No Fixed Abode: A Journey Through Homelessness from Cornwall to London

by Charlie Carroll

In the summer of 2011, Charlie found the school he taught at could not afford to renew his teaching contract. With no job and no money, but suddenly all the time in the world, he decided to travel from Cornwall to London in a peculiarly old-fashioned, quintessentially English and remarkably cheap way – as a tramp, on foot, sleeping rough. The journey was filled with colour, surprise and danger, and a range of memorable encounters – from Stan who once saved a boy from being raped but whose homelessness stemmed from a paralysing addiction, to Ian, who lived in a tent on Parliament Square. With a striking mix of travel and current affairs writing, No Fixed Abode sheds light on a side of the UK few ever see from within.

Genres: Nonfiction, Travel, Autobiography, Walking

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Charlie Carroll grew up in a small Cornish village. He left to study English and Philosophy at the University of Nottingham and, despite going on to live and travel in various countries around the world, always found himself returning to Cornwall. He is the author of one novel, The Lip (2021), and three non-fiction books: The Friendship Highway (2014), No Fixed Abode (2013) and On the Edge (2010). He has twice won the K Blundell Trust Award for 'writers under 40 who aim to raise social awareness with their writing', wrote the voice-over for the TV series Transamazonica (2017), and is one of the Kindness of Strangers storytellers.

Reviews

[Jason · Rating 4 out of 5]

This authors hero is George Orwell and his book "Down and out in Paris and London" sort of inspired Charlie to go on this journey tramping from Cornwall to London sleeping rough every night.

Charlie gives a very honest account of his experiences, he admits that he does not fully commit and has his lifelines to safety by having money and a couch to sleep if needed, his reason for this is he has no need to beg got get proper help when there are those out there who would miss out because of that. I understand this but it is a shame he didn't commit himself as fully as Orwell.

The results of Charlie's rough sleeping are very similar to Orwells, you spend most of your time paranoid, fearing the public, drunkards and other homeless people, but the worst seems to be the boredom, having nothing to do all day long, every day. The only real changes over the years is you can stay in one place, in Orwell's time they try to keep you moving, you are not allowed to come back to one place for help within a month, these days you can keep going back for help.

Some organisations are doing some fantastic work for the homeless but these are very few, there need to be more organisations out there helping the homeless rebuild their lives.

All in all a brilliant read, it loses a star as the walk seems to have been rushed, he doesn't seem to spend much time enjoying the areas he was walking in, I have walked in a few of the areas and they were stunning, but Charlie had his head down and was focusing on getting to his destination.

Blog post here> https://felcherman.wordpress.com/2018...

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carroll had come to the end of his teaching contract and no immediate prospects of a job in the new term. Inspired by Down And Out in Paris and London, he decides that he will walk from Cornwall to London, as a tramp. Partly to cure his itchy feet and wanderlust, but also to write about the modern plight of the homeless.

So with a small amount of cash, a sleeping bag and a stove, and leaving his wife behind, he walks from his home to Sennen Cove and then begins his journey to London. His first major town is Newquay. With his scruffy clothes and unkempt appearance, he starts to pick up on the negative vibes from those he approaches, and he starts to feel nervous about his first night out alone. He is fine thankfully, but Carroll does start to get an impression of exactly the fears that homeless people cope with every day.

He passes uneventfully through Devon to Bristol. In this city he learns that even though there is more opportunity and money available, he is very much alone with the Bristol homeless unwilling to let him know their sleeping haunts. And now the threats are much increased, not only from drunks coming home from the pub, but from other homeless people. After one frankly terrifying incident he decides it is time to move onto London.

London poses a whole new set of challenges. He stays free with a friend for a week on the couch, before taking the plunge and moving out onto the streets. He meets Boris Johnson and asks him about homeless before managing to grab a long talk with Jeremy Paxman of all people. Finding somewhere safe is really hard, and he suffers a couple of nights with out sleep on the Strand. He stays with the people protesting in Parliament square, before moving onto St Paul's and the Occupy London movement. With events now becoming more perilous he decides to call it a day.

All through the book Carroll is honest to the homeless and the police and care workers about what he is doing and why he is doing it, and whilst he does have the choice to pull out when it suits, an option not available to a lot of people he meets. There are situations and stories that he recounts in here that are chilling and frightening; some of which happen to him and the stories from the homeless that he befriends.

The question that he posed at the beginning of his journey was what is is like to be homeless in the 21st century, and as he says at the end, being homeless is abominable. The threats are terrible, and no one would choose this if they can help it.

I found this to be an eyeopener, you know at the back of your mind that this is an incredibly tough life, but just how tough, coupled with the fear is another level above what I thought.

[Samantha Jose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explores a side of our society that people rarely think or talk about.
He explores places that most people would not voluntarily enter. This book is sensitive and allows you to feel as if you are taking this dangerous journey while you remain in the safety and comfort of your home (or wherever you choose to read.)

I would recommend this book to anyone with an open mind.

[David Highton · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are really two distinct sections to this book - traversing the country as a twenty first century tramp; and living homeless in London for six weeks, including two sites with a tent. The first section from Cornwall to London was interesting but slightly rushed from Bristol to London. The section in London raised the plight of rough sleepers in London well, with the fear and anxiety.

[Diana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Earlier this year I read Orwell's famous work on tramps and itinerant workers Down and Out in Paris and London. It was at once fascinating, funny, and depressing. Inspired by Orwell and others, Charlie Carroll researched and authored No Fixed Abode in an attempt to revisit the subject of tramps in the 21st century. With just £150 on him, a sleeping bag, and a small camping stove Carroll tramps his way from Cornwall to London over several months. It's a trip that starts with sleeping in dunes along the coastal path and ends in the noisy and dangerous streets of London. Carroll admits that he can never truly feel what it's like to be homeless because he has a home to return to at the end of his project, but he tries to get a sense of what it's like and he gets to know many people who live on the streets.

There are a few themes that I noticed in the book. First is the vulnerability of living on the street. Carroll rarely gets a good night's sleep because he is often on edge thinking that a group of drunk kids or someone with malicious intentions might come across him and beat him up just for fun. He describes one such situation in London where he wakes up to screams and witnesses a group of drunk youths kick a homeless man in the face. Many long-term homeless that he encounters turn to drink in part to enable them to get to sleep at night.

When he reaches cities and decides to stay for a few days, Carroll finds that his waking hours are full of boredom. As a homeless person with no address he can't get a library card, so he has nothing to read to pass the time. At one point he asks a passing person to give him something to read and they give him a newspaper which is grateful for. I thought this was an interesting observation that I'd never thought of. It appears that there is one mobile library for the homeless in London, but more could be opened in order to improve the quality of life for those without an address.

There has always been a problem coming up with a definition for words like tramp. People who society has defined as homeless or tramping often refuse to be classified. Carroll runs into several people who fight against the term "homeless" and instead say they are just living life on the move. There are such negative connotations with the words describing homelessness (tramp, hobo, bum, etc), that it's no wonder people reject these labels. In the final chapter Carroll recounts an incident in a class he teaches where he asks a teenage student to describe homelessness. The student ends up giving a speech about his negative views on the subject ending with "The homeless have nothing and they have nothing because they do nothing."

I vacillated as to whether to give this book 3 or 4 stars. Overall I found it to be quite eye-opening and readable, though I do think it lost a bit of focus once Carroll arrived in London. The first half of the book he is on the move making his way to London and he writes of his travels and his experiences living with no fixed abode. When he arrives in London he often has problems finding a place to sleep and finally ends up turning to tent cities associated with protests. Once he starts living in these the tents he seems write less about homelessness and more about the interactions between the others living in the protest areas. Although I was interested in the goings on at these protests it just seemed to make the book lose a bit of momentum.

Even so, I think this book is very interesting and it's worth reading for anyone who lives in a big city with a homeless population. It certainly gave me a new perspective on the issue. I will look for more of Carroll's books.

[Nigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an interesting read of how someone, with all the homely comforts the large majority of us take for granted in a 1st world country. how they tried to be a homeless person, a tramp, and experience the sometimes very harsh realities of such an existence, as that word better describes how the many homeless people live. It's written not as a hard hitting story to upset or make you angry, but more to make you reconsider your own life and how you view those you see on the streets and those you don't 'see' or pretend not too see.

[Roland Marchal · Rating 3 out of 5]

An honest attempt to get a feel for being homeless. He is honest with other 'dossers' when spending time with them and the result is a very readable narrative. Not too many surprises or revelations about being homeless and he comes clean about seeking creature comfort when the going looks uneasy. Most of the interesting stuff take place amongst the London homeless. What the book did do was spark an interest in homelessness generally and I will look out for titles of that ilk, most notable 'Down and Out in Paris and London.

[Emma Glaisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars because Carroll writes very honestly without an obvious agenda. The slightly depressing conclusion I came to by the end is that there will always be people who live without homes, and that as much support as possible should be offered to those who want to escape it, and equally to those who never will.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastically written account into "life on the streets". The detail and honesty portrayed here made fascinating reading and in all honesty, I will not look at a homeless person in the same way again. A huge eye opener.

[Sam · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great story, although I think it was a bit "cheating" at times with him frequently crashing on a friends couch.

Still, nice insight into the very real problem of homelessness.

[dean hirsch · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brave

A well written, interesting and brave journey giving the voiceless a voice. A subject we should read and think more about.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

First of all, I have to say I was somewhat disappointed when, as I started reading this, I find that Carroll is not actually homeless when he starts his journey as a tramp. That left me feeling a bit cheated, to be honest. Having said that, I enjoyed the book for what it was, a writer investigating homelessness in modern Britain. I always give money to rough sleepers when I can, and as a volunteer at our local foodbank, where we often get rough sleepers referred to us and have to try to make up a food parcel that needs no cooking and can be easily carried, I already had a great deal of sympathy for them. The book did, however, show a little bit of the fear and abject horror of sleeping rough on the streets of London. It is always good to be made to see a situation through the eyes of the person living it, to thus better understand their point of view.
I found it extremely annoying the way Carroll kept on about his accent "giving him away". As he had already alluded to the fact that all of us are closer to homelessness than we care to think about, it was irritating that his attitude suggested constantly that rough sleepers all speak with some sort of common or regional accent, as if no one who speaks "properly" would ever be on the streets.
I enjoyed the book, and will more than likely seek out more books by Carroll, and have also been inspired to read more by Orwell too.
One last thing, I did not know before reading this book that the term tramp referred to a specific type of person. Growing up, we always saw and spoke about tramps, and I thought it was just the word for a homeless person.

[Ian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very very good.. Found it very interesting and gave me another viewpoint and some further understanding.. Was interesting as there was a reference to Bournemouth, where I have worked in housing advice for 20 - years now. Yes of course the author wasn't actually hoemelss himself as he always had a home to go back too and a secret stash to pay for the journey back to cornwall but he tried to live it as much as possible and met some interesting characters. Despite me having worked in this area for years, the author gave me some new insights. The meeting with Boris and Paxman was interesting and threw some light on what I had been currently thinking about in respect of Johnson. Many thanks Charlie carroll

[Mick Meyers · Rating 4 out of 5]

An exceptional book to be read any time of the year more poignant as we relentlessly persue that great gift to merchandising called christmas.it started off with his self made pilgrimage towards London,then covers the time in the capital with people we would not necessarily cross the road to speak to.no cameras about to record as with Peter Owen Jones attempt at a simple thing.its not just the old and the ill who fall through the net,but the young and very young who go unaccounted for,this book attempts to give some of these people a voice and dignity.bravo to the author.

[eLwYcKe · Rating 4 out of 5]

A heroic failure from the outset, which is why I admire Mr.Carroll all the way, from Cornwall to London.
He did his best, wrote a great account of his tramping.....except he's not.
A tramp, that is. He admits it, too. But all those experiences along the way are tempered by the knowledge that he has a home. So he can't really understand, nor can most of us, of what the truly homeless experience.
Of the awareness that there is nowhere else to go.
Rootless, boundless, lost .
Even more important is his recognition that this cannot and mustn't be romanticized, it's not an exciting adventure.
But his account is a significant one.

[Paula Rooney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings about this book. Making yourself homeless to write a book is a bit odd. However the author never pretends he is doing anything else. It's an interesting insight into the world of homelessness from someone who has spent time on the streets, even if he did actually have a home to go back to.
If a book makes me think and I learn something it deserves a good rating. So I think 4* is fair.

[Catherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating.

At first,I thought that this was a very introspective story but I gradually got used to the writing style when Charlie reached London. He portrays the awfulness of it all with such clarity. I’m glad he went home though !

[shirley jill carroll · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good book. Well worth reading

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Elizabeth Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, truly amazing! I’ve learned so much from this book. Highly recommended for all readers!

[Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Living as a temporary tramp on his journey from Cornwall to London the author met a range of characters who had many reasons for being homeless. He found the experience daunting and impossible, only the knowledge of his home awaiting him when he chose kept him going. This book has given me a new perspective of homeless people; I found it thought provoking and well written.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

picked this up from our bookshelf at home not knowing what to expect and really enjoyed as the topic was unlike anything ive read before and had some interesting perspectives that made me appreciate what I have and everything the homeless have to consider

[Mark Glover · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you have ever walked through a pedestrian mall and had a look at the poor souls begging or sleeping rough at night and wondered how they got there then this is a book you should read. I personally think it is a book that everyone should read as it does what so few do, which is try to find answers for a question that seems beyond answering, the problem of homelessness.

First of all though, and I feel it is important to state this, this is not a record of true homelessness but rather an immersive exercise in which the author undertakes to live on the streets whilst undertaking a journey between Cornwall and London over the span of a few months. Carroll makes no bones about this, acknowledging that he has the choice to return home at any time or pick up a phone and opt out, a choice that sadly most of those he meets don't have. While some have criticised this as a kind of socio-economic tourism, the manner in which Carroll carries out his journey and the way in which he engages with the people he meets and empathises with them offers a far broader scope than someone just slumming it on the streets for a few months and then offering up sweeping statements and reasoning. Indeed if there is one thing that stands out about this book it is the way in which Carroll takes pains to point out the incredible complexity of the problems he encounters, as diverse as the people themselves and that there is simply no unilateral solution to this issue.

The book does however answer a lot of the questions that those with limited experience with the homeless ask themselves, such as why they cluster in cities rather than living in the wild(mostly to do with shelter, safety and access to food and health services) and why they can't just work with the system and get housed/employed. His findings as with the problems themselves are hard to read and even understand in some instances. One of the biggest revelations I found was that a lot of long term homeless choose to remain homeless, conditioned to a life on the streets despite the pitfalls and choosing to live a lifestyle of their own choosing rather than work with a system that is rigid in its ability to aid individuals. Indeed reading this book opens your eyes to just how important it is to help individuals out before they hit the streets rather than taking a wait and see if it sorts itself out approach.

The book is not a diatribe of bleakness and finger pointing solutions though and is as much a travel book as it is a social commentary something I felt helped with the flow of the story. Carroll invests time in describing each place he journeys to along the way, starting off with the relatively mild prospect of sleeping rough in Cornwall during the spring(actually tougher than he first conceived) to the frankly terrify prospect of sleeping rough in London. Along the way he meets various exemplars of the homeless, from those living rough due to mental health, drug and alcohol issues to those forced onto the streets by grim circumstance. With each person he meets he takes the time to know them and to understand the reasons they are on the street sketching them in a true light rather than trying to push an agenda. Each of these portraits are complex and sometimes disheartening, some of the people he meets are not imminently likeable or sympathetic in any light while others seemingly beg the question of why. As an exercise in journalistic investigation I can think of only one other book I have read which offered such a true insight into an issue, namely Alexander Masters, Stuart A Life Backwards. Much like Masters book, Carroll doesn't try and overreach with his conclusions, rather allowing the reader to decide for themselves by offering up a true insight into the people he meets. He also doesn't shy away from self criticism and expounding on his own prejudices and underlying fears, indeed a number of times he questions whether what he is doing has any intrinsic worth or whether it is just voyeurism. I think not, part of what makes this book so readable and successful in its aims is exactly these aspects of his writing. Had it been all confident solutions and sympathetic sketches of his journey it would have fallen flat. That he doubts his undertaking and offers a complex portrait of a very complex issue makes it seem all the more genuine to the reader.

While the book offers up few solutions itself, I feel it is a vital read for anyone who has ever encountered the homeless and questioned the reasoning and circumstance behind their homeless status. Certainly it will make you realise that empathy is perhaps the best thing we could offer as by engaging with the human being behind the huddled shell we may just offer a way back for some of them.

[Pamela · Rating 3 out of 5]

Inspired by his hero George Orwell, Charlie Carroll decides to experience the lifestyle of a tramp, walking from his home in Cornwall to London. He experiences the vulnerability, discomfort and sheer boredom of living on the streets. On the way, Charlie takes some time to talk to politicians, outreach workers and the homeless and other rough sleepers themselves, to assess the issues and obstacles facing the 21st century homeless.

This is an easy read, and Charlie writes about some interesting experiences that keep the reader involved in his journey. He is sympathetic but not sentimental about the homeless people he encounters, acknowledging that some of them can behave unpleasantly or even violently, and that adds depth to their stories. He makes a genuine attempt to understand the issues around modern homelessness, and his approach is well-structured.

The early chapters read like an alternative kind of travel writing, and these are the sections I enjoyed most. The later sections, when Charlie joins the Occupy London protesters, move away from this, and away from the premise of the Orwellian down and out into more political issues. They raise important questions, but are much less entertaining, despite some lively characters appearing.

Would recommend to anyone interested in one man's experiences of rough sleeping and in social and political issues in modern Britain.

[Carmen Thong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Compellingly written and gives a very clear look into the various states of homelessness that Charlie experienced, whether in small towns or big cities, on the sleeping queue or camouflaged within Tent City. Writes about homelessness without being sentimental or too information driven. He dabbles with interviews and the usual journalistic methods of understanding, but offers them up as fallible ways to understand what it is really like. Also very honest about his own advantages and his own comforts without being too self-indulgent - none of the pages and pages of self-contemplation and philosophizing. He keeps the focus on the issue. Whizzed through it in a day and am more sympathetic towards the everyday banality of homelessness, and yet also more informed about the facilities available to them.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

An interesting and enjoyable book in which Charlie Carroll walks from Cornwall to London, in order to experience life as a 'tramp'. I raced through it in a day. Although it doesn't quite work as a project, Carroll is at least entirely honest about its failings.
https://icannever.wordpress.com/2016/...

[Thejessicaness · Rating 4 out of 5]

Homeless people have the ability to spot someone out for a walk and some sidewalk camping in hopes of bringing more attention to their situation. It seems the help in place is doing what they can with those who accept the help; some are busy running from their past and deny re-entry into the system.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

good book depicting the realities of homelessness well written