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

[DaveCinzano]

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

Yes, I'm a well-known chicklit author posting under an assumed name. This is where I pick up all my best ideas. You've probably heard of some of my more successful novels, such as Boat Happy & Single, I Loved An Epsom Pub Firebomber, or Intoxicated By Diesel Fumes.

 

[albionism]

yes
http://hackneycitizen.co.uk/2010/06/22/london-fields-east-the-ghetto/

There were some great parties at Ellingfort road in the 90s

 

[twentythreedom]

And that place on the corner of Southgate Rd and Ardleigh Rd - I remember one party in about 91/92, there was a rave on the ground floor and bands upstairs, the ceiling / floor started to bow and crumble plaster in time to the music cos of so many people dancing Istr the staircase had mostly disappeared too

Crazy times

 

[albionism]

Anyone remember "The Spiky Thing With Curves" ? Many a good trip in there

 

[marty21]

Yes, I'm a well-known chicklit author posting under an assumed name. This is where I pick up all my best ideas. You've probably heard of some of my more successful novels, such as Boat Happy & Single, I Loved An Epsom Pub Firebomber, or Intoxicated By Diesel Fumes.

Yes, have you sold the film rights to any of these ?

 

[boohoo]

Have you seen this..Part 2 visible in YouTube

There's a Camberwell Punk in that clip!

 

[han]

I had friends living in Ellingfort Rd in Hackney in the mid 90s. The whole street was squatted for many years. I used to stay with them when visiting and we went to some incredible parties around there. I've got fond memories of the Up In Arms soyndsystem, anyone remember that?

 

[BillRiver]

I was squatting in Hackney in the 90's, as were many of my friends, and my younger sister. My niece's first home, straight from the maternity ward, was a squat.

 

[Serge Forward]

I started off Squatting in Haringey (Lordship Lane, Noel Park, proper crustyland) 1986 but shifted to Stamford Hill/Stokey in 1987. Was also involved in the defence of the Stamford Hill Estate.

Mid 90s I lived in the tower blocks on Holly Street (not squatting though). Someone mentioned that photographer, Tom Hunter, and I remembered that he photographed me and my family and loads of my neighbours before our block was demolished. The picture was in his book and in his model of the block in the Museum of London.

 

[han]

I was squatting in Oxford in 97/8. Quite different to Hackney obv. But what was similar, and one of the I really appreciated at the time, was how international everyone was, there were people from all over the world living together. My friends in Ellingfort Rd were Chilean and Danish. And in Oxford I lived with a bunch of Germans who I'm still friends with now.

 

[BillRiver]

I was squatting in Oxford in 97/8. Quite different to Hackney obv. But what was similar, and one of the I really appreciated at the time, was how international everyone was, there were people from all over the world living together. My friends in Ellingfort Rd were Chilean and Danish. And in Oxford I lived with a bunch of Germans who I'm still friends with now.

True. For quite a while I was the only English person among my housemates.

 

[Serge Forward]

Squatting scene on the Noel Park Estate in Wood Green in the late 80s was heavily weighted in favour of Dublin crusties.

 

[kalidarkone]

I squatted a house in Arsenal-Elfort Road in January 1985 and in spring broke a new squat in Rendlesham Road ,Lower Clapton? ( get confused between lower and upper) because most of my mates were squatting in Hackney.

Then did an emergency move to a massive house in Stamford Hill with no water... and woke up one day to Hackney council boarding the front door up because they didn't realise anyone was there....mw shouting and the dog barking alerted them! Had to get out almost immediately though.

Then cracked a new squat on Albion Road, Stoke Newington and lived with two other slightly older crusty teenagers.

Never managed to get a squat in London with hot water.....I really wanted to move into an already existing together squat.....I think I just wanted cool caring liberal parents really.....

I felt like I was in Hackney for years....but it was only a year....but that's a long time when your 16.

Did anyone frequent the three crowns on corner of Church Street and Stokey High Street? Or the Cricketers?

 

[Dr. Furface]

Did anyone frequent the three crowns on corner of Church Street and Stokey High Street? Or the Cricketers?

Sure did, particularly The 3 Crowns - as seen at the start of that Stokey Punx vid upthread - when I lived round there between 82-85. I don't remember going to the Cricketers, but The 3 Crowns (which is still going) was the main hangout round there for us studenty types along with the Rochester Castle (now a Spoons) just a little further down the high road.

I lived on Cazenove Road but I didn't squat, though I hung out in a few. Three guys I was at college with squatted just up the road in a council block off Geldestone Rd which I'm pretty sure was Avenue House. It was ace, 2 or 3 bedrooms and they had leccy and water the whole bit. Think they were there for a couple of years, I'm sure they weren't the only ones squatting in that block either.

 

[Pickman's model]

I squatted a house in Arsenal-Elfort Road in January 1985 and in spring broke a new squat in Rendlesham Road ,Lower Clapton? ( get confused between lower and upper) because most of my mates were squatting in Hackney.

Then did an emergency move to a massive house in Stamford Hill with no water... and woke up one day to Hackney council boarding the front door up because they didn't realise anyone was there....mw shouting and the dog barking alerted them! Had to get out almost immediately though.

Then cracked a new squat on Albion Road, Stoke Newington and lived with two other slightly older crusty teenagers.

Never managed to get a squat in London with hot water.....I really wanted to move into an already existing together squat.....I think I just wanted cool caring liberal parents really.....

I felt like I was in Hackney for years....but it was only a year....but that's a long time when your 16.

Did anyone frequent the three crowns on corner of Church Street and Stokey High Street? Or the Cricketers?

upper clapton further away from hackney central

 

[Serge Forward]

Cricketers, mainly. I think I was barred from most of the other pubs

 

[marty21]

I squatted a house in Arsenal-Elfort Road in January 1985 and in spring broke a new squat in Rendlesham Road ,Lower Clapton? ( get confused between lower and upper) because most of my mates were squatting in Hackney.

Then did an emergency move to a massive house in Stamford Hill with no water... and woke up one day to Hackney council boarding the front door up because they didn't realise anyone was there....mw shouting and the dog barking alerted them! Had to get out almost immediately though.

Then cracked a new squat on Albion Road, Stoke Newington and lived with two other slightly older crusty teenagers.

Never managed to get a squat in London with hot water.....I really wanted to move into an already existing together squat.....I think I just wanted cool caring liberal parents really.....

I felt like I was in Hackney for years....but it was only a year....but that's a long time when your 16.

Did anyone frequent the three crowns on corner of Church Street and Stokey High Street? Or the Cricketers?

Went to the Three Crowns a bit , the Cricketers once I think . It's now a fancy craft ale place called The Mermaid , closed not because of the epidemic but due to a flood fucking up the basement.

 

[Sir Belchalot]

Squatted in Hackney from '81 to '95 apart from a sojourn just over the border in Islington for about 3 years after getting fitted up for criminal damage by the Stokey rozzers, I didn't fancy hanging around when every copper knew my name due to having to sign on at the station every day while on bail. Islington had a brief amnesty for squatters at the time which was a bonus, managed to set up a housing co-op there & blag 4 houses which resulted in us being plastered over the front pages of both the Standard & Islington Gazette. Was involved with many of the squatted social centres over the years, knocked it on the head when it looked like criminalisation of squatting was coming in & I needed more security with a 5 year old sprog although the Tenancy Audit Team were already hassling squatters by then.

 

[Pickman's model]

Went to the Three Crowns a bit

will always be the beckett to me

 

[Sue]

Cricketers, mainly. I think I was barred from most of the other pubs

The Cricketers aka Jan's Bar Conviviale and now The Axe which is uber-hipster and v expensive (only been in there once).

A friend lives just off Evering Road. When he moved in 30 years ago, his place was the only one that wasn't squatted in his street and because there was a lack of mains plumbing or something, the council used to come and manually empty the waste.

 

[Pickman's model]

The Cricketers aka Jan's Bar Conviviale and now The Axe which is uber-hipster and v expensive (only been in there once).

A friend lives just off Evering Road. When he moved in 30 years ago, his place was the only one that wasn't squatted in his street and because there was a lack of mains plumbing or something, the council used to come and manually empty the waste.

so they did his slopping out for him

 

[Sue]

so they did his slopping out for him

TBF, he didn't go into the gory details and I didn't ask....

 

[kalidarkone]

Maybe we should have a Hackney drink? Or picnic in Abney cemetery.....like we used to eh Sir Belchalot
I think I first went to a party at your squat in 1984 when I was 15 ....I harvested a few older teenagers as squat mates and planned my escape from home! Best thing I ever did!

 

[Sir Belchalot]

Maybe we should have a Hackney drink? Or picnic in Abney cemetery....

I usually organise an annual Kill Your Pet Puppy picnic in early summer which attract lots of ex-squatters but they have been put on hold since Covid, might do one in late August/early September assuming more than 30 people can meet up outside by then, will make sure that you get an invite if I do.

 

[BillRiver]

Did anyone frequent the three crowns on corner of Church Street and Stokey High Street? Or the Cricketers?

Yes I frequented The Cricketers, quite frequently.

 

[kalidarkone]

Yes I frequented The Cricketers, quite frequently.

In 1985/6 ?

 

[BillRiver]

In 1985/6 ?

No, a bit later than that. I was still at school in Essex in 1985/6. I was coming into Hackney as a visitor, but mainly to raves at The Labyrinth in Dalston Lane, and probably not before approx 1988.

 

[kalidarkone]

No, a bit later than that. I was still at school in Essex in 1985/6. I was coming into Hackney as a visitor, but mainly to raves at The Labyrinth in Dalston Lane, and probably not before approx 1988.

Okay...I had moved to Bristol by September 86.
For a minute I thought we might have met.....

 

[BillRiver]

Okay...I had moved to Bristol by September 86.
For a minute I thought we might have met.....

Not yet I don't think

 

[Sir Belchalot]

The Cricketers was the best squatters' pub in Stokey like a smaller version of the current day Sov for you newbies although we used to frequent the 3 Crowns, Coach & Horses, the Tanners (Rochester Castle), British Oak, Putlogs & the Golden Lady/Albion at various times, tried to avoid ending up at the Jolly Butchers after they closed though.