Michael Romyn - Londons Aylesbury Estate: An Oral History of the ‘Concrete Jungle’

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In late 2012 I began speaking to some of the former residents and last remaining residents of south Londons Heygate Estatea time when its demolition, in the name of regeneration, was already underway. My objectives were simple: to understand what it had been like to live on the Heygate, and to tell this story in the residents own words. The resulting piece appeared in History Workshop Journal in 2016. A study of community life in a context of change, the piece, for me at least, raised as many questions as it answeredabout the forces behind the decline of mass housing in inner-city London, and about the place of working-class residents within this often deracinating process.

This bookan examination of Heygates sister estate, the Aylesburyis an attempt to answer those questions; I hope, above all else, it does the experience of the Aylesburys residents justice. Certainly, I owe an immense debt to a number of those residents and ex-residents, whose kindness and hospitality will always stay with me, and whose insights made the writing of this book possible. This sentiment extends to all the non-residents with whom I either spoke or corresponded.

The cast of people who have aided me does not end there: I am immeasurably grateful to Professor Jerry White, whose book, Rothschild Buildings, first set me on the path of oral history, and who guided me on the Heygate project, and then throughout this larger endeavour. His generosity, encouragement and advice have been truly invaluable.

The preparation of the manuscript was helped by the comments and criticisms of Dr Alana Harris and Professor Selina Todd, both of whom have been incredibly supportive. For his kind words and suggestions I wish to thank Professor Matt Cook; my thanks also to Professor Joanna Bourke for her comments on early draft chapters, and to the readers at Palgrave Macmillan.

Thanks to Virginia Wynn-Jones at Southwark Council for her considerable assistance, and to Steven Potter, Lisa Soverall, Patricia Dark and all the team at Southwark Local History Library and Archive for their help and guidance. Many thanks also to Palgrave Macmillan, especially my editors Megan Laddusaw and Joseph Johnson.

This project began as a doctoral thesis, for which I was fortunate enough to receive funding. For this, I am grateful to Professor Nikolaus Wachsmann and the Birkbeck Research Committee, and to the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

A big thank you to my family for their support, and, finally, for all the proofreading, patience, and encouragement, my love and deepest thanks go to Katherine Cooper.