Here in Haggerston

Haggerston West estate in Hackney is being "regenerated", which is to say the old depressing 1930s council blocks are being gradually demolished and replaced with, it's to be hoped, something better. In the meantime an already run-down area now looks like something beamed over from Magnetogorsk or some such god-forsaken post-Soviet relic:

 

Here's the local pub, the Overdraught:

Today, cycling past on the Regent's Canal towpath, I noticed a change:

In place of the orange boards, they've put...pictures. Portraits. Of local residents. 

What a great idea!

The initiative came from some local artists, and goes under the name I Am Here. Some background, and here's a time-lapse film of the installation last week.

Samuel House is the only block affected. The others are scheduled for demolition in the very near future; this is the last to go, in 2011. So for a couple of years an area is transformed with a little bit of imagination.

As this was all achieved with the blessing of Hackney Council, perhaps we can give them back some (just a little) of the credit they lost when they started painting over the Banksy mural on Stoke Newington Church Street a couple of weeks ago - a sorry tale related here by Ms Baroque.

Comments

[Ruth Marie Tunkara]

Hi micky...I am a resident of Samuel House and have my picture up there too.

Just to let you know that Hackney Council no longer own the estate. L&Q are the new owners and our Landlords. ;-)

Please contact Andrea or Lasse at Fugitive images for more information about how the project was made possible.

Lastly, Thank you for appreciating and featuring the project...It means a lot to us!!!

[Ms Baroque]

Hi Mick - thanks for the link. Boy was I upset that day! I love this installation on this building - I don't think it makes up for wanton destruction, but I think it's great. Very heartening.

But do you really think they're likely to put up anything better than these blocks? At least most 30s homes had decent-sized rooms, entryways, cupboards etc. Call me jaded.

Argh!

[Mick H]

Well no, I've no great confidence that the replacements will be an improvement, but I try to be optimistic about these things.

[Julia Vandermark]

My family lived in Samuel House from 1939 till my mum had to get out in the 70's. Wonderful memories of life there.
Our flat is in the top photo. A beautiful flat with a bay window where the sun blasted in and I could watch my mum coming home from Hoxton with bags of shopping.

Here's some of my memories from those times.

The things we did when we were young
In the grounds of the flats where the washing hung
Played gobs, and skipped, run outs and ball
Knock down ginger, rounders and all

Over the baths for the weekly wash
All dried and mangled really looked posh
Down the Broadway for pie and mash
Popped in to Uncles to get the cash
Mum's new shoes wrapped up in a vest
"Five bob I'm afraid", that's my best.

The things we did when we were young
In the grounds of the flats where the washing hung
No parked cars to get in the way
Plenty of room for us to play
Tin can Tommy, donkey and keys
The ball smashed the window of poor Mrs. Lees
Out she'd come hollering and shouting
Then there was the Sunday school outing

All in the chara to Walton on Naze
First for a paddle, then in the maze
Tea and sandwiches then a sing song home
Guides and Brownies, I was a gnome.

The things we did when we were young
In the grounds of the flats
Where the washing hung

The tally man called every week
Look through the window, and take a peek
"Can't pay him this time, the coalman's due,
Your shoes are worn and you'll need some new"

Forces favourites, roast lamb dinners
Over the cut, to watch the swimmers
The big barges pulled, by the poor old horses
The boys of eighteen called up for the forces

No T.V. videos or holidays in Spain
A day at Southend in ther pouring of rain
No aerobics, slimming diets and such
Dandy and Beano we liked very much

The world has progressed or so they say
Though I'm not sure I like it that way
No battered old ladies - never heard of mugging
We had plenty of love and lots of hugging

The worlds took to pot and terror and hate
I wish it would stop before it's too late
Go back to the days when we were young
Where we played in the grounds where the washing hung.

[Mick H]

Wonderful. Thanks, Julie.

[Andrea]

hi, i just revisited this and saw the comments - Julia, I would really love to talk to you, we are collecting memories from the estate. would you please email me?

thanks, really hope you'll read this, Andrea

hi Mick, thanks for your kind words, especially when mentioning the Banksy near scrub over!

[Andrea]

Julia, forgot to add an email

info at fugitiveimages dot org dot uk

can't wait to speak with you, Andrea

[Mike Bosworth]

I was in the Haggerston area on Saturday afternoon 6/2-10 looking for 'Garden Place' - an area in which several families of my maternal ancestors were born, lived and died in the mid 1800s.
I found today's modernised Garden Place just off Haggerston Rd. immediately beside the now closed and shuttered 'Overdraught' pub.
Does anyone know when this Canalside development took place? In particular when the 1850s houses would have yielded to a then 'modern' redevelopment? I assume that there have been two or more periods of rebuilding before the present yellow-brick development.

[a.proles]

reply to mr mike bosworth.
i assume you are referring to orme house,which stands opposite to the overdraught.for your information work started on that development in 1950,and completed in 1952.
the original shops alongside,in haggerston road,were still standing,up until 1965,when they were demolished to make way for low rise flats,which in turn were demolished,to make way for the present block...which goes to show they dont make them like they use to

[a.proles]

oh! the memories of haggerston and the locals,i can still see and here the buzz,now sadly gone forever.
my family moved into pamela house in 1950,when i was 7 years old.and remember that i was facinated by this thing called a rubbish chute,on the balcony.
within hours of moving in,my 2 sisters and i were exploring the area,as you do at that age,and we were amazed at how many shops there were,shops the whole lengh of lovelace house and shops stretching from scriven street to orme house.older residents will remember the following----french greengrocer,owens dairy,T.R lawrence provisions,normans bakery,the young prince public house,furnicture makers,howards newsagents,another bakery,another greengrocer,and of course john wakling confectioner,and the cosy cafe.all this on our doorstep,now sadly a distant memory.
how many can remember hillborough road (sadly also gone).it ran from scriven street right through to albion drive,now the site of scriven court.
a.p