Viva Brighton Issue #74 April 2019

INTERVIEW
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MYbrighton: Joe Henderson
Street Cleaner
Are you local? I consider myself local to Sussex
as I was born in Eastbourne but now live in
Seven Dials, just round the corner from where
my nan had a flat in the 80s. I’ve also lived in
Seaford and Oslo.
What do you do? My ID badge says I’m a
Street Cleaner but sometimes I use the older
term ‘Road Sweeper’. Basically, I keep the public
footpaths tidy and litter-free whilst making
friends with the local cats. The seasons dictate
my workload, whether it’s natural detritus from
the trees, animal waste, dust or bits of flotsam
that wash up from general human activity. I’ve
been studying philosophy at the Free University
Brighton (who are based at City Clean depot)
for the last few years so I spend these days
meditating on Phenomenology. It can be a
punishing job but there is a Zen-like quality to
repetitive actions like sweeping.
How does being a Road Sweeper affect how
you perceive Brighton? I notice little things
like the humming paving slabs outside the
electricity plant on Spring Gardens, seagulls
doing a rain-dance in the park (they sometimes
do yoga too) or the strange drone emanating
from the Clock Tower intersection. For a long
time I’ve had a curiosity about street furniture
– street lamps, abandoned phone boxes, esoteric
road signs and markings – the ‘equipment’ of
urban places. During major road works I’m
reminded of what’s underground, hidden, but
essential. The job I do is not for everyone, but
there is a sense of camaraderie, diligence and a
necessary love of the outdoors within the crew
that is priceless.
What do you like about Brighton? The sense
of anonymity can be refreshing. I like being a
little fish in a big pond. It’s still a small world,
and you can’t get completely lost (although
many do, there’s a lot of runaways in this town)
but it has a transient nature which is what makes
all the community projects and compassion in
the city so important and special. We are in a
UNESCO Biosphere region which recognises
the unique geography of marine, urban and
Downland. The texture of the climate and the
soundscape of seagulls is a constant reminder
of its coastal nature, which is comforting if you
have grown up near the sea and find yourself in a
new city like I did when I first moved here.
Whilst central Brighton can get hectic you can
always get on a bus and escape (the National
Trust have actually funded the number 77 bus
to Devils Dyke for this reason). There are also
parallels with San Francisco, even more so with
the tech work going on at Sussex Uni. In the
future Brighton may become ‘Little Silicon
Valley’, and where the Victorian pleasure town
clashes with AI and VR is anyone’s guess. I’m
keeping an open mind.
What don’t you like about Brighton? The
cost of living is astronomical. And ‘No pets
allowed’.
When did you last swim in the sea? A few
years ago in Seaford. It’s usually deserted on the
beach, even in summer. Last year I discovered
The Pells outdoor pool in Lewes. It’s the oldest
in the UK. Brighton buses are linked up to both
these towns.
Interview by Joe Fuller
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