As the poor got poorer, local councils were inspired to think about the optics of people dying alone in unheated homes during the chilly winters. Small grants enabled local organisations with free space to keep their heating on and invite local people to come in and warm up, sometimes offering soup and sandwiches as part of their welcome to the heat hub.
People certainly benefitted from the warmth, and they also met other people. For some this went no further than the chat and the bingo. For others it presented opportunities to establish some common ground: to build solidarity.
‘It’s always the poorest that suffer. Think about Covid and the people who struggled the most then. And go back to the 1995 heatwave in Chicago when hundreds of people died in the heat.’
‘We could do with a heatwave here, It’s been bloody freezing for weeks.’
‘Yeah, but in Chicago it was the poorest that died of too much heat – the old, poor, black and so on. The energy costs of keeping cool were way beyond them. Just like us with the energy prices through the roof and pensions still in the cellar.’
‘So what are you saying? We can’t go on strike for lower gas bills can we?’
At that point, a pair of youngsters wrestled their way through the door with a large case looking very scared.
‘Get yourselves in and warmed up. What’s the case for? Have you left home?’
Dougie and Gemma were glad of the warm drink and started to tell their story.
‘We just put our washing in the launderette and went for a walk along the lane..’
‘In this weather? You must be bloody insane..’
‘Anyway, this car, doing a fair speed, nearly knocked us over. We were on the side of the road and these big men jumped out and started chucking crates and bags over a hedge. Then took off at 200 miles an hour. A few seconds after, a police car was speeding after them. Then another.’
This was very exciting news.
’So, after they all sped off, we got over the hedge and one of the crates had been smashed. Guns everywhere and some metal things. We unzipped one of the bags, it had money in it. Some foreign, some funny coins, some fifty pound notes. We stuffed what we could in the case and thought we’d better take it to the police. Passing here a sign said, “welcome, come in and get warm”. So we did. What should we do now?’
‘Well the police will have to give the money back to the government, so for a start you could use some to give people here their cold weather money the government took away. After that you could share it around the local charities that help people out. Shove it through their letterboxes.’
‘ Good plan, then tip the police off about the crates. It’s almost a victimless crime. And don’t forget to collect your washing.’
