Digging for Concrete
Did your Nan build Trellick Tower? Did your Dad demolish the Tricorn Centre?
Gosh, I've not been writing much on here of late, have I? Yes, it's always hard to find the time, but I do have an excuse – I've been working hard on the post-war architecture book I've been planning for a couple of years and am finally writing, called This Concrete Isle. And, you know, there's the whole full time job thing too.
The plan is to take some time off over the summer to travel round Britain to view and photograph significant (and insignificant) buildings and places built between 1945 to 1979, and to interview people as I go. I have some great interviewees already lined up but I'm always going to need more, so this article is a bit of a cry for help.
I'm looking for current or former residents of prefabs, tower blocks, new towns and redeveloped cities. Also, workers from office blocks, shopping centres and estates. The builders and engineers who worked on everything from urban motorways to schools. People who knew (or were themselves) the planners and architects of the day. Not forgetting those who have protested against or demolished these structures.
I'm going to be visiting sites around London, Glasgow, Cumbernauld, Newcastle, Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham, Coventry, Harlow, Milton Keynes and Croydon – but I'm keen on hearing about other places too.
If you fit the bill and are interested in being interviewed or know someone who might be you can contact me directly: my email is john dot grindrod at gmail dot com (I'm not writing it out properly as it'll go spambot crazy, but you get the idea...).
Gosh, I've not been writing much on here of late, have I? Yes, it's always hard to find the time, but I do have an excuse – I've been working hard on the post-war architecture book I've been planning for a couple of years and am finally writing, called This Concrete Isle. And, you know, there's the whole full time job thing too.
The plan is to take some time off over the summer to travel round Britain to view and photograph significant (and insignificant) buildings and places built between 1945 to 1979, and to interview people as I go. I have some great interviewees already lined up but I'm always going to need more, so this article is a bit of a cry for help.
I'm looking for current or former residents of prefabs, tower blocks, new towns and redeveloped cities. Also, workers from office blocks, shopping centres and estates. The builders and engineers who worked on everything from urban motorways to schools. People who knew (or were themselves) the planners and architects of the day. Not forgetting those who have protested against or demolished these structures.
I'm going to be visiting sites around London, Glasgow, Cumbernauld, Newcastle, Sheffield, Manchester, Birmingham, Coventry, Harlow, Milton Keynes and Croydon – but I'm keen on hearing about other places too.
If you fit the bill and are interested in being interviewed or know someone who might be you can contact me directly: my email is john dot grindrod at gmail dot com (I'm not writing it out properly as it'll go spambot crazy, but you get the idea...).
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