Wednesday 3 March 2010

'Street Fighters' by Ciara Leeming.

Image copyright Ciara Leeming.

Manchester based journalist and photographer Ciara Leeming is working on a story about The Government's Housing Renewal Scheme and issues of regeneration in The North of England. I know a bit a bit this, living in one of THESE areas and in a house that was no doubt taken off some poor soul. There are of course two sides to every story and I'm sure Ciara will tell it. I know that I'm no YUPPIE (do people still call them that?) I rent this house, it's a couple of streets away from where most of my misses folks are from, so the accusation of outsiders that often is, can't be levelled at us. I could also mention that a decade ago no one wanted to live around here whatever people say. No it was a complete shit hole that had already had it's heart torn out in the 1970's and where you could get on a scheme to buy derelict empty houses for £99!

That's my experience around here and of course it will be different in other areas and there are always victims that just shouldn't be, like old Elijah above. Read his story HERE and also listen to the audio. The rest of the series can be found here INTRO PART 1 PART 2 and PART 3 It's a complicated and emotive issue that Ciara's taking on. Excellent.

3 comments:

Ciara said...

thanks for the support Mark.
interesting to note you live at Chimney Pot Park. The splashy ones did a good job - I knew someone else who rented there for a bit.
what you say though - surely that makes you a self-hating hippy? or something...
:o)

mark page said...

I'm always a big bag of confusion. I still get mail for the guy who lived here a Mr Norman Husband. I often wonder wha his story was.....

Ciara said...

of course i meant to say self-hating YUPPIE up there.
brain of sponge