Squatting in Hackney/Stoke Newington/N16, 1980s/90s

[Fozzie Bear]

There was a map on the back of the Hackney Anarchy Week programme which showed the locations of some of the big squats and I think the dates. I'll try and get you a scan, DaveCinzano (it is quite big though, iirc).

I'm not aware of any of the major references aside from those mentioned. One of the people involved with the Past Tense history walk is documenting this stuff, though I think (or was the last time I spoke to her).

 

[Fozzie Bear]

There was a hackney squatters group on facebook also I think? (I'm not on there).

This autobiog of hackney squats may or may not be of interest. (ends in 1985): http://punk-rock-photography.weebly.com/squatting.html

 

[DaveCinzano]

Those are brilliant, cheers Fozzie Bear! (A scan of the map would be great as well, thanks )

 

[eoin_k]

cheers, that's the fellah - he did the photos, a old flatmate of mine (James McKinnon) did a scale model of the street which was bought by the Museum of London.

They have it on display. Might be worth checking materials at the Bishopsgate Institute as well.

 

[Pickman's model]

not the 1980s or 1990s but i was talking to a hackney author the other day who reminisced about the exploding galaxy art squat on balls pond road (south side) in 1967.

 

[Macko]

I spent most of my time in the 1990s squatting in East and South London, but am pretty sure I have a few things relating to the Stamford Hill eviction, something I've long planned to research more, that I'll try and find. What's the research for- a talk, website, etc?

 

[Boru]

Have you seen this..Part 2 visible in YouTube

 

[Fozzie Bear]

I spent most of my time in the 1990s squatting in East and South London, but am pretty sure I have a few things relating to the Stamford Hill eviction, something I've long planned to research more, that I'll try and find. What's the research for- a talk, website, etc?

I think DaveCinzano is interested in this from a specific angle but if anyone has material about squatting in Hackney then The Radical History of Hackney website would definitely like to hear from them.

 

[maomao]

I remember a squatted timber yard, Northwold Rd, Stokey iirc. About 1996.

Don't remember the squats because I was growing my first pubes at the time but the timber yards were bottom of Southwold Rd by the river in Clapton and have been replaced by rather horrible flats.

 

[marty21]

London Lane and Ellingfort Road? My brother squatted there for years in a place with the most backed up toilet I've ever seen!

TMI

 

[marty21]

I remember a squatted timber yard, Northwold Rd, Stokey iirc. About 1996.

James Latham Timber Yard, it backed onto the canal - it's all brand new blocks there now - I live up the road from it

 

[marty21]

Don't remember the squats because I was growing my first pubes at the time but the timber yards were bottom of Southwold Rd by the river in Clapton and have been replaced by rather horrible flats.

There are loads of new blocks around there - totally changed the area - the old Council blocks by Millfield Park were torn down - I quite like them - they looked Soviet replaced by modern stuff that looks like anywhere else really

 

[maomao]

There are loads of new blocks around there - totally changed the area - the old Council blocks by Millfield Park were torn down - I quite like them - they looked Soviet replaced by modern stuff that looks like anywhere else really

I hate all the wood panels. I said it would look shit after a couple of winters, and a couple of winters later it does indeed look shit. The ones directly next to the park are worse. The facing that's normally covered with coloured or wood panels is filled in with breeze blocks wtf?

I've been walking/cycling over North Millfields for over 2 decades now but I just can't picture what was there before the present monstrosities. I only know there was a woodmill because a taxi driver told me once and the road through one of the blocks is called Woodmill Rd.

 

[Blagsta]

James Latham Timber Yard, it backed onto the canal - it's all brand new blocks there now - I live up the road from it

My friends Jane and John squatted there, haven't seen either of them in years now, although saw a photo of her in the How We Are: Photographing Britain exhibition at Tate Britain a few years ago. Some photographer who was documenting travellers.

 

[marty21]

I think the Latham yard was still in business when I moved to the area in 1997, sure I used to see their vans out and about. It was mostly warehouses along the canal - there was another pub next to Latham's - The Robin Hood? which was also squatted for a while.

 

[marty21]

My friends Jane and John squatted there, haven't seen either of them in years now, although saw a photo of her in the How We Are: Photographing Britain exhibition at Tate Britain a few years ago. Some photographer who was documenting travellers.

I remember them having a really loud party there, which I could hear from my flat - which is probably about half a mile away

 

[marty21]

http://www.locallocalhistory.co.uk/clissold-road/history2/index-m.htm
Blog which mentions the squatted flats opposite Clissold Park in Stoke Newington

 

[The Rag Doll]

not the 1980s or 1990s but i was talking to a hackney author the other day who reminisced about the exploding galaxy art squat on balls pond road (south side) in 1967.

Yes I was a part of the 99 Balls Pond Rd., squat - Paul Keeler, the owner of the house, had found hard times after the demise of his gallery - Signals (http://www.thecentreofattention.org/dgsignals.html).
His son Darius is keyboard player for the band Archive
I was also a part of the Drury Lane Arts Lab Squat. I helped fix up the plumbing on the top floor. I then saw the police burst in and destroy all of our good work. (http://www.internationaltimes.it/archive/) IT/53 March 28 - April 10 1969 (page 2)
At the time I was a part of the technical crew of the Arts Laboratory.
A book about the Exploding Galaxy and Balls Pond Rd. is about to be launched - http://www.englandgallery.com/exhibitionsfuture.htm

 

[TopCat]

"Kill your pet puppy" site has loads of stuff about manky punks squatting in Hackney back in those days. Eat shit collective and all that.

 

[DaveCinzano]

To everyone who has contributed to this thread, a thousand thanks. It's most useful and all in my 'to do' pile of things to get on with.

 

[Leon mac]

Hi all ex squatters there, i was part of a huge house squat on Stoke Newington High Road (151). There was 14 of us in a huge house and we blagged it for 4 years. Since then ove be to college, became a capitalist with an interior design business in spitalfields and now am back in beautiful Ireland free from all the fucking stress of London. Stoke Newington in 1989/90 was such a time of innocent creative bliss, we had so many parties and they're was so much anarcho creative stuff going on that actually meant something. These designer beard hoxton dicks today are just metro sexual dandies. Remember the poll tax generation, we did stuff....

 

[twentythreedom]

Clissold Crescent ("Crusty Crescent") opposite the park and next to the block mentioned upthread, that was a pretty mad place back then. Knew lots of the residents. I was involved in the organisation of the Hackney Homeless festival in the park - was fucking awesome

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Hackney Homeless was great. Mate of mine ran the stewarding for that. Council put an end to it, irrc.

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

hackney homeless in 95 or 96 was magnificent, can't remember exactly which year but i do remember julian liberator wearing some kind of army hat.

and pounding techno obv

 

[twentythreedom]

Hackney Homeless was great. Mate of mine ran the stewarding for that. Council put an end to it, irrc.

I fronted about 5k to pay for all the stewarding and security

It was an awesome event

 

[littlebabyjesus]

I fronted about 5k to pay for all the stewarding and security

It was an awesome event

It might have been security, not stewarding. Can't remember. His name was Mark. Big, muscly, camp, black Irish bloke. He roped me in for the Hackney Gay Pride festival later on. I was the world's worst security person, tbf, particularly after a couple of spliffs.

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

I am looking for reliable accounts - preferably ones able to identify dates and precise locations - of the squatting movement in and around N16 from the 1980s into the 1990s.

The Radical History of Hackney website is very useful - but are there other sources you would recommend? Pamphlets, books, blogs... Anything, really.

Many thanks in advance.

why? are you going to write a cumpletely hilarius book/blog/blockbuster?

 

[littlebabyjesus]

why? are you going to write a cumpletely hilarius book/blog/blockbuster?

Is it a problem if he is? We're just enjoying reminiscing after all. This has reminded me of Hackney Homeless, which was great, but I haven't thought about in years.

 

[Sirena]

It's just a little story but Bev from crusty band The Sea (who used to hang round the Peckham Dolehouse in the late 80s) claims he invented the term 'crusty'.

He says the Peckham lot used to think of themselves as proudly unwashed but the Hackney squatters, who used to come for gigs, were positively 'crusty'.

 

[Paulie Tandoori]

Lido on London Fields was squatted for a while, although i think that was 2000 or 2001

it wasn't always squatted, w had it in our back garden for a couple of years in early 90's when we were in shortlife coop. we played zombies at nighttime after getting lairy. was fun.