Our Friends in the North [1967] – a personal view
January 24th, 2017
Eddie Wells and Nicky Hutchinson talking
Four friends in Newcastle have the strands of their lives interwoven with the political and economic events over three decades. Superficially it’s a nine hour film about housing, but it’s much more than that.
The Labour Party, corruption in public life and housing, the rise and fall of T. Dan Smith (Mr Newcastle), John Poulson and Reginald Maudling, sleaze in Soho, corruption in the Met, the Tories rise to power, the violence and politics of the Miners’ strike in 1984 to name but a few of the political events covered.
Our Friends in the North [1966] – a personal view
January 23rd, 2017
Mary and Tosker at Willow Lane Flats
Four friends in Newcastle have the strands of their lives interwoven with the political and economic events over three decades. Superficially it’s a nine hour film about housing, but it’s much more than that.
The Labour Party, corruption in public life and housing, the rise and fall of T. Dan Smith (Mr Newcastle), John Poulson and Reginald Maudling, sleaze in Soho, corruption in the Met, the Tories rise to power, the violence and politics of the Miners’ strike in 1984 to name but a few of the political events covered.
Our Friends in the North [1964] – a personal view
January 22nd, 2017
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Four friends in Newcastle have the strands of their lives interwoven with the political and economic events over three decades. Superficially it’s a nine hour film about housing, but it’s much more than that.
The Labour Party, corruption in public life and housing, the rise and fall of T. Dan Smith (Mr Newcastle), John Poulson and Reginald Maudling, sleaze in Soho, corruption in the Met, the Tories rise to power, the violence and politics of the Miners’ strike in 1984 to name but a few of the political events covered.
Our Friends in the North – a personal view
January 21st, 2017
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Mary explains Alan Roe’s plan – Elaine looks like thunder
“Let those who want to buy, buy. Let those who want to rent, rent, but what will they rent if I’ve sold all the council houses?” asks Mary of her replacement, Elaine.
“Well, why not use the proceeds to build more council houses?” replies Elaine.
“Because a) I have to sell them dirt cheap, and b) I’m only allowed to use half the proceeds to build replacement houses.” – replies Mary. “The other half has to finance a reduction in the rates.”
This exchange is one of the reasons OFITN might fairly be described as a Northern housing drama. The above exchange is one of many examples illustrating the effect the housing situation had on its residents, from the shoddy system built flats of the 1960s through to the Thatcherite push for home ownership via right to buy and its concomitant effect on the declining estates and their residents signified here by the desperate situation of Sean Collins at Valley View.
The scene near the end in the bar, between Geordie, Sean Collins, a young lad of 10 or 11 and his dad Christopher – is one of the most moving and powerful in the entire film, and the empathy shown by Geordie towards Sean, says a lot for his strength of character, his own life having suffered hours dreadful and things strange to say the least.
The answer to the housing crisis? – Colin Wiles
January 18th, 2017
“I think Grant Shapps is on to something with his latest plan to encourage people to live on boats.
Here in Cambridge we have hundreds of people living on boats along the river. Some of them are a bit ramshackle and lack decent sanitation but the occupants seem to like them and they are affordable and close to the centre of town.”
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/home/home/bring-back-the-slums-28505
Old link
https://www.insidehousing.co.uk/ihstory.aspx?storycode=6517514
In case you missed this, tongue in cheek clearly.
Buy to let – Guardian
December 10th, 2016
This isn’t an article it’s a brief reaction to the Guardian article.
“There’s a housing shortage, and landlords help this by providing accommodation …”
No you don’t. You exploit properties that would otherwise be owned by singles, young couples and families.
The only people who ought to own properties for rent are the state. It used to be called council housing. We need it back restored and expanded. Anything else is exploitation by rentiers.
Broadwater Farm and City Country Suburb? – audio
December 9th, 2016
FEAR OF NON-STREET HOUSING
October 23, 2014, 19:00 20:15
The edited version free of uumms, aahhs, and extended pauses.
Why not build directly if you own the land?
November 30th, 2016
Click for full image
There was a time when the [London] borough or shire would employ their own architects, quantity surveyors, civil engineers, clerk of works and direct labour force and just get on with it. In London of course it would have been the LCC and later [from 1965] the GLC. Those days may have gone in most cases but we need them back.
Paul Watt at the RA – September 26th 2016
November 24th, 2016
He was one of four speakers and a chair, and his talk was such a good summary of what has happened to council housing under New Labour and since that I have transcribed it, with the help of YouTube (upload, wait, download captions), below:-
Okay I’m going to start somewhat differently I’m not really going to talk about the architecture I’m not going to talk about the estates, in a way the concept of a council estate is epiphenomenal to really the fundamental key aspect of what we’re dealing with. The key aspect for council housing for me is that it’s a part of the welfare state.
Blackburn terraces – now you see them . . .
November 22nd, 2016
“Slum clearances without the Socialism” – Owen Hatherley
I was reading the Guardian online today. This to be specific. Building affordable homes for rent is more vital than new roads then in the comments I found this . . .
. . . and opened Google Earth. I found nothing in Burnley but then in Blackburn, this.