75 years since the bombing of Guernica

Picasso – Guernica 1937
On the afternoon of Monday 26th April 1937 , the Basque market town of Guernica was almost completely destroyed by bombs dropped by Franco’s fascist allies.
After much shameful prevarication from the British government 4000 Basque children were accepted as evacuees and brought to Britain aged 5 to 12 under the condition that they were to be returned to Spain as soon as possible and that their parents were not to accompany them. In order to console their children, mothers told them that it was ‘only for three months’.
www.basquechildren.org

The Oaklands Estate - Cubitt House, Clapham Park London

View from living room window – open quadrangle below

 

  The Oaklands Estate on Poynders Road comprises nearly three acres and is located just south of Clapham Common. The name "Oaklands" is taken from the large house and grounds, which formerly occupied the site. The scheme was designed by the London County Council architect, E. P. Wheeler, who was responsible for many of the inter war public housing estates. Built during 1935 and 1936. This project was one of the first to qualify for the Government subsidy payable under the Housing Act of 1935, introduced to provide housing for the relief of overcrowding. 'Up with the houses and down with the slums' was the Labour Party slogan in 1934, when for the first time the Party, gained control of the LCC.
   Slum clearance and new public housing had been taking place for decades but the demand for land from private builders and local opposition to the presence of public housing meant that the L.C.C. rebuilding programme was only able to operate effectively in a few areas. Almost half of the L.C.C.'s new tenement blocks constructed in the 1930's were put up in only four boroughs Southwark, Lewisham, Wandsworth and Lambeth. These boroughs were politically sympathetic and land was still available at reasonable prices.
E. P. Wheeler designed Oaklands Estate in true 1930's Cunard ocean liner style with strong sweeping balconies curving round the facade. A strikingly moderne style which was at its peak of popularity by the mid 1930's.
       The layout of the scheme is in the form of two open quadrangles, so that the living rooms generally have a southerly aspect and overlook Poynders Road. The blocks are five storeys high, with the top two storeys designed as maisonettes. The total accommodation comprises 185 flats, of which 25 have two rooms, 113 three rooms, 42 four rooms and 5 five rooms, housing, originally, approximately 900 people.

The ZX Spectrum – 23rd April 1982 Celebrating 30 years

Since the launch of the ZX80 computer two years earlier, a restless British inventor Clive Sinclair was interested in an affordable  home computer for the masses. It could be bought at WH Smith for £125

We had one – amazing, need I say more!