please empty your brain below
There was a programme about the Park Hill project on the BBC (?) years ago, it was one of Labour's public-private partnerships, then the financial crisis hit, those running the project were also kiboshed by the intensity and expense of the work to restore the concrete (worth remembering if you do buy a flat there).

Still Anon | 18.10.18 - 7:52 a.m. | #

Fungi - shaggy ink cap mostly. Do not mix with alcohol or you'll come a cropper. Not so sure about the tall ones with the black caps.

Burntweenie | 18.10.18 - 7:58 a.m. | #

Never mind Richard Hawley's dog, his claim to fame for me is his production of the wonderful Duane Eddy's album 'Road trip' in 2011, Duane's first new album for 25 years. And guess what, Duane's doing 80th birthday celebration concerts in London, Manchester and Glasgow in the next fortnight. A great man, a rock star who lived (and still lives) a clean life. Nothing in Sheffield though.

J. | 18.10.18 - 8:36 a.m. | #

Sky Edge or Skye Edge? I've always known it by the latter - also the name given to nearby roads.

dg writes: The top road is Skye Edge Avenue, but the Ordnance Survey call it Sky Edge.

Traveller | 18.10.18 - 9:52 a.m. | #

This is pretty interesting. Also quite amazing that the whole thing got listed!

Muzer | 18.10.18 - 10:05 a.m. | #

It's strange that what goes around, comes around and those old concrete high-rises can find a new lease of life with a bit of a spruce up, rather than demolition.
Though I suspect demolition would have been the preferred option had it not already been listed!

Cornish Cockney | 18.10.18 - 10:56 a.m. | #

It's become even more of a carbuncle, in my opinion. Everything seems to have been deliberately made as ugly as possible, especially those vile red 'Hitler salute' streetlights.

What a shame they didn't demolish the whole complex in a series of spectacular implosions, with Prince Charles pressing the big button.

Gerry | 18.10.18 - 11:11 a.m. | #

Somerleyton Estate in Brixton, Robinhood Gardens and the huge estate in Southwark have the same issues!

Drew | Homepage | 18.10.18 - 11:27 a.m. | #

That's quite a transformation of the blocks facing the station. I took these photos in 2009
[photo 1] [photo 2]

Mikey C | 18.10.18 - 11:41 a.m. | #

"once an aspirational escape for thousands, now a sparkily sanitised refuge for a few"

How many flats were lost in the re-development process?

dg writes: Originally - 995 flats
Completed so far - about 300 flats
Intended at end of project - 864 flats

Flanders Valhalla | 18.10.18 - 11:48 a.m. | #

I too wondered about that claim (the sparkily sanitised one). I don't think DG is referring to the numbers living there. Although I agree with the claim, I find myself at a loss when trying to put into words what it means exactly.

Maybe something to do with the idea that back in the day, every council tenant in Sheffield could imagine living there, and probably knew someone who did. Nowadays the flats just seem out of normal people's reach.

Malcolm | 18.10.18 - 12:21 p.m. | #

Listened to a interesting BBC radio doc a few years ago about a piece of Park Hill graffiti which became a work of art:

and there it is in the penultimate photo of DG's Flickr set.

Kevin | 18.10.18 - 12:44 p.m. | #

Nice to see you visiting my home patch after years of me enjoying reading about yours.

The Cholera Monument Grounds are a bit of a hidden gem in Sheffield as many Sheffielders don't seem to know they exist. I love walking up there on a clear day when you can see for miles across the city and out in to the surrounding countryside. The view though used to be partly obscured by Park Hill's neighbouring and now demolished tower blocks - Google Claywood Flats to get a feel for how different it was.

Anders | 18.10.18 - 12:56 p.m. | #

The history of Park Hill is emblematic of 'social progress' in Britain. How telling that the much-trumpeted Urban Splash regeneration has effectively stalled. I wonder if the topic of yesterday's DG post will also make its mark on this monument.

It's interesting, isn't it, what you can do to a listed building these days. Regulating authorities appear pretty much toothless. I suspect we'll see a 'big scandal' when the lack of enforcement across the country brings us to a tipping point.

Enjoyed reading this eye-witness account. Ta.

drD | Homepage | 18.10.18 - 1:06 p.m. | #

Robin Hood Gardens in Poplar was built in the 1960s on similar principles to Park Hill in Sheffield but never got listed and was allowed to decay beyond repair and become uninhabitable, so it's being demolished (with a section saved for the V&A) and replaced by a modern scheme of many more homes. Come back in 50 years to see what's become of them.

Meanwhile, not far away and still in Poplar, Goldfinger's listed Balfron Tower was in a similar state and, like Park Hill, could only be rescued by being privatised.

ActonMan | 18.10.18 - 2:22 p.m. | #

"could only be rescued by being privatised"

It wouldn't have needed to be 'rescued' had it been maintained properly as social housing instead of being stealthily transferred to property developers who look set to profit massively from the legacy of public investment that has landed in their laps.

The neglect>rescue>profit model : coming soon to a public service near you.

drD | Homepage | 18.10.18 - 3:39 p.m. | #

I'm hoping for more episodes on my much-loved adopted city. Sadly I haven't noticed anyone hanging around suspiciously taking photos.

Sarah | Homepage | 18.10.18 - 9:43 p.m. | #

I thought I recognised the flats in the latest Doctor Who episode (the one with the spiders). The Tardis landed outside Park Hill

Spatula | 29.10.18 - 7:31 a.m. | #











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