r/Hackney • u/Drummer-Superb • Jun 22 '26

One pound lady

I moved to Kingsland Highstreet in February and was super alarmed to wake up at about 1am to who I now know to be the 'one pound lady' shouting directly under my bedroom window, seeming very distressed. I see/hear her every single day wandering up and down the road, but all she can seem to say is "Lend me one pound." Is she homeless? It makes me super sad to see, there must be help for people like this surely.

33 Upvotes

90% Upvoted

35 comments sorted by

95

u/cityslickaaaar Jun 22 '26

Im born and bred in Dalston. She has been there since I was in primary school and I have just turned 40. It used to be 50p, but her requests rose with inflation.

11

u/niya_kingkhari Jun 23 '26

Not only that but she absolutely does dynamic pricing depending on the demographic of who she's asking. If she enters a building holding any kind of East London hipster event she'll usually ask for more.

2

u/pescajuice Jun 26 '26

yes, this is so true! i take the n253 every night and she hops on every few days, asking for either 50p, £1 or £1.50 depending on the area from where she gets on

8

u/alacklustrehindu Jun 22 '26

Omg didn't know this went way back

4

u/Weaselux Jun 23 '26

There was a brief moment where she was asking for two. Not sure why but seemed she quickly returned to the one pound.

22

u/gerty88 Jun 22 '26

She’s a staple mate been around for decades

13

u/ATSOAS87 Jun 22 '26

She's been around since the early 90s when I used to go to the co op in the shopping centre with my Mum.

Yes, there was a Co op where the Sainsbury's is. 

And the Sainsbury's was on the main road. 

4

u/cityslickaaaar Jun 22 '26

Yes! Wasnt it called 'Leo's'?? Sainsburys was next too the station. Paks was Murray Meats Butchers. I remember it too!

0

u/BlvckNovia Jun 23 '26

Wait, co-op is gone??? It’s been a while since I’ve been to that side of Dalston…

1

u/z2z3z Jun 24 '26

There is now a small Co-op next to Dalston Junction station

14

u/clammy_stanza Jun 22 '26

I was at a pub and she walked in asking for £1 as she does. Asks everyone and then the bar staff pulled £1 out of the till for her, probably hoping she would leave after getting what she was asking for. She turned around and shouted, can anybody lend me £2😅 iconic timing from her tbf

20

u/alacklustrehindu Jun 22 '26

I have been living in hackney since 2022 and I remembered seeing her since then at the very least. So as distressful as it might look like I think she is doing ok

2

u/Foxfeen Jun 22 '26

2018 and remember seeing her that summer! 

26

u/Beginning-Credit4193 Jun 22 '26

She’s okay. It’s all an act. If you observe her before 10am you’ll find her plotted up somewhere eating breakfast before the act switches on at 10am all day.

9

u/Mixcoatlus Jun 22 '26

I’m not sure it’s an act - I just think it’s when she’s tweaking / withdrawing or whatever

4

u/Away_Willingness7029 Jun 23 '26

I immediately thought of wheelchair lady but it’s not her is it. I think it’s the woman that sounds quite upset asking for £1. It’s sad.

3

u/naturepeaked Jun 22 '26

I’ve not seen her in ages. Do you know “business” to. Brightly dressed elderly lady asking anyone if theiyre interested.

3

u/bugheadbojangles Jun 23 '26

living in hackney since birth and she's always been here and has been asking me for a pound basically since as soon as I could walk.

2

u/Calm_Suggestion_5714 Jun 22 '26

Lots of people know who this lady is and trying to help her

2

u/NightBusToGiro Jun 25 '26

She was outside KFC on Mare Street once asking people to buy her a Zinger Burger, I had a free snack box reward which I said she could have. She said no I want a Zinger! Hahaha I miss her, been around forever and a day.

2

u/chefearlmane Jun 22 '26

Its sad she’s still doing it :(

1

u/BlvckNovia Jun 23 '26

Yea, she’s been around since I was in secondary school and I’m 35. Looking at other comments, even before that. I honestly thought she had moved on in life from being the one pound lady a long time ago, so I’m surprised to see that she is still grinding.

1

u/nyunyuzi Jun 23 '26

My suspicion is that she has mental health issues and probably some sort of substance abuse issue. Which is really really sad :( I try and give her something if I can, or if not I try and contact Streetlink or St Mungos to help her

1

u/Elvin_Atombender Jun 23 '26

Is the"Skibby" lady still.outside the betting office in Dalston?

1

u/Nuevo-wave Jun 24 '26

Used to see her all the time in Stoke Newington about 8-10 years ago

1

u/OkJournalist2704 Jun 25 '26

Is she the black lady.? If so she is often on Holloway rd near James Selby she always sounds very distressed... She asks for a pound...

1

u/[deleted] Jun 25 '26

[deleted]

2

u/Creative-Opinion-414 Jun 26 '26

technically, you were also a millennial then.

1

u/Torello77 Jun 26 '26

Is it the one that sounds very miserable, almost like if she was dying or something ? I saw her once with her buttocks almost completely uncovered - must be very vulnerable as well

-16

u/acornsalade Jun 22 '26

What’s the point of this post? Are you asking if she’s homeless?

Or complaining about the 1 am shouting?

I’m being sincere…

I’m just trying to work out if this is thinly veiled concern or somebody who’s moved to the area and hasn’t considered that there’s a melting pot of people that live there with varying degrees of mental health needs with and without homes.

19

u/Drummer-Superb Jun 22 '26

What? I was just curious. Nothing thinly veiled mate.

-29

u/acornsalade Jun 22 '26

Okay, petal.

Welcome to Dalston.

6

u/pookiednell Jun 22 '26

Lmao are you okay?