Murchison Tenants

1976, original video lost, ½ inch, black-and-white, 6 mins (excerpts), can also be viewed online in the London Community Video Archive (LCVA).

Local community activists interview tenants of Murchison Road, London, W10, about the negative impact of local building works on their lives. It was presented to the Local Council.

Voices of female tenants
A You’ve got nothing to identify here, and there was no reason to break up the street plan, not really.
B My complaint is that we seem to be walked over. We were never consulted what we wanted to be built. We were never consulted where we want it built. We were never consulted about anything: by the local authority, or anybody else. They think they know what we should have and what we want. I was told about the flat over on the new estate, which is open now for viewing. They built a flat with a kitchen upstairs and a living room downstairs. And I am told that this is a Swedish plan. I don’t know about you, but I am British, I am not Swedish and I don’t want to live like a Swede.
C Let’s talk about the basement flats here. It’s such an easy access. You can’t leave your door open and you can’t leave the back windows open. You can’t have a bit of air. So they should block every individual flat off and then you also could keep it cleaner. I had to move from the top flat to the basement because the ceiling had fallen down twice, for the rain. They said they have not the money to put a new roof on and they still haven’t done it, and that was ten years ago!