Brick Lane

Boredom dot com…

by Pete, 28th August 2020
(Unseen Tour’s very own Brick Lane tour guide)

Five months! Five months! WOW!

Yes, you can guess what I mean by those exclamations, can’t you? Well, the last time I actually conducted a tour of my beloved Brick Lane was in March. The cash shortage has been an issue, of course, although the much more pressing issue for me, and I can guess for a lot of you other people, has been BOREDOM! Hence the title of this little ditty.

Well, how have we overcome the “world’s second worst crime, boredom”?, as Sir Cecil Beaton put it (the worst crime in the world, of course is, “being a bore”).

I can only speak for myself of course on this, but I can surmise that this will also apply to many of you reading this, I have become an internet junkie! Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and all the zillions of other social networking sites that have taken over our lives in the last few years.

Pete's Brick Lane tour

Looking ahead

When I have managed to tear myself away from my phone I’ve been walking around – on the rare occasions I’ve been outside – and run into friends who have asked me about what it’s like to be homeless and I ask why do you want to know?

A majority of people I know are musicians or work in the hospitality industry, or both, and they are worried about what the future holds. Some have asked if there are any jobs at Unseen Tours! 

I say to them that it will not come to them being homeless and that they should be OK. I say this mainly to alleviate any fears, though of course, homelessness can happen to almost anyone. As I mentioned above, a lot of people are in a precarious position work-wise and they now see that for themselves.

Brick Lane street art - father and daughter

Looking back

When asked about my experience of homelessness I always say to people that it’s how you, as an individual, handle the situation. Of course it’s difficult to manage emotionally and mentally during a breakdown of a person’s lifestyle, although family and financial problems add to this, it takes a mental strength to handle these pressures.

Personally, I found this strength through squatting with friends and joining this community. This approach may not be right for everybody of course, as I said, each individual has to find their own way of “coping”.

Pete, Brick Lane Tour Guide

Unseen Tour’s place in these uncertain times

That got me thinking about the future of Unseen Tours. What if people don’t think that they can come to London and take our tours?

I truly believe that Unseen Tours, which was the brainwave of 2 ladies 10 years ago, is a great thing to be a part of and that we offer sights and conversations that no other tour operator offers.

That’s what’s caused the boredom for me, the lack of interaction with people, whether they be friends or visitors. One of the biggest delights I get from my job is what I would call “teaching” people about the area and the great historical significance of Brick Lane and its environments.

BOREDOM!

There’s that word again! It’s been an issue for a while now and I know a VERY good way to deal with it… come on my tour! I’m sure we will get rid of it at least for a couple of hours!