I think it's all been said

No I agree with you one hundred at 20 per cent

Well I feel that I have to report that I've not heard anything back after my email to The Big Issue offices, not that I really expected anything anyway, but just thought I'd keep you all informed.

However, that's not to say if anyone/everyone else sends an email to them something might happen - mailto:vendor.comments@bigissue.com

There are some valid viewpoints being expressed on all sides of the debate. .
It's great that FH is making some improvements but it's also fair to say it's not all good and I've sometimes noticed a tendency on here (perhaps understandable) to play down the more negative aspects.
But it is a public forum and everyone has a right to report back on things they've observed.

Still there this morning harrassing bona fida shoppers.
As I mentioned originally the Big Issue is why is she there

but what can we do about it? seems as if everyone has tried, I feel so sorry for her, she is obviously been used

Aren't we going round in circles now? If anyone's concerned, email the Big Issue. Otherwise...

amen to that

I do remember the older women being pretty pro-active in selling the b.i but the younger one, she's 26, just sits there against the railings. I have also seen this mysterious guy who always wears a manky leather jacket take money off her but the second time I saw it I was quite drunk and me and my mate took the money back off him ( there was on a rough guess ?20) and gave it back to her. We threatened to give him a kicking and he scurried off but when we came out of the tesco's garage we saw her handing the money over to him and she didn't seem scared or anything. I think he holds on to it for her in case someone tries to rob her but it still has a sinister edge to it.

noble gentleman when drunk lol, Mr Robin Hood. Well done

noble gentleman when drunk lol, Mr Robin Hood. Well done

...except they are a Romanian family who work together selling the BI so all that this will have achieved is to make them feel more and more alienated, probably frightened, and susceptible to theft themselves. Anyone making enquiries of the Big Issue head office and vendor support department will find this out for themselves. Its apparently quite common and acceptable for Eastern Europeans to share pitches in this way and the taking off of money on a regular basis is done so that sellers themselves are not victims of robbery. The only thing that is ' sinister' is that some people feel no compunction about threatening these people with a good kicking and even dare to brag about it on here.

roz, I wasn't bragging and was slaughtered at the time but I respect your critisizm of my actions. I was only concerned for her well being and thought she was being robbed because I have seen the aforementioned man act physically aggresive to her on more than one occasion so I intervened. I hope this has cleared this up. Also how do you know so much about them?

Surely the crux of the matter is the Big issue is for the homeless. She is generally well presented as is the older lady, looks reasonably clean and well kept, and no one, to the best of my knowledge has seen her sleeping rough - so using this as very loose criteria to evaluate if someone is homeless (not very scientific I know!) I would be surprised if they were homeless therefore they should not be selling the BI - unless homelessness is no longer a pre-requisit. So the BI needs to investigate.

Maybe we should set up a vigilante team or get the Big Issue to brand their sellers. Ah this takes me back to around three years ago when we used to enjoy many a conversation about this sort of thing, before Voldemort got a bit silly and had to be thrown out. He seems to have been reincarnated as Ooperlooper.

This person still there and anoying me. I cannot even reconise the words Big Issue from her utterances.
Many Sainsbury employees have agreed with me.
She does not give Nectar points with her dreaded BI.

Thought we'd seen the last of this thread....

And what's her dreaded BI? Does she have a threatening metrosexual companion?

Wow, to put a positive spin on a discussion that was becoming rather ugly, it's great to see that there are people who are passionate about our neighbourhood and what is happening to it!

The BI seller is the least of our problems, she will do what she does as long as it works for her- some people clearly respond to her approach.
I've lived in FH for the 23 of the last 30 years and mourn the 'village' it used to be. However IMHO, I would prefer the commutersville that the EL line and current developments are currently bringing, i.e. restaurants/coffee shops/estate agents etc. to prevail over the ghettoish Peckham/Woolwich Mark 2 that appears to be the alternative.

Hello, been following what you have all said with much interest.

Have been in the park today and was chatting to a good friend who is also a member (but has forgotten his log in!) and we discussed this posted thred. He had a little bit to add so I said I would put this one onto the post on his behalf.

He was in the Sainsburys at Sydenham this week and saw the older of the 2 women and the man get out of a newish black BMW and go shopping.

As an aside they also paid to have the car washed.

Make of this what you will.

I did not see this myself and am making no comment, just passing on some information.

Cheers all. Good to see a bit of local passion ! Shame about the pool, was looking forward to the Victorian frontage being refurbished.

wow

Lets stop talking and do something, its a shame

Do The Big Issuee release information about how many copies their vendors sell (and hence income)?