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[segh]

I drove through the Ferrier Estate yesterday - or what's left of it. Large amounts have now been pulled down and the remaining blocks have huge notices on announcing their imminent destruction (presumably to discourage squatters). There are vast heaps of rubble everywhere. It's all very strange. After all, I watched them build the thing - you could

Comments

[kimchi_and_me]

Ah, are these the ones where it was meant to be terraced houses stacked? The police wouldn't patrol above ground, yes?

[segh]

I always though it looked as though the architect was a heavy smoker - the blocks looked like cigarette packets and matchboxes alternately on their sides and ends. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferrier_Estate
Some of my relations were rehoused there when parts of the Old Kent Road were flattened to make Burgess Park. While you don't want to believe all the romanticism about "we never had to lock our doors, always in and out of each other's houses", the Old Kent Road was infinitely preferable to the Ferrier.

[kimchi_and_me]

Wow. I think I remember reading about these, now. Concrete-blocks slotted into position. Those connecting walkways were mugging central. Not identical books and book ends?
Not many of the children in my class could explain what an encyclopaedia was.

I find it really odd that homes would be flattened for a park, I dunno. Seems really fake and strange.

[segh]

Yes, and Burgess Park has never been wholly successful - except for Chumleigh Gardens, which is where Chumleigh Street was, where my grandparents and aunt lived. There's some interesting stuff here: http://www.gardenvisit.com/landscape_architecture/london_landscape_architecture/visitors_guide/burgess_park_landscape
It was an area much damaged by bombing (when I was a child there were still great heaps of bomb damage around, even though I was born ten years after the war ended, and I used to make up stories about children who made themselves homes in the heaps) and I think someone had the idea of making a clean sweep. There was a lot of idealism around in those days, and I think they thought people would really be happier in bright modern housing. Nobody had the sense to include shops, a pub, a leisure centre or any provision for worship - though some of these things were added later.

[wellinghall]

If you are still around on LJ, this ongoing post might be of some interest.
http://wellinghall.livejournal.com/1127376.html