The curtains left there are the squattersโ cheap replacements. Originals gone - either sold or theyโve destroyed them. I suspect sold as its hard to imagine they would have neatly disposed of anything they threw out.
The carpet they removed was at the side of the unit. The side was filled with so much garbage and sludge and filth, so many used syringes and needle caps and indescribable garments, that The Blind Factory installers let me know it had to be cleared before they could install the final two window screens and final door screen. They contacted me day before yesterday to give me the excellent news that theyโd be installing in the morning (yesterday), but I had no chance to do any clearing with appointments throughout the day.
Soโฆ yesterday morning off we went. I also had to obtain extra sharps containers and needle-resistant gloves. The fellow doing the installing called me en route to tell me another 10 squatters were inside. He tossed them out for me.
I set to with the clean-up. Installer did two doors and two windows, then left to return later. I managed (with much huffing and puffing and mumblings of disgust and despair) to drag the carpet out to the front; it kept catching on the brickwork and extrusions, and it was HEAVY and disgusting.
Then copious bending and picking up with gloves and more disgusted mutteringsโฆ Broken glass, endless spoons, rotten remnants of take-out, flies and insectsโฆ Nine huge bags of rubbish carried to the front of the property, and no general rubbish bin in sight. The recycling and garden waste bins had been filled by the squatters at some point, but not with recyclables or garden stuff.
Half-filled sharps container. Iโve no doubt there are more syringes that I just havenโt spotted, not to mention whatโs inside.
It wrecked me. My back is singing Turandot in full volume of agonyโฆ Rest of body singing alongโฆ and I am dreading the clean-up inside. But I realise that I need to get one of those claw things that pick up rubbish without requiring any bending. I may try to line up a couple of friends to see if they could help once the water is back on, but Iโm reluctant to subject friends to this atrocious situation. The more I think about it, the more selfish it seems.
Remaining Crimsafe is all done. Iโm indescribably relieved.
Oh, and I had to stop mum again and again from getting out of the car to help. She mimed picking up rubbish and I kept saying โNo no no, itโs not safe! Have this sandwich and drink! Have this chocolate!โ
Just as the installer finished, two druggies came down the lane and made as if to enter the concrete/yard area through the gate. I said โNo, you canโt go in. Itโs all blocked with Crimsafe.โ One of them agitatedly and angrily wanted to insist, demanded to know if there was anyone in there. I said it was going to take me a lot of time and trouble to clean it up as it looked and smelled worse than a pigsty. He became very offensive, shouting that he should be able to go in if no one was using it, and making weird crude comments concerning his genitalia, spat at me (although only a bit reached my hand), and was still angry when he moved on.
I had antiseptic wipes with me, thankfully.
