Exploring the London Olympic Athletes' Village at Stratford (4K)

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Exploring the London Olympic Athlete's Village at Stratford East London now known as East Village.
Our walk starts at Temple Mills Lane named after the mills in the area owned by the Knights Templar in the middle ages. We then explore the new suburb of Chobham Manor partly built on the site of the Clays Lane Housing Co-op. From here we pass along Honor Lea Avenue in East Village which was built as the Athletes' Village for the 2012 London Olympics. After exploring the Athletes' Village we take a walk through Westfield Stratford City shopping centre.
Related videos and links:
Blog posts and videos about East Village on the lost byway thelostbyway.com/tag/east-village
London Olympic Park during Lockdown • London Olympic Park du...
Music used in this video from the KZbin Audio Library
Allégro - Emmit Fenn
Amber - VYEN
Argonne - Zachariah Hickman
Dream Escape - The Tides
Gymnopedie No 1 by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution license (creativecommons.org/licenses/...)
Source: incompetech.com/music/royalty-...
Artist: incompetech.com/
The Light Within - The Westerlies
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[@timregester1173]

Clays Lane had 450 members living in 105 homes. A mix of 10 person, 6 person, 4 person houses and 1 bed flats. It had it's own Community Centre with, in it's heyday a shop and launderette.

[@jeremytrayner9581]

I lived in one of the tower blocks in Clays Lane when I first moved to London in 1987. There was a settled travellers community behind the block and their rooster used to wake everyone up every morning. There was a field of horses at the end of the road and a pub - can't remember the name - that was open for breakfast to serve the rail depot workers coming off the night shift.

[@timregester1173]

The pub on Angel Lane was the Railway Tavern. The horses belonged to the travellers. There was also a shop and a launderette in the Community Centre.

[@JayX-oc2zk]

Sunday dinner and a John Rogers video, can't fault it

[@onlyonetoserve9586]

I like this stile of akhitekture. Remind me of dubai. Better than old bilding

[@susanwood8086]

souless place

[@RajSinghKhalsa]

Another great video John, I sometimes pass through there taking my mother to the Sir Ludwig Guttman center for her anaul diabetes screening appointment and am to amazed by the transformation from old Plaistow through to West Ham and New Stratford E20 its like stepping into another dimension, the opening to the 70s tv program "Saphire and Steel" springs to mind 👍

[@mykola_kanyuk]

That`s exactly what I was eager to see for years, thank you John!

[@charlielockettfilms]

Really love these videos John, especially these of Stratford/West Ham. I only moved to the area in 2018 close to West Ham Park and have found myself really excited by the 'new' Stratford that's growing on the 'other side of the tracks'. It's been great going back and watching your old videos of the area and seeing how your opinion has shifted over time. I think there's a lot to be optimistic about - particularly looking forward to the ongoing East Bank development. Keep the videos coming - and congratulations on the sponsorship, I know that must make a difference.

[@samhopkins6462]

Really appreciate this narrated walk John. Invaluable perspective and context. thank you

[@peckinpahlady]

When I was a kid in the 1950s I lived just off Crownfield Road. The school holidays were spent with all my (many) cousins either on Wanstead Flats or running around Temple Mills, which was all grassy mounds and old railway yards with the river Lea running through. I loved it yet never knew the name came from the Knights Templar connection; thank for that bit of fascinating information. I hope, someday, I can come to look upon the new housing developments as open mindedly as you do. Brilliant video.

[@kerryannestevenson6099]

Thankyou once again John for that interesting and informative walk.

[@damedavidfrith55]

Thanks for another lovely trip around London interesting to see how your view has changed about this area .

[@wendybrown5935]

Brilliant vid, facinating to see what a major improvement to the whole area that has been made. I love the way you explain so much and the knowledge and passion you have for bringing so much information to us☺

[@robertcollins1583]

Really relaxing to watch, as ever. Thoroughly enjoyed :)

[@kaiheichorcellist5241]

I lived in the East Village for 4 years before relocating to Hong Kong last in July 2019... Thanks for the video, brings me loads of great memories. Love the bits when you talked about how personal experience changes one's perception of a place ;)

[@Signals927]

Thanks John I really enjoyed this walk and seeing what they have done to this area of East london.

[@mattydsmith]

Congrats on the sponsorship, hopefully some recognition of what we’ve known for ages; that this channel rocks! Lovely to see the walk around there, it’s my winter weekend haunt when Hollow Ponds and Wanstead Park are a bit too wet to bother with.

[@robbojax2025]

I knew the area well before the redevelopment and always felt that the Olympic legacy would be good if handled properly. It has not disappointed. Before lockdown I visited the area regularly and used the bars and cafés around Westfield. Like you I find the area is growing on me with every new phase. Thoroughly enjoyed this video.

[@JohnRogersWalks]

thanks Robert - it's really starting to develop a personality

[@BritishBoy1971]

Another quality video, thank you John. Thanks for the tour around an area that I had been wondering about (about what it's like there) for so long. Now I know! Cheers!

[@JohnRogersWalks]

cheers Rottie - glad you enjoyed it

[@markcoombs5887]

Yet another great film. The way you use music is so beautiful , it adds so much to the narrative. Look forward to hearing you own music soon!

[@tonycuddlez]

Another excellent video thanks for sharing. I love east village reminds of me so much of Madrid It always feels quite peaceful considering where you are. I worked on the Mace factory project on celebration avenue a few years ago spent while exploring this area. Nice one John 🙏

[@DeresFanTv]

Thank you for another great video John!

[@danieljamesmead]

Some how KZbin took me from a channel of a guy saving seals tangled up in rubbish in Africa, to Alexi Sayle cycling around London, to this channel. What a result! I've spent 20 years walking around (North) London (a bit of an oddity to my friends) and I've completely fallen in love with these videos. Perfect mix of mood, music, information, content and relaxation to sit here and work to. Unfortunately my having a three year old has curtailed my long long walks for now so it's great to vicariously do them through you :) Thanks!

[@JohnRogersWalks]

ha that's wonderful Daniel. I was watching one of the Alexi Sayle videos just the other day - he was a big figure in my formative years watching the Young Ones

[@briancox144]

Excellent walk enjoyed very much John Rogers very interesting

[@davidbinns2882]

This area has changed almost totally since I used to work nearby a decade or so ago. Then I moved away, and since coming more or less back to a few miles down Mile End Road two years ago, events (e.g. the pandemic) have limited my mobility. This film is inspiring me to rediscover an old stomping ground when circumstances permit. Which suddenly looks like it may be much sooner than I thought just a week or two ago. Intriguing and inspiring stuff, John. You've done it again!

[@alisonedwards8810]

Fantastic! I absolutely love your videos!

[@JohnRogersWalks]

cheers Alison

[@grandmasterbeats9732]

JOHN I WATCHED THIS ON MOTHERING SUNDAY. I WANTED TO SAY A WARM THANK YOU FOR SHOWING ME AND THE WORLD AT HOME THE OLYMPIC PARK AND THE NEW DEVELOPMENTS AROUND EAST LONDON. I ALSO WANTED TO SAY A SPECIAL THANKS TO YOU FOR SHARING THIS NEW SKILLS PAGE AND LASTLY STRATFORD SHOPPING CENTRE ALSO REFERRED TO AS WESTFIELD SHOPPING CENTRE. "SO ONCE AGAIN THANK YOU AND I LOOK FORWARD TO SHARING YOUR NEXT VIDEO OF WHEREVER THAT MAY BE"

[@athoshadjiantoni6403]

Well done John Rogers, a great walk around the Olympic village that I always wanted to know.

[@JohnRogersWalks]

thanks Athos and also for pointing out my error with the playlists

[@athoshadjiantoni6403]

@@JohnRogersWalks your welcome.

[@LucAbroad]

Always a pleasure to watch your videos! Greetings from a fellow Londoner 🇬🇧

[@JohnRogersWalks]

thanks Luc

[@billyfury1952]

Very interesting walk thanks

[@lukeharris8806]

Another great Sunday evening walk - thanks John 👍

[@JohnRogersWalks]

cheers Luke - glad you enjoyed it

[@Tom_J23]

Great video!!! Thx John!

[@JohnRogersWalks]

cheers Tom

[@Curiousdriving]

Fascinating walk, particularly the new developments. Nice to see the sun shine too :)

[@JohnRogersWalks]

glad you enjoyed it Ian - yes it was great to see a bit of sunshine

[@juliewilliams9441]

You honestly make my Sundays much more interesting the place of my birth thanks 👍🏼

[@JohnRogersWalks]

that's wonderful to hear Julie thanks

[@gladysjohnson2320]

Roger Thanks for the walk the story of Westfield I may vist there soon, 😀

[@timbuthfer901]

Cheers John, great to see how the legacy of the Olympics is actually thriving.

[@paulroossien5322]

Great video john must pay a visit after lockdown your knowledge is amazing look forward to more certainly brightens a dull sunday cheers

[@JohnRogersWalks]

cheers Paul

[@irenepulga936]

great walk, Thank you John, it puts few more thing into perspective when i go cycling around the area. There's definitely some well thought out design in that area, but some of the high rise buildings are just too suffocating....

[@lloydevans1552]

I do partake in a bit of architecture photography...I'll definitely consider this area a visit once we can travel. Thank you for sharing

[@lindahart6049]

Just love your videos, the history and interesting facts. Thanks from Oregon, USA

[@JohnRogersWalks]

thanks Linda

[@jlily8909]

I do like the development, I like all the parks, they give the area lungs, I also like the sound of the people, kids out enjoying themselves, making memories. Yeah, it's a bit generic, but I like the different heights and facades and materials used, the feeling of protection from the higher buildings, makes you feel like you're part of something new, a bit exciting. I'm sure it's lovely when there are markets and more people around in the summer, after lock-down. I'd like to see more of the old London added, winding streets of townhomes, more retail at street level, and more of what gives London its authenticity and vibrancy. Thanks for taking us on that walk John, I love to see how London always evolves. I miss it so much, makes me even more homesick. You know how that feels.

[@johnmiller5630]

Second consecutive JR fix today. I’m really of two minds when I see all of this development. It seems so soulless and transient. Maybe it’s just too new and needs to find it’s place to finally become more than a series of new builds that people come and go but never truly live in! Great record of the progress so far. Thanks as always for sharing John.

[@mariana4059]

Good to know that we may soon have more of your own guitar accompaniment to your videos, John! I thoroughly enjoyed the previous bits we heard on some of your videos.

[@JohnRogersWalks]

thanks Mariana - looking forward to making more music

[@NOWThatsRichy]

This is interesting, parts of London you never normally see, didn't realise so much development had happened there, since the Olympics. This channel just came up in my recommends, thank you John.

[@janebaker966]

Those Knights Templar get everywhere. It's good to know you've got a new book ready for us to look forward to. I've got no connection with or knowledge of this area but it's great that you are recording all the changes. It's the same in Bristol as new developed places like Emerson's Green now feel homely and lived in,now Lyde Green or out at Patchway feel raw and new but they develop an atmosphere after a few years. I'd like to visit the Olympic Park one time.

[@stephenquinn6485]

Interesting vid John your right how it changes so quickly i walked around the ex olympic village last summer loved some of the nature parts on way thru to Hackney Marshes Keep up the good work Sir

[@JohnRogersWalks]

thanks Stephen

[@shauntodd7123]

Amazing John, i worked in the Olympic Village as a Security Team Leader and the change is amazing. You said about the flats and i remember 12 blocks. Seaside 1-5 Countryside 1-5 and Heritage 1/2. The Chobham academy existed too and greatly used by LOCOG. The reason why the flats had no kitchen was the massive dining hall which occupied the Chobham village site and included a Mcdonalds. We also had a Coca Cola pub for the athletes that did not serve alchahol. Every time i go back its just bigger and nothing to show were the fences and gates ever were. I almost forget the Health Centre was there too provide medical services inside the wire. The Patch of west ground was the Welcome centre for visitors.

[@BaslowKiss]

Fascinating John, Thank you. I have watched a lot of your videos John and feel like you're an old friend! I have taken so much from your videos that I needed to give something back, so as a small recompense, I bought This Other London on Audible. Needless to say I loved this as well. Pleased you have finally got some sponsorship!! Brilliant work and Thank you for your efforts.

[@JohnRogersWalks]

Many thanks indeed - massively appreciate you buying the audiobook and really hope you enjoy it. There's a video on here where I walked past the studio where I recorded it in Queens Park

[@benalvatur4858]

A nice video. I am glad you are coming around to it's charm. It is a great place to live, a community feel and very much a village as the name suggests. The best thing is the amount of children who are growing up with the facilities on their doorstep. There is no place like it imo

[@ArferNower]

Thanks John, very interesting

[@derekpyne]

Hi John . Another interesting video from you.. Never used Westfield, moved up to MK before it opened. Used to shop a lot in the old Stratford centre. Like some of the design of some of the buildings but not all of them 😁 but your knowledge of the area still make it very interesting to watch. Thanks again John 👍

[@Na5tyify]

As always, love your walks and would love to see the next chorological instalment of this walk.

[@kevinbarry3380]

Absolutely fascinating. In the sixties used to frequent this area. wouldn’t recognise it now obviously but quite impressed how it’s all turned out. There used to be some really grotty areas before so an improvement would say. Thank you for the tour.

[@bedorset579]

Yes, looks like just anywhere. How long are they going to be standing for? Surely not 100 years. Even San Francisco limits these types of buildings. Can you do Kilburn next? So much history there. I lived there in the 90s when it was still Irish, next to the Irish soda bread bakers on the corner of Quex Road. The Irish bars all up the street were amazing.

[@matthewjdouglas6471]

I worked on these buildings and we were told 200 years as they are made from architectural precast concrete and stainless steel brackets fixing. Concrete becomes its strongest at around 100 years and then it slowly loses strength. Let's hope 200 years because its a lot of material that will be ripped down hundreds of thousands of tonnes, maybe may be millions of tonnes across all the accommodation blocks

[@downunderdougs]

Great vid! I was wondering if you were ever going to film around this area just because it's not your usual historical or bucolic greater London video. I was struck by this area-the Westfield in particular-when I first moved to London last year because it felt eerily similar to new developments in Melbourne or Brisbane. Your comments around 21:33 are wise words to remind one's self when confronted with developments like this. Anyways, great video once again!!!

[@j_thom]

Stellar work John! This new olympic residential redevelopment reminds me of Canadian cities..

[@stephenlatchem6770]

yes John! Walking the walk talking the talk!

[@alexthomson7465]

Hulking great towering developments using the word village in their titles. I find it all a bit suffocating to be honest. The height just blocks roo much light out and all the patches of green feel like they have been left there quite grudgingly by developers. But it was pretty much a waste land before so I guess its been at both extremes of the scale of development. Great vid John! 👍🏻

[@mariana4059]

I have to say that the one thing I really like about this development (and I'm not sure that all of them are like this) are the lovely wide sidewalks - they feel pedestrian friendly. I also like that areas with the tables and stools - can anyone sit there, or do they belong to a particular restaurant/coffee shop? These ideas seem to support a type of 'social' neighbourhood, but it remains to be seen if the people who live here will actually make use of these outside spaces ...

[@terryflynn1956]

Thanks for showing us a part of London not often seen. Temple Mills , Chobham are names from my past and I now know who Villiers Close in Leyton was named after . Another fascinating video John. 😊👍

[@jackrutter9250]

I see that the main pedestrian walkway from the Copperbox to the Stadium, once adorned with wildflowers and carefree car free family strolls, is now currently being turned into a two-way road for cars. There's a lot of faux environmental pledges in this park.

[@PS-cb9il]

I agree, I don't think we need that road there.

[@LauraAgustinNA]

I appreciate your comments on how we can change from disliking and rejecting new places to having connections with them that matter. I always think of the very young who grow up seeing these places as normal, ordinary, livable.

[@wipool1940]

Love your videos 👌🏽

[@JohnRogersWalks]

cheers Winner Pool YNWA

[@roberto.s.castro]

Thanks for this vídeo. I got a lot of good memories of Stratford, especially when I lived in Bromley-by-Bow. 🙏

[@roberto.s.castro]

I'm waiting anxiously the end of pandemic to come back to live in London.

[@blossie33]

The mention of Logan Close reminded me of the film Logan's Run - quite fitting for the futuristic city landscape!

[@delicatesseract]

So I've been listening to This Other London on audiobook, as I'll tell anyone who'll listen and everyone else, too, and what strikes me most about this video, along with other recent ones, is how you've actually become less cynical, even over the last couple of years. And to gain that expansiveness of spirit, that extra soupçon of compassion and understanding as one ages is a rare gift. It's like you're not just mellowing with each year, you're growing wings. That's so cool.

[@JohnRogersWalks]

thanks so much for that observation Ridgely. I think making these videos and interacting with people more has certainly been an important part of that process

[@alanratcliffe230]

Another wonderful video John I've been following your journey for 12 months really find your vlogs interesting and informative, I've just acquired your book ,The other London, after it became available again,do you have any other books out there on the market? All the best stay safe

[@JohnRogersWalks]

thanks Alan - no other books yet but hopefully soon. I took the photos in Bob and Roberta Smith's wonderful book You Are An Artist blackwells.co.uk/bookshop/product/9780500239933?gC=5a105e8b&gclid=Cj0KCQjw0caCBhCIARIsAGAfuMwHAPWcmM3ryncPA_0CfO7qIqrtS-2cGJlCZQ-F_agkN-VL2F38TJUaAvzGEALw_wcB

[@danielboulton98]

I'll have to visit in the summer its only 20 mins away on the DLR lol

[@ivanhockenhull2604]

I found this video wondrous. Intriguing locale, the Olympic Village. Some of it reminds me of Lou Reed's NYC. Another triumph, Jon.🇯🇪

[@whitestone4805]

John. !!! Skill-set. !! So you finally get to utter the immortal line...”and now a word from our sponsor !! You’ve not exactly gone corporate; more popped into the boardroom and swivelled around in one of the executive chairs before putting you feet on the highly polished table of power. Lots of food for thought regarding your walk around this area, really enjoyed the contrast, which made me question my views a bit. I totally get your point about changing/altering a perspective about a place as you develop a history and relationship with it. For me...the issue is in the deeper identity, which thinking about it is what any place builds up over extended and distinctly different periods of time. What I saw though could be anywhere, and I can’t envisage different, unique layers being added, probably impossible now. As for shopping malls, (and I completely own this sentiment) I experience them as soulless, franchised catacombs with living corpses. The Stepford wives hangout. Walk on my friend. It’s become an essential watch.

[@CYPRUSINSIGHT]

Yeah, tea cake and your vlog, perfect evening.

[@JohnRogersWalks]

hope you enjoy it Cyprus Insight

[@CYPRUSINSIGHT]

@@JohnRogersWalks we did, is there an E19 too now?

[@robertbloxham7825]

Thanks John, that certainly is a strange place now, one minute you can be walking with lots of other people the next minute you turn a corner and you're alone and think your on the set of '28 days later'!... weird, brilliant vid as usual, Rob

[@raymondpenalver7095]

Looking forward to hear your own music John and if its anything like your videos my Sunday evenings watching your channel are gonna be awesome 👌

[@2H80vids]

Another very interesting wee walk John. After all we heard from politicians, councillors etc about the "legacy" from the Olympics, I expected the place to be a horrible, concrete jungle, full of useless monstrosities. Taking this tour with you today, I was pleasantly surprised. You'd be hard-pressed ro call the place attractive but it's not nearly as horrible as I expected. If covid was out-of-the-way and the weather was decent, there's a few places there I would happily sit outside, after visiting the ice-cream emporium.😁 It looks like there are plenty local residents and plenty of open spaces for them to enjoy. I've no love for vast shopping malls but there seem to be plenty of smaller shops too. Combine all that with some excellent transport links and it looks like a decent place to live ~ hardly Utopia, but very liveable. Thanks for taking us along again, you're a great tour guide.👍👌😁

[@joancraft1933]

Visited Stratford after 10 years....didn't recognize the place- Skillshare absolutely can vouch for it, so many things to learn :)

[@joancraft1933]

@@robertb9902 used to work at the pyramid council offices in the Grove

[@JohnRogersWalks]

thanks for that Joan

[@BaxterChobbery]

Great to see the channel growing John - look forward to standing you a pint in the Red Lion

[@JohnRogersWalks]

thanks very much Jonathan - counting down the days till the Red Lion re-opens, nearly put in a booking request today

[@BaxterChobbery]

@@JohnRogersWalks I've booked a table at the Cricketers in South Woodford for the 16 th at 6 pm - praying now for no rain - perishing cold I can handle ...

[@BaxterChobbery]

Working with the GLA in the 00s I remember meetings setting out the vision for Stratford - trying to ensure the mistakes of Canary Wharf weren't repeated ... I love the area - it feels like a neighborhood (aside from the obvious ownership issues)

[@matthewjdouglas6471]

Hi Baxter, what are the ownership issues, genuinely curious. I worked on the village on one of the blocks installing the the stone cladding

[@phillipmcgough6282]

thank you. as a londoner, i've never been there. not sure i ever will. but now i feel i've seen it!

[@philburdett]

Interesting & slightly daunting to see Stratford these days...place me in the centre & I'd be lost ha! Certainly changed from my day...good work as ever sir!

[@JohnRogersWalks]

thanks Phil

[@malcolmmcguire2876]

Hey John, Love your work and binging on so many episodes right now. Is the skilshare offer still current? Oh I’m a Barking boy now in Sydney and your videos are a delight

[@philipreddaway6410]

Great post John ( I'm a huge fan) - hoping you might consider something in-depth around Canary Wharf/Isle of Dogs/Mudshute etc - I know from asides you've made you have an understandable downer on the corporate east end - me too! - but we live nearby, Limehouse, and like you , getting to know the East Village with your son, it starts to change your relationship/perception. What do you think?

[@hashman92]

Great video thanks John. I’ve rented in EV for almost 4 years since moving to London and enjoy learning the history and background of the development that has taken place. It does seem to become less sanitised and a bit more warm but maybe that’s just me spending time here as you alluded to

[@hashman92]

I should have added that the Hackney Wick video was great too!

[@JohnRogersWalks]

thanks Henry - always great to hear from people who actually live there

[@china100]

Reminds me of my thoughts when I was living in London a few years ago...it will be great when it's finished.

[@chrismccartney8668]

Chobham Farms was also container Depot and Rail/Road Transhipment site. And Temple mills was a huge rail sidings and rail goods site..

[@shotgunpsycho]

Heading to London in June 2022. My bags are already packed!

[@WiggyWigmoreUK]

Love watching your videos! Do you know of any sites with pics/video of how this whole area looked prior to clearance for the Olympic development? I managed to find some old maps while watching this last night, and am curious to see how it was back then (railways works, farm/allotments, industrial area, etc)... I saw elsewhere that you may be doing guided tours at some point? Would love to join you.

[@JohnRogersWalks]

thanks Wiggy - the wonderful photographer Peter Marshall documented a lot of the Lea Valley in its earlier guise londonphotographs.co.uk/lea/default.htm

[@WiggyWigmoreUK]

@@JohnRogersWalks lovely - thanks again!

[@bajoobiecuzican]

Love from California ♥️. You’re my after work relaxation 🧘‍♂️

[@jackpayne4658]

I live near Richmond Park, so it's a regular place for walking. There is a curious branching road, near a pedestrian gate, with no obvious purpose. I recently learned that it served a large army barracks during WW2. After the war, the buildings were tarted up somewhat and became the 1948 Olympic Village. I wonder what the international athletes thought about it - crude wooden huts, in a beautiful landscape, several miles from any of the events. Hmm...

[@JohnRogersWalks]

that's interesting John - they built so little for the 'Austerity Games' - I think one of the few surviving buildings is the stands at Herne Hill Velodrome

[@bulkedmurderer]

im in this video in the background of one of the shots lol just found your channel today and am quite sad now because it wouldve been great to meet you love your channel

[@JohnRogersWalks]

wonderful stuff Kappa - I've always wondered how many people spot themselves in a video. Funnily enough someone came over to say hello in Victoria Park on Saturday while I was filming

[@overnightparking]

Several comments made about the soulless building architecture but I have a feeling for the people who live there, from my experience there are many young families, they’re more concerned about safe places for the kids to play, a place to quickly grab a litre of milk, close by shopping (Westfield is walkable), local transport to quickly get them to work or see the relatives, a place to safely stroll with the family in the evening and have opportunities for yoga class, a place to play footie, and maybe even make friends. That’s what makes a good neighbourhood and I suspect for many this area provides exactly that despite the mostly flavourless building architecture and maybe because of the large scale planning for the open spaces around the buildings. The other thing to realise is housing is really in short supply in London and although the modern mews buildings John pointed out were architecturally more interesting, high rise buildings which can be built inexpensively make for places cheap enough for young families to afford is at least partly responsible for the style of architecture.

[@sidneyarchibaldjames1309]

They pulled down the high rises of the 1960s for diametrically opposite reasons. Not fit for family life. These barren lofty apartments are intentionally designed for worker ants with no children.

[@josephasghar]

High rises can indeed be built inexpensively, due to maximising the site footprint. Why is it then, that a two-bed covid hutch in one of these developments costs more than my Victorian detached with garden? Incidentally, housing shortage is a fallacy: there has never been a higher ratio of dwellings to need - it’s a fact of deliberate economics that has led to this.

[@celesebu]

@@sidneyarchibaldjames1309 Depends on how they're built, what's the storage space, the ceiling height, the quality of walls and such. Down in most of Continental Europe we grow up mostly in flats in "high rises" and bear no trauma for it. I am 34, I grew up in a 10th floor flat, 70s architecture, so not great great looking from the outside, but it had all the space we needed, schools were walking distance, my parents could just send me to the neighbours across the hall who had children too - and viceversa, and communal space were nice to play outside when the weather was good. I. can honestly say that I don't feel I'll ever want a house, with the isolation from the neighbours and all the responsibility for maintaining the structure only on yourself. My dream home is a top floor flat in a historical building with high ceilings and huge windows. Oh, right now I live in the East Village, and it's the only place in the UK where I found flats with standards that can almost compare to those from where I grew up. Still, not much storage inside and no cellars or attics, which suggests that in the British mentality you still can't want a flat to be your lifelong home.

[@sidneyarchibaldjames1309]

@@celesebu I've worked in some of those apartments. The walls are thin plasterboard, the 'kitchens' are grafted onto a living room wall with the dining 'room' squatting the area in-between. Not good for family life. Houses are for humans. These towers are for consumer units paying a lifetime service charge at rising inflation whilst paying the exorbitant mortgage to view those distant Victorian terraced houses from the balconies fit only for a washing line and folding chair. But yes I appreciate these lifestyles are for people who don't want the burden or responsibility of a house or period property. But that in itself is why these new communities will never endure, are rootless and will be in forever transformation.

[@celesebu]

@@sidneyarchibaldjames1309 I know, I have issues with the thin walls too, I say they "almost" compare. But your comment seems to imply that outside of the UK, or these countries were culturally people are more inclined towards houses, we are not "humans"!

[@HonestSonics]

These developments look nice in a brochure cover sort of way, the persistent wind and shade lends it a harsh edge though.

[@JohnRogersWalks]

the wind is quite incredible

[@101grandma]

Learned all sorts of great stuff from this video. Thanks John! I checked out your sponsor too. I can't help wondering what became of the people who were ousted from housing that no longer exists.

[@JohnRogersWalks]

thanks 101grandma. Unfortunately most of the people were re-housed throughout the borough and not together as a community as far as I'm aware. I believe an alternative site was identified but it was near the runway of City Airport so not suitable

[@biddylisduff]

I was one of the ousted from Clays Lane Housing Co-operative, in 2006. The place was surrounded by fields, bordered by Temple Mills Lane and the Cycle Track /Nature Reserve . No tall buildings except two Tower Blocks in Clays Lane Close. Everyone dispersed across London and beyond, to individual Council flats mainly. Sad to see the infill of open land, but as you say, with people it has life. The sky line has changed forever, but some people made a lot of money by selling the land. Progress.. I hope the new residents are happy at least. I have great memories of the wild side of Stratford /Leyton, it certainly wasn't a wasteland.. Not to us.. Thanks John, for mentioning Clays Lane - now wiped off the map. (Archive held at the Bishopsgate Institute).

[@biddylisduff]

@@JohnRogersWalks I was involved in the negotiations for rehousing with London Development Agency /Peabody Housing (who took over the running of Clays Lane so it was no longer a Co-op at the end). A long and winding saga!

[@caroloshea6065]

Really enjoy your videos, John, but since when were loganberries blue?

[@pauldrozdz7571]

As ever, a thoroughly enjoyable 30 odd minutes. Having worked in Stratford for 11 years, I'm ashamed to admit that much of the content of this video was new to me. So, when my home working comes to an end, I know what I'll be doing in my lunch breaks!

[@Ben_Mdws]

Fascinating John. I wonder what people walking around it 50 years from now will make of it.

[@JohnRogersWalks]

that's a good question Ben - at least these might stand a chance of still being there in 50 years with all the stone that was used but who knows how much the surrounding area will have changed

[@susanwood8086]

they will all have died from Covid

[@craigvitelli686]

It's chorography I believe, I've always enjoyed your videos. Interesting insight of history also very educational...keep up the good work John!

[@craigvitelli686]

chronology*

[@JohnRogersWalks]

thanks Craig

[@jonnotshared7590]

As always a great video on which to end one week and start another. I used to work (in the late 80's) at Stratford railway works. Proud to have been a "Cockney Sparrow" Stratford International (white elephant) Station was scheduled to be a Eurostar station especially with the Olympics being in town. However post Olympics that idea was withdrawn because to stop a train at Stratford en-route to Paris etc would add between 8 to 11 minutes to the travel time and this was consider to add too much to the journey time.

[@celesebu]

I saw you walking in EV the other day! And felt vicariously important 😛

[@dolorespinto3106]

This was a surprise. Very interesting and not what I expected. I shall visit the village myself as soon as I get out of my covid prison.

[@howdymartin6258]

John - as useful and informative as ever --- did you notice at 16.47 you show a street sign for Scarlet Close and the typeface on the sign is quite unusual -- I cannot work out why unless the developers had permission to put their own stamp on the area as several others later on share this quite unconventional typeface.

[@JohnRogersWalks]

that's interesting Martin - Sean pointed out another one at around 26 mins as well - I didn't notice at the time but it's quite unusual

[@Mouxbar]

Sponsorship! LOL, well done. Been working on "Song for a Pylon" for a while. Must finish that and send it to you to see if it passes muster. Dreamy/ambient style. Maybe this weekend :-)

[@JohnRogersWalks]

that track sounds amazing Mouxbar - look forward to hearing