The Walk: For Richer, For Poorer.

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A great documentary about the wealthy and those much less well off, living side-by-side in London.

The Walk: For Richer, For Poorer - BBC Sounds

Source BBC Radio 4.
Journalist Cole Moreton walks across the London Borough of Kensington in a revealing series of real-life encounters that build and tell a story like a drama. From a food hall to a food bank, he goes into the homes, shelters and multi-million pound apartments of the men and women who are surviving - or thriving - as inequality grows.

Life expectancy drops dramatically, wages are slashed and property prices fall through the floor in just a few miles, but the encounters with rich and poor along the way are unexpected, moving, heart-breaking and at times inspirational. This surprising, spell-binding programme asks the question so many are asking - how can we live like this?

This documentary was recorded using binaural microphones placed inside the sound recordist's ears. Binaural recording accurately recreates the sound of being in the location itself, with sounds appearing to move in three dimensions around the listener. To experience The Walk in this aural "3D", please listen in headphones.
 
I don't consider myself wealthy but I saw some pretty worrying things last week in our local town.

I needed to drop the Mrs and pick her up later in the week at the train station, I also had to run a couple of errands in town itself.

The station is a truly unpleasant place, on dropping her off I saw several smackheads just lurking about looking pathetic, at pick up time the uneasiness increased tenfold in the dark. One guy was walking about shouting random nonsense, a girl was picking up fag buts outside the hotel bar and another dodgy looking **** was tapping my window asking for money.

Town itself has many homeless, I gave money to the first one, the next few were sleeping, I had no change for the next one who was incredibly polite and friendly.

It's easy, for me, to get wrapped up in my own bubble where by staying local I can simple not see what goes on in less salubrious parts.
 
My favourite medium is radio and that was a good programme.
 
I don't consider myself wealthy but I saw some pretty worrying things last week in our local town.

I needed to drop the Mrs and pick her up later in the week at the train station, I also had to run a couple of errands in town itself.

The station is a truly unpleasant place, on dropping her off I saw several smackheads just lurking about looking pathetic, at pick up time the uneasiness increased tenfold in the dark. One guy was walking about shouting random nonsense, a girl was picking up fag buts outside the hotel bar and another dodgy looking **** was tapping my window asking for money.

Town itself has many homeless, I gave money to the first one, the next few were sleeping, I had no change for the next one who was incredibly polite and friendly.

It's easy, for me, to get wrapped up in my own bubble where by staying local I can simple not see what goes on in less salubrious parts.




I don't think most would consider themselves wealthy, because they are used to what they have, which is accumulated usually gradually, but if I look back to when I was a young man, I know I would be very happy if I could see into the future at where I am now. But I don't consider myself wealthy.

People who aren't lucky enough to have a reasonable standard of living, will look at those better off and consider them either wealthy or lucky.

Does the chap in the documentary who gave away £30 million when he was 21 think he is wealthy? Possibly not, compared to some people he knows.

Giving to beggars? I do give to beggars and generously too. £1, 2, £5, £10 or on the odd occasion £20. So what?
I know some will say that they will only spend it on booze or drugs, but if they are genuinely hard up/homeless and the booze or drugs will take away their misery for 8, hours, or stop them prostituting themselves, I consider it a donation of great worth.

I once did something that most would say was way over the top. I knew it was OTT, but I couldn't help but put a smile on an old haggard face.
She was in a wheel chair, and I stopped to let her cross the road.
I was in my Range Rover and had just been to buy some seats to get comfortable in my A6.
The seat deal didn't happen, I had the cash in my wallet and after letting the women cross and driving on 20 yards, I had stopped and was out of the car and gave her the seat money.
I didn't do it so that I might go to heaven, I did it because she was old, in a wheelchair, hardly any teeth, dressed in basic gear and looked like she had been p!ssing against the wind from day one.
She didn't know how much was there, but said she could now pay the hostel rent? Would I do it again? Probably not that amount...

I didn't tell anyone before posting this. That wouldn't be right, somehow. It was just something I did for her (and me?)
At least she had a pot to p!ss in for the next few days.

One of the things I told my children on several occasions was that when you have the flu or toothache, imagine having the ailment and being homeless and quite possibly in a poor mental state etc. etc. and how horrible that must be.


That said, the guy who gave away the £30 million wasn't exactly happy at that time in his life...

Health is wealth as they say.
 

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