At London’s gate it rose, in SE1
Democratic and utilitarian
Here, the post-war settlement began
The hub of Abercrombie’s London plan
The giant blocks and decks of the Heygate
Expressed the power and hope of the state
In the sky-leaning architecture we see
Faith in the future and modernity
Over the estate, sheathed in black and grey
The vast Strata tower looms today
These flats cost millions; bankers live here now
Reward for self-interest – the new way
Society crumbles – a slow-motion decay
The rich get richer, the poor riot a bit
The state did not fail; we failed it
In a legend to make Abercrombie cry
Now here say giant letters in the sky
Each era, a new skin is painted on
The future lost; conservatism won
Pics taken by me from my beloved 63 bus as we arrived at the Elephant and Castle area of south London, which I have been travelling to, and through, for various reasons for the past 25 years. Nowhere of course means utopia.
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