[cite]Posted By: Goonerhater[/cite]Ken, dont forget alot of people were moved in from outside Greenwich.they came from deptford and Bermondsey and the places they left were real slums. I still remember seeing some of those places in deptford that were held up with metal props on one side and had outside toilets that wouldnt have looked out of place in Dickens day.
Instead of forcing people to live in 'air raid shelter' architecture, why didn't they just build terrace houses - modern versions of what was condemned in Bermondsey?
People have generally preferred to live in a terrace house with a bit of garden than being isolated 8 floors up, with broken lifts and stairs stinking of piss.
We moved there when it opened in 1974. We moved from Kentish Town. As a child, loved the place. To have covered walkway access from your door to all local amenities was, at the time, a good idea. To have the flats/masonettes all facing a square where your children went to play was another good idea. Having vehicles stored underneath, also made sense. Playing football down the Delta once a year (all the squares played eachover) brought a sense of togetherness (2000 people for a once yearly event). Many thanks to Mr Jenkins and the Met Police for arranging. More people turned out for this yearly event between 8 groups of 7 a side kids, than most division 4 (league 2) games. As said before, it wasn't so much the properties but the shit minority (which sadly grew) that ruined the estate. On the other hand, as children, we used to lie in chalked siloettes of bodies etched on the floor (usually at the foot of the tower block i lived in). It didn't quite sink in untill we moved, what they were. Surprising someone can fall from such a height, yet no blood is spilt.
I lived there for three years in the early 80's. Dry, warm and relative secure. Affordable and convenient for the train and the Borough of Greenwich. I think 6,000 people lived there when it was full, so you are bound to get some trouble, especially when it was where the Council cynically steered their most difficult tenants. It wasn't as bad as many people believe.
Comments
Instead of forcing people to live in 'air raid shelter' architecture, why didn't they just build terrace houses - modern versions of what was condemned in Bermondsey?
People have generally preferred to live in a terrace house with a bit of garden than being isolated 8 floors up, with broken lifts and stairs stinking of piss.
As a child, loved the place.
To have covered walkway access from your door to all local amenities was, at the time, a good idea.
To have the flats/masonettes all facing a square where your children went to play was another good idea.
Having vehicles stored underneath, also made sense.
Playing football down the Delta once a year (all the squares played eachover) brought a sense of togetherness (2000 people for a once yearly event). Many thanks to Mr Jenkins and the Met Police for arranging.
More people turned out for this yearly event between 8 groups of 7 a side kids, than most division 4 (league 2) games.
As said before, it wasn't so much the properties but the shit minority (which sadly grew) that ruined the estate.
On the other hand, as children, we used to lie in chalked siloettes of bodies etched on the floor (usually at the foot of the tower block i lived in). It didn't quite sink in untill we moved, what they were.
Surprising someone can fall from such a height, yet no blood is spilt.