Friday, September 26, 2008

From the Picturesque to the Demolished


If you happen to be free on Saturday night (tomorrow – Sept 27) do come along to this show ‘From the Picturesque to the Demolished – from 20.00 at the Railway Tavern Hotel, Angel Lane, Stratford, E15 – a free evening of video and performance... relating to the demolition of the Angel Cottage, one of the oldest buildings in Stratford, right next door to the venue...

I won't be able to make it tomorrow myself but it sounds really interesting. Not sure exactly what is happening. The excellent pub, the Railway Tavern, is only 5 mins walk from Stratford Station.

The evening event will include works by video and performance artists and architects relating to themes of destruction, political protest or regeneration raised by the illegal demolition of Angel Cottage.

The event will also feature speeches by local residents and activists who have supported the reconstruction of one of the oldest surviving buildings in Stratford .Despite its protected status, the Georgian Grade II listed Angel Cottage in Windmill Lane was demolished under the cover of plastic sheeting in November last year. The 1826 Georgian cottage had been sold at auction for £400,000 and stood opposite the Olympic site and the new Stratford City development on some of the most valuable development land in London .

The illegal demolition was discovered by outraged local residents who demanded an investigation of the case by both the council and English Heritage.The local council has subsequently prosecuted the owner and served an enforcement notice to have the building reinstated brick by brick at the owner’s expense.

Architects are currently trying to reconstruct the building from old photographs.The curators acknowledge the support of the Railway Tavern Hotel, whose staff and customers have been vocal in their support for the rebuilding of the Cottage.

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