Arcadia England

By Rachel Epstein

The air is thicker here, echoing condensed river mist that clings to the bricks like a soggy hand gasping for safety—for survival. The scent of urine mixes with birds that sleep in dried sweat. Rich wind rips off the Thames and sends its grip to the deepest bone with a chill that reeks of permanence, but also hope. It is opaquely gray, like a scene from an old movie with scratches on the undeveloped film. This is a special place amongst the grandiose refinement of British history and elitism. Here, beneath Waterloo Bridge, there’s a strange acknowledgment of safety for the homeless who turn the space into a living room. But this is obvious; there’s safety in numbers, but there’s also safety in feeling at home.

We’ve walked to this barren place from Temple Park at Embankment, where our tour guide, Viv, lived on the southern most bench with her partner from 1999-2002—an upgrade from her bridge jetté. Still, I wonder if the park, with its intrusive panoptic exposure to passers-bye is really much of an improvement. Viv doesn’t give us much room to connect to this space. She jumps quickly to the ghost stories of the surrounding area. But how could we connect? When a public area transitions to a private cell, there’s little room for such an invasion. Besides, as Viv begins, it’s easier to listen to the history of the Temple area of London than the history of poverty, especially on a tour led by a previously homeless guide. 

Unseen Tours is an award-winning company that provides a historical approach to tourist-centered London led by the homeless people who once endured its bitter streets. Focusing on areas like Covent Garden, London Bridge, Camden and others, Unseen Tours provides a unique perspective on the city from the invisible residents that likely know the streets best. It is a gritty exposé, showcasing voices filled with honesty, pain and intrigue. But it is also a fascinating look at stereotypes we’ve created of vagrants and vagabonds and the reality, as Viv says, “that nobody chooses to be homeless. 

Viv is the kind of woman you smell before you see. Deep stained ochre teeth line tar-pit rotted gums and I can’t help but wonder if life on the streets hurt her body or her mind more. She’s bone-thin, with sunken cheeks that might have developed earlier than most. Perhaps from hunger or stress or maybe both. But she’s colorful. Rich florals. Loud mono-chromatic plaid. Gemstones. Elements of five outfits thrown into one and I begin to imagine that she was the princess of these streets.

Back under the bridge, Viv affirms my fantasy. “I built myself a posh little palace out of wooden panels I got from behind the Savoy,” she says with strange pride whilst chuckling out of one side of her cigarette stained mouth. “I had a little bedroom and a kitchen.” Here, Viv lets us in a on what seems like a secret: she’s earned a degree in nursing in Denmark. But that’s not all. Viv speaks Norweigan, Danish, Swedish and English. She’s as semantic as she is selfless—it’s refreshingly impressive.

Pulling from ghost stories, statues, and architecture, Viv’s tour combines a rich knowledge of English history and literature with modern-day happenings around London. We walked fairly far in the 90 minutes allotted, following her path along the River Thames from Temple Park, to Waterloo bridge, and ending seamlessly in the heart Covent Garden.

Unseen Tours reveals the unwritten code of London’s street dwellers with schismatic interludes of valuable historic lessons. Viv’s skill as a guide pushes the boundaries of societal prejudices against the homeless all in under two hours. Part way through our walk, Viv says, “I’m not the type of person to stay quiet. I pipe up! Say ‘oi’!” Beyond a doubt, piping up is something Viv and Unseen Tours has mastered.