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| Stan Passmore, 2013 |
When I met Stan Passmore and his friend
George Phillips in 2013 they were both facing the prospect of the
demolition of their homes on the Regent's Park Estate, to make way
for the HS2 high speed rail terminus at the adjacent Euston station.
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| George Phillips, 2013 |
Stan, then aged 87, had lived in his
fourth floor flat in the Eskdale block since 1961. His near neighbour
George, then aged 94, had lived in his since it was built in 1955.
Both told me they hoped to die before the bulldozers arrived. George
achieved his wish not long after, but Stan, who died earlier this
month, lived just long enough to see his former home turned
into a pile of rubble.
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| Eskdale (pink block on right), Regent's Park Estate, 2013 |
Euston is now one giant construction
site. Many hundreds of homes have been demolished, lives disrupted,
businesses closed, graves dug up, ancient trees felled. And yet,
even at this late stage in the progress of this misconceived project,
the politicians are still debating whether to proceed. Whatever they
decide, it will be too late for Eskdale and its former residents.
More pictures here. More words here.
