Mile End crying bum
Outside Budgens (I see a pattern emerging here) there used to be the infamous "Mile End Crying Bum". He looked pretty young, although it was hard to tell under all those levels of grime - maybe he'd been kicked out of my uni and been driven to snivelling on the streets.

He'd kneel by the doors until Budgens closed - you'd never see him at night on your way to the tube station - and cry. Cry, wail, shriek, snivel etc but never say a word; he would just extend his grubby hand in your general direction. As naive Freshers new in London, people would often take pity on him and drop him some change - until you saw him striding purposefully down Mile End, no crying, no limping, and obviously with money. Crafty bugger. There used to be a Facebook group - "I'll give you something to cry about, Mile End Crying Bum" - but I can't find it.

Also, there used to be another tramp who used to lurk ominously in the arched doors on the weird church near Budgens. I don't think he and Mile End Crying Bum got on very well. However, on the plus side, he looked like Seasick Steve.
(meowmix is a voodoo child, Fri 3 Jul 2009, 11:16, Reply)