prepared to accept that there may be
some in this beef, besides the intentional
ones. Whatever!
Hey, if you think its so cool (theres
that word again) to speak like totally
awesome people who live halfway around the
world at the expense of your mother or father
tongue, by all means continue as if you
wont anyway. Whatever!
Time to sign off now. Have a nice day...
Missing you already.
8/6/2019 Off The Wall Issue 13
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Ra CckDr wmmadgrasr 4
igrd2Kg cck1b carr1b pa2 fr brc1 bx ag ad g2 c garc (pa)Margar r BrFrsa & ppprCck ox cb.App
1 lm (pa)
MdRight then, rst up chop up the cloves of
garlic and stuff them under the skin of the
chicken breasts - this will give the chicken
a mild garlicky taste. Obviously, if youre
not a garlic fan, forget it. Then rub some
soft margarine or butter into the skin
and season with the salt and pepper. If
you fancy, get a lemon and pierce it with
a skewer, then pop it inside the chicken.
This will cook when the bird is in theoven and give the meat a mild lemony
avour - fab. Turn the oven right up to
the maximum temperature, then pop thechicken in for 20 minutes. Reduce the
temperature to 180 and roast the chicken
depending on its size. A 2kg chicken will
need around an hour and a half. Check
that the juices run clear between the leg
and the breast - thats when its cooked
through. Part boil the potatoes and keep
the water for the gravy. Shake the potatoes
in the sauce pan until they uff up - this
will make them nice and crispy when you
roast them. Heat oil in a baking tray, on
the hob and add the potatoes. Fry themup and cover them in oil, then pop in the
oven when roasting the chicken - theyll
need around 30-45 minutes. 10 minutesbefore theyre ready, chop an apple up and
chuck it in with them.
hmmad graWhen chicken is cooked, save all the
juices and put in a seperate saucepan.
Bring juices to the boil, take off the heat
and stir in 1 large tablespoon of our.
Stir until smooth, then put back on the
heat and cook for 2 minutes. Take a pint
of veggie water, add to the mixture and
stir. Add an oxo cube, bring to the boil,simmer for 5 minutes then serve.
14
Rcp: Ra cck
o t Wa No.13, Spring/Summer 2009
8/6/2019 Off The Wall Issue 13
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15
Rcp: Cck sp
Cck rcp r cmg ...
The ultimate summerood special - and its
all cheap and easy todo ... including ...
Barbc!lYou name it, were throwing it on the
barbie! With everything rom Burgers,
Veggie Burgers, Veggie Kebabs and
Chicken Thighs or our main course,
plus were doing our own marinades
and salad dressings ...
P! Rac xrPa saad(on the cheap!)lPlus the best ways with a ew
lettuce leaves and some tinned tuna ...
Fac ra a ck?tk cabr r rdmarc? sd r rcp,ad pc ad wpr m...( r a gd!)
t Fd Pago t Wa Magaz
15/16 Milsom Street, Bath BA1 1DE
t 01225 329411
ema othewall@
drugsandhomeless.org.uk
o t Wa No.13, Spring/Summer 2009
sr ad!
igrdCck Carca2 p war2 , cd, 2 cr ck, cppd
Cp mrm2 carr, cd1 abp cppd par2z margar2z fra & pppr
MdBoil chicken carcass in the two pints
of water until all chicken falls of the
bones. Remove bones. In a different
saucepan melt the margarine and
fry the celery, onions, carrots andmushrooms for 5 minutes. Stir in the
our and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in
the chicken stock, bring to the boil and
simmer for 10 minutes or until, the
vegetables are tender. Tuck in!
hmmad Cck sp
8/6/2019 Off The Wall Issue 13
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16
Bk w & rw
Dhi Bk cbDHI Book Club meets on the rst Monday o each month to discuss a book readduring the preceding month. In this section,Jm tm aims to present a briereview o some recent Book Club titles, including his own opinions about them.
o t Wa No.13, Spring/Summer 2009
lThe chosen book for March was an
old favourite of mine and it was good to
have the chance to revisit it after many
years. This 1989 Penguin edition also
included an excellent and informativeintroduction by Malcolm Bradbury,
which helped me to understand better
the allegorical nature of the novel.
This was Orwells rst major best-seller.
Born Eric Arthur Blair, he had several
works published in the 1930s, among
them Burmese Days, Down And Out In
Paris And London, The Road To Wigan
Pier and Homage To Catalonia. The
contents of many of these earlier works
are a powerful reection of poverty - his
own and others. In 1936, Orwell went toSpain to ght for the Republican side and
was later wounded; his experiences there
inspired Homage To Catalonia.
Animal Farm was written during 1943-
44, although he found it impossible to
get it published until after World War
Two. The reason for this was that it
was seen to be a critical description of
the Russian revolution and of Stalin in
particular; during the war, the Soviet
Union (from 1941) was one of the
Allies against Nazi Germany and it was
deemed to be undesirable to risk any
alienation. As history shows, it was more
appropriate and benecial to publish as
the Cold War set in and the Soviet Union
became seen as the
potential aggressor.
In fact, Animal Farm
is not solely about the
Russian revolution.Orwells concern was
to show that all such
revolutions inevitably
do not benet those
for whom they were
originally instigated;
that the supposed
beneciaries should oust those leaders
who threaten to become too dictatorial
and thereby simply replace one
oppressive regime with another. In his
introduction, Bradbury quotes Orwellas saying: I meant the moral to be
that revolutions only reect a radical
improvement when the masses are alert
and know how to chuck out their leaders
as soon as the latter have done their job.
Regarding Animal Farm, Orwells
aim was to fuse political purpose and
artistic purpose into one whole (from
Bradburys introduction again). When
the animals take over the farm from
the humans all are deemed to be equal.
However, it soon becomes obvious that
the pigs (soon to be backed up by the
dogs) are setting out to gain the upper
hand, and Orwell works skilfully towards
establishing their ultimate supremacy.
During the course of
the book we see the
pigs become more
and more superior
as they learn to readand write, become
supervisors, adopt
their own HQ in
the farmhouse and
gradually turn into
copies of their human
predecessors, walking
erect, dressing and adopting human
habits such as drinking alcohol and
smoking. The Seven Commandments,
originally designed to ensure that the
farm is run in the right way and allhuman inuence remains eradicated,
are carefully whittled away or cleverly
modied. The inevitable result of all
this is that the Seven Commandments
are reduced to only one: All animals are
equal but some animals are more equal
than others.
Animal Farm is justiably regarded as
a classic of twentieth century literature.
Along with 1984, it made Orwells name;
both before and after his death in 1950,
it has been read and enjoyed by millions.
I rst delighted in it as a teenager and I
appreciated it even more on re-reading
it recently for the Book Club, perhaps
because I understood it more fully.
Dhi BooK CluB: BooK oF the issue
Ama Farmby Grg orw (Martin Secker & Warburg, 1945)
8/6/2019 Off The Wall Issue 13
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17Cmg :t sackby William Paul Young.
Pa rw
Feel the FeAR AnD Do
it AnyWAy
by sa Jr
lOne o the best
known sel help
books dissected, with
ambivalent conclusionsbeing reached.
sCReWeD
by R tmp
lIncisive, no holds barred account
by a prison ocer o lie as a screw.
the FiRst ChRoniCles oF
DRuss the leGenD
by Dad Gmm
lReview o gripping, enthrallingand entertaining antasy ction
novel, part o a series o Druss
adventures.
evil sPiRits
by C Gdw
lInteresting and
inormative biography
o one o the screens
most volatile stars,
Oliver Reed.
oRAnGes ARe not
the only FRuit
by Ja Wr
lMoving and sometimes
amusing rst novel, in
autobiographical orm, tracing the
authors progress rom childhood
to young adult.
iF noBoDy sPeAKs oF
ReMARKABle thinGs
byJ McGrgr
lAnother rst novel, this time a
somewhat unusual one, with several
threads running through it.
lFebruarys choice was based on Conrads
time in the Congo in the 1890s, although
it is narrated by the main character,
Charles Marlow. In 1979, it was updated
and transplanted to the Vietnam war in
the lm, Apocalypse Now; quite wherethe comparisons and similarities lie
escapes me, but I never really liked or fully
understood the lm, anyway.
I was a little disturbed by the prevalence
of sexist and racist phraseology, but it
has to be remembered that it was written
well over a hundred years ago, a time
when the initials PC meant no more than
police constable. Vivid descriptions of the
treatment of the natives, the rape of ivory,
etc., were all generally acceptable at the
time, of course. I found Conrads literarystyle rather tiring, indulging as he does in
paragraphs of a page and a half or more
at times, but at least the book was only
just over a hundred pages long! I found
the rst part of the book (about a third)
particularly tedious, as there was so little
action. It was also difcult for me to
decide the authors take on subjects
like the exploitation and treatment of
Africa and the Africans.
The second part of the book did
introduce a little more action, as well
as affording an interesting glimpseinto late nineteenth century African
exploration and contemporary attitudes
to it. Conrad acknowledges the humanity
of the indigenous tribespeople (still like
us, only different!) and submits that they
have the ability to learn and are intelligent
in their own way all very condescending
to most of us today, but not in Conrads
time. Conrad, through Marlows
narration, lets us know that he felt he
was learning and having his eyes opened,
possibly in spite of himself.Overall, I found this novel not exciting
enough (maybe it wasnt intended to
be); even the action and attack scenes
were described rather matter-of-factly.
Consequently, I found the book somewhat
boring; or maybe there is a hidden
message which I was too unaware to grasp.
Dhi BooK CluB RevieW
har o DarkbyJp Crad (published 1902; Penguin, 1994)
Dhi BooK CluB RevieW
t Wap Facrby ia Bak (Macmillan, 1984)
lI found Januarys Book Club choice
a strangely compelling read, which I
ultimately enjoyed, despite nding it
bizarre to the point of macabre. This was
Banks rst novel, published twenty-ve
years ago, to much critical acclaim and
not a little disgust and outrage. The story
revolves around a sixteen- year-old boy
who believably claims to have killed three
people and remained undetected. To add
to the macabre picture, we have his dog-
burning half-brother, recently escaped
from a centre for the criminally insane.
I found this a very disturbing book,
although cleverly written, and I was
particularly impressed by the surprise
revelation in the last chapter, putting the
nal cap on the whole bizarre story.
Is this novel in bad taste? I suppose
it could justiably be called that, but
it still succeeded in gripping me. It is
denitely not for the squeamish. I often
am about violence and horror, but this
book seemed to have no adverse effect on
me. I suspect I was too fascinated by the
overall strangeness of the story to allow the
macabre elements to disturb me. Read it if
you have the stomach for it.
8/6/2019 Off The Wall Issue 13
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18
Far
o t Wa No.13, Spring/Summer 2009
Me and my daughter Amber
and her friend Lucy both
aged 10 arrived at Alice Park
around 8.30pm for a sleep
out organised by Julian House, a charity,
to help raise awareness of the homeless
situation in Bath.
Armed with 3 packets of crisps, some
biscuits, 3 sleeping bags and 2 double duvets
and a large cardboard box, we joined the rest
of the rabble. The park was full of people. A
shelter tent was provided, in case of extreme
weather, and the park caf was open until
11.30 (selling coffees for 2.50 each more
expensive than even Starbucks in town!)
There was a buzz in the air. A feeling ofcompanionship and bonding as everyone
settled down, joining in unity to support a
common cause. The mood was jovial but
also serious.
As the night unfolded, the temperature
dropped. I could feel the cold from my
ngertips to the tips of my toes. I was
f**king freezing! Even with the three of us
snuggled together in sleeping bags with the
duvets on top, we could not keep warm.
We wondered what it would be like for
someone who was really homeless, who
had nowhere to go. We wondered how
they would get bedding, how they would
eat, what would they do in the day? We
discussed the reasons for homelessness.
People with drug and alcohol problems,
mental health issues that dont seem to t
anywhere. Not ill enough for institutions
but dont get on with a set up organised by
the government either. People who have
lost their jobs, or who have gone through
divorce, who have lost their children
through circumstances. People who suffer
from depression and cant hold it together
any more. People who have been releasedfrom prison with no life skills who are not
given the support they need when they
leave. Victims of child abuse, who suffered
so much that their childhood was stolen
from them and they became misunderstood.
People who have left rehab and dont t into
the environment provided. Underqualied
professionals making wrong assessments on
individuals and getting their needs wrong.
People who are newly homeless, who are not
aware of the help available to them because
they just cant pick themselves up any more.
Desperate people do desperate things.
Lack of sleep at night and nothing to do
in the day, homeless people wonder about
aimlessly some doing things they really dont
want to do. We gured there were many
reasons why people become homeless!
The temperature dropped again to -4.
Our blankets were wet and it was only the
cardboard box that kept the frost out. Then
in the morning came and we woke up tired
after intermittent sleep. We went to the
caf, which opened early. We were told we
could have a bacon sandwich. The mantried to charge us 2.50 each for a roll. I
went to the organisers and they sorted this
out for me. I kind of felt that there were
certain individuals cashing in on the cause
in which we were all trying to promote.
We gathered up our staff and went home
to our warm places and our tvs and stuff.
Between us we managed to raise a hundred
and forty two pounds.
Ja h sp oBy Rac
8/6/2019 Off The Wall Issue 13
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t lck o
The lucky ones are the weak willed,
They soon crash and hit rock bottom.
Pity the strong minded man
Head out o water, but down trodden.Destined never to be more
Than an internal struggle
Battered psychically and bruised
A lie reduced to rubble
But hes still strong hell carry on
Wont quit till his last breath.
That wont be long, because you see
Hes making riends with death.
No stay away rom death, man
It stinks its fesh is rotten,
Or underneath the cheapest grave
Youll R.I.P. and be orgotten.
But my words on dea ears ell.
There was no one who was listening,
A whoosh o red in the barrel o a pin
Bubbles in the light glistening
A warm, honey coloured death,That swam into his soul
The milk o joy curdled, soured
Ended all his goals.
And over him not a tear I shed,
Just the passing o some mothers son
Though hes gone, though hes dead
It wasnt me; Im the lucky one.
J. Yates.
19o t Wa No.13, Spring/Summer 2009
Pr Crr
tm mac
Ive just returned rom July,
Where I didnt like what I saw,
So I think Ill visit another year and try
To hurt as I did there beore.
Take a trip down memory lane,
To live and relive my pain;
Then its back to the uture o ear -Next week, next month or next year.
My trips to the past and the days to come
Visit mainly regrets and sorrow,
With merely a glimpse o things well done
And a hopeul dream or tomorrow.
This time machine that I keep in my head
Holds the key to the past in its sway.
Its also an expert at orging ahead -
The hard part is nding today.
Jim Timoney
Brrm, Brrm, Brrm, Brrm.
Trac. Can you smell that smell?
Gasping or breath in car ume hell.
Toxic, black grime upon grime.
Makes my eyes water, so I cry all the time.
Constant, day ater day
From a to b and then b to aBelching, exhausted exhaust
Breathing it in, no choice I am orced.
Choking phlegmy cough ater cough
My lungs eel too small; theyre not big enough
Breathless, I no longer run.
Driving around is so much more un.
Revving, the noise that annoys
Big boys play with big boys toys.
Worn out. A road to erode
Tarmac to dust with each heavy load.
Endless, on and still on
Locked, gridlock its autogeddon.
J.Yates.
8/6/2019 Off The Wall Issue 13
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Monday
10.00 - 2.00
Ar Ad CraGrp(Drop-in)
2.30 - 4.00
Abc Grp
5.30 - 6.30
Bk Cb(1st Monday O Each Month)
6.45 - 8.15
Fba
Tuesday
10.30 - 2.00
Wm Grp
12.00 - 2.00
o t Wa
Magazine Group
(Drop-in)
12.30 - 2.00
A Cac t
Cag Grp
2.30 - 4.00
P Cag Grp
Wednesday
12.00 2.00
Gardg Grp
2.30 - 4.00
tpc Wrkp
Managing Emotions
Developing Sel-esteem
Managing Stress
Becoming Assertive
Thursday
10.00 - 12.00
Drp- Adc src
(Last Thursday
O Each Month)
12.30 - 2.00
A Cac t Cag
Grp
1.00 3.30
hmpa
(Waiting List)
2.00 10.00
Partrap
2.30 - 4.00
P Cag Grp
6.00 - 7.00
Rap Pr
sppr Grp
(Drop-in)(No Reerral Required)
Friday
10.30 - 12.00
Cmmca Grp
12.30 - 2.00
BAt
2.30 - 4.00
Abc Grp
5.00 - 6.00Baad Arcar
Acpr
Saturday
Gardg Grp
20
Wa o @ Dhi
o t Wa No.13, Spring/Summer 2009
A ChAnCe to ChAnGe
What Pleasures Does Your Drug Use
Bring You?
What Diculties Does It Take Away ?
What Problems Does It Add To Your Lie?
What Good Things Does It Take Away?lThis group aims to assist people to
make their own choices about what,
i anything, they wish to change about
their substance use.
lThis is a rolling group which takes
new clients on a weekly basis.
Positive ChAnGes
How Can I Manage Cravings?
How Can I Manage Tempting Thoughts?
How Can I Develop My Condence
And Coping Skills?
What Might Get In The Way?
What Else Might Help You Achieve This?
How Will I Keep This Going?
lThis oers clients the opportunity to
develop and manage their plans or
change, overcoming obstacles and
developing commitment.
lThis group takes new clients
every six weeks.
ABstinenCe
What Is The Next Step?
How Can I Increase Importance Without
Adding Stress?
How Can I Build A Liestyle To Support
My Recovery?
What Are My Triggers And How Can I
Manage These?
How Can I Prevent Lapses Becoming
Relapses?
lThis group aims to support people who
have identied abstinence as a goal. This
group takes new clients every six weeks.
WoRKshoPs @ Dhi
Series O Three Sessions Focusing
On Topics That Interact With Changes
Around Substance Use.
tpc Ar: Becoming Assertive;
Improving Sel-esteem; Managing
Emotions; Managing Stress
WoMens GRouP
Drop - In Womens Support Group
RelAPse PRevention suPPoRt GRouP
Drop In Talking Support Group For
Abstinent Clients.
BRieF 1-1 CounsellinG
An Opportunity To Explore Drug Or Alcohol
Use 1-1 With A Counsellor, Either To Help
You Arrive At Your Decision Or To Maintain
Progress.
lThis service is available most days and
some Evenings.
8/6/2019 Off The Wall Issue 13
21/24
Da ad ng
sppr src
Ba
Ja h
Manvers Street
01225 354650
Da Cr: Oers tea and
coee/General advice/cooked
meal 11.00 until 11.45
Mon-Fri: 9.30 until 12.30
Sat: 9.30 until 1.00
Sunday closed
ng sr: Open every night
8pm-8.30pm
orfw sr: 15-bed spacesat no charge
Open 10.30pm-7.30am
No booking required, rst come,
rst served basis, deadline:
12.00am.
G
Lunch Box
St Michaels Church
(Opposite Waitrose)
Mon-Wed: 12.30 until 1.30
Egg, bacon and sandwiches,
tea and coee (50p - 1)
General advice.
sda Cr
G
Sunday: 1pm 5pm
Every Sunday o the year based
at Nexus Methodist Church,
Nelson Place East, London Road.
Low cost dinner, warm and
riendly environment.
Tea, coee and cakes.
Sunday papers and games
available.
t sp R
The Soup Run is open at 7pm
seven days a week, 365 days
a year in the Old Cattle Market,
o Walcot Street, in the centre o
Bath, providing ree coee, soup
and sandwiches. Each night o
the week is run by a team rom adierent church. People use the
Soup Run or a variety o reasons,
because they are homeless they
dont have a place to cook or
their benets have ran out.
The soup run oers support,
a point o contact and a social
meeting place.
l Cr
The Forum Building
(Corn Street entrance)
01225 329263
Mon-Fri: 2pm-4pm
Support and advice on all
issues (including homelessness,
substance misuse)
A sae place to rest up.
Tea and coee available
Dhi a r a rag
arcar rc
cdg acc a
ca gm, cmpmar
rap, arcar
acpcr ad cmpr
w r acc.
sppr Ba
o t Wa No.13, Spring/Summer 2009
2
8/6/2019 Off The Wall Issue 13
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t ma w pa...Interview with sp Brd by sa K and sp Campb
Stephen Brindle is attempting to get
a community sports centre off the
ground with the help of a church
in the centre of Bath. Currently in
development hell, we asked Stephen why,
where and what makes him tick.
otW: What is it?
s: Its a community centre for anyone over 16
really though it will marketed primarily for the
unemployed and those with a drug or alchohol
background. I want to inject some fun into
peoples life, by lling in peoples time a little
... Most activities will be outdoor and we
hope to get people interacting. Although we
wont turn anybody away, we will put mostadvertsing and promotional material in those
places where those who dont have access to
the kind of activities were offering go. Wed
hope to get some editorial support from local
newspapers and magazines.
otW: What encouraged you to do it?
s: I come from a background of drug abuse
and have struggled with orthodox methods
of therapy for years ... I got a bit of an attitide
towards it and would always relapse. I was
trying drug therapies as late as 2005 butended up in jail ... I was fed up with dry
houses and needed some kind of outlet - I
was happy speaking to people one on one,
but became paranoid in groups. I joined a
little footy club in Bristol, and I found I was
always looking forward to the game ... every
Friday night. This became my therapy - it was
better for me than sitting in groups and being
inactive ... especially as I didnt really want to
be there. I moved around a bit and ended up
in Bath and joined DHI. I got the DHI footy
club off the ground and, after meeting with
other organisations and drop-ins around the
city, it ourished. We had a little trouble with
all the red tape you have to wade through -
like referrals - but with people just leaving
numbers and me doing the organising we got a
good turnout. We had regular games at Percys
Boy Club and a few other places, but we had a
few problems with bookings and the like ...
otW:What activities do you want to offer at
the centre?
s: Ive always wanted to offer a wide variety of
activities, wherever I am, and when I was with
DHI I tried to get a golf club off the ground.
We got quite a long way down the road with
the pitch and putt course at the top of Victoria
Park - its run by a charity. The people at
Entry Hill were very helpful and keen which
gave me hope for the future of my own group.
Id like to get football, golf, netball and maybefooty for girls off the ground to start with ...
then if all goes to plan, Id love to introduce
rock climbing down the portway in Bristol,
maybe canoeing ... basically whatever people
want. I think wed try and canvass individuals
when we go around local organisations
talking about the project.
otW: Have you got a place for your centre?
s: Pretty much - though were having some
problems at the moment. Its a church over
by Great Pulteney Street, and they are verykeen to be involved with the project. Again,
Ive got a little bogged down with the red
tape, as theres some complication with
charity numbers at the moment ... I think it
will sort itself out, but I am looking at some
alternative options as well.
otW: Would you charge for anything?
s: We wouldnt charge for any of the activities
... we would have a provision for donations for
those who had the means to pay though.
otW: How often would the activities be
available?
s: As often as possible, but we would try and
have as much going on over the weekends as
possible.... I appreciate weekends are really
important times for those individuals with a
drug or alchohol background and - as I said
earlier - its important to keep occupied ...
its over the weekend that most users and
ex-users tend to relapse ...
otW: How would you staff the project?
s: I think we would all be volunteers to start
with - theres a lot of positive feedback from
members of the church - theres accountants -
all sorts, and lots of them would have the skills
that will help the project. We would have to
have some paid staff if it picks up and I think
that would be the long-term plan anyway.
otW: Is there any pressure for you to go to
church, given your strong ties with them?
s: No, absolutely not, they dont force any
churchy stuff on me ...
otW: Whats your name for the project and
how do you plan to reach people with your
message?
s: Still thinking about that, but any thoughts
the readers of Off The Wall have will be
greatly appreciated ...
otW: Any other thoughts?
s: Yeah - although its a pain at the moment
because we have this big delay - which is pretty
complicated - its given me time to think about
stuff and also to get some things sorted out
that I might have suffered for a bit later. Its
given me a chance to look at the big picture
... to step away from it all, get some breathing
space and it also means I can probably ne
tune my plans and hopefully end up with a
better project and a better deal for those who
choose to use it. Ive made some in-roads with
some local people who have the inuence to
make these kind of things happen and Im in
no doubt it will happen, we just need a bit of
luck and a lot of enthusiasm.
id k g fba, gf,ba ad mab f fr grff grd ar w...
22
Far: New Community Sports Centre
8/6/2019 Off The Wall Issue 13
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A supportive And informAtive femAle only
group covering the issues thAt mAtter to you.
interested or unsure pleAse come Along
relAtionshipsproblem solving
guest speAkersheAlthy eAting
self cAresupport
Womens groupdomestic violencesexuAl heAlth confidence
Activitiesrefreshmentsevery tuesdAy 10.30 12.00
Dhi s pleased toannounce tat bypopular demand, te...
art groupisback!The all new12 week programme starts on Monday 16th February 11am 1pm.
Ask your key-worker to refer you as soon as possible.
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