There’s a theory in London that it takes on different a character depending on things happening. It may be a crime wave, or a blazing hot summer, and it leads to a new definition of what it means to live. It won’t last but it sticks around in people’s minds. It’s a sort of lived experience.
The times when I had to rifle predominantly through its housing districts is one I won’t forget. It was a difficult time to be sure. I knew that living inside your own accommodation was a tough ask for many in other parts of the country, but I didn’t expect to see it in our capital city.
The reality is people cause problems but it’s not often known who it is at the time. It may be a burglar that rifles through hundreds of homes in a week, or a spate of as many arson attacks. The reality in housing is it’s often crime fighting which matters, not conflict resolution.