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Portsmouth Road
Things Ait what they used to be
Photo credit:
lithosfear Ravens Ait taken over by environmental campaigners and artists.
Last weekend firefighters were warned up to 400 people could turn up to an illegal rave there, but few signs of activity could be seen.
Boats moored up next to the island including a houseboat and smaller boat with a Jolly Roger skull and crossbones flag. Another rainbow flag was flying from above the building.
One woman shouting across the river from the island and said, "It wasn't a party. It wasn't a rave. It was a cinema night and it went very well thank you."
Officially the site now belongs to insolvency firm Wilkins Kennedy, after the previous owners went into administration, and any money from a future sale would be owed to the debtors.
Update:
Squatters who have taken over Raven’s Ait island with the dream of taking it into a “eco conference centre” face eviction by the council at a court hearing next week.
They are desperate to transform the former wedding and conference centre into a “Green University”, complete with lectures, film screenings and permaculture garden, after moving in illegally three weeks ago.
But the council, which owns the island, is adamant that it will either sell it off or lease it out to a more regular company, who would be likely to keep it as a entertainment venue. They said their presence is likely to deter any future business interest and it intends to regain possession of the property as soon after next week’s court hearing as possible.
Several of the squatters are part of the Circle Community, which has occupied buildings elsewhere in the capital, including Spike Community Centre in Peckham most recently.
Squatter Peter Phoenix, 38, insisted the group is treating the place respectfully and paying for its own electricity through a £1,000 grant from an environmental group.
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Comments
Passed the Ait today with my son. Hello, the Jolly Roger has gone. It's been replaced by a rainbow-peace flag....no problems with that. So the Royal Navy won't be steaming up the Thames to remove those pirate types :-)
Interesting about the year 1217. Hope the occupiers aren't basing all of their defence on medieval laws and treaties(?).
Unluckily for you my son is already an expert with all things pirate. Still an interesting read all the same..
Why can't you all just get along, learn to LOVE one another, like sister and brother?
Do sister and brother all love each other then?
The above text has been deliberately disemvowelled as it is in breach of the Surbiton.com terms.
Hello Local Person.
Hopefully by now you have accepted the invitation to visit YOUR island on the thames and have a change of heart and then indeed words.
If not please come and visit your island and help us stop the Council from selling this piece of Public land to a private investor.
My number is 07791 042 078 if you have any questions.
Love and Light
Richard
Dear whoever you are
Thanks for the tip off, if you like I could have a word with this guys Mother and Father, they are both retired Police Officers, now grow up, stop being paranoid and stop wasting Police time, they do not take kindly to this sort of immature behaviour.
Unless someone can substantiate these claims, I wouldn't give too much credence to this anonymous hearsay.
I walked into Kingston on Saturday and saw all the flags and signs on the island - I'm really interested in what the inhabitants are doing.
I've lived in Surbiton for almost three years and I've alway been a bit confused about Raven's Ait and how that ugly-looking lump of a building could be constructed there. It just seems such a besmirchment of a natural river feature.
So much of the Kingston waterfront is over-developed and looks the same as a thousand other British towns with all the familiar franchised businesses installed. The Rose Theatre was provided as recompense for selling off public land to create that waterfront clone (and I'm all for the Rose by the way, it's one of the few centres of creativity and public engagement in this area).
I hope that the protest on the island registers with the council and perhaps plants the seed of an idea about how the island might be used for the community rather than for private venture in future.
I own a public house in tolworth, surbiton, surrey. Iwould like to be included on your site can you please let me know how to go about doing this
The Island was NOT empty. 1st surbiton scouts (120 local children in group) have been boating from the island for 25 years. so far there boats have been used without permission. all the store doors were kicked in or if they could not be kicked in then a large hole was cut in the door. They have had to delay the 45 local children going back on the water as they cannot leave thier boats on the island as they will go missing. I agree that the island should be used BUT NOT BY THESE JOKERS! ive met them they are con artists. they have ENVIROMENTAL TORRETS. they know NOTHING! watch the video's on youtube they are funny. a tour of the island getting the front and back the wrong way round. messuring tidal rises? on a non tidal stretch of the Thames? and then every couple of seconds just mention green power to sound good! as far as a community center what a great idea! run buy community leaders. to have children using the island everyone living there would have to be CRB checked? you reckon they would be up for that? would you let them take your children out on the water? do they have any skills to offer? if they want to watch enviromental videos and have green disscussions then why not use the uni's rooms do they have to be on the island? they are out for anything they can get! the council have evicted them. the only reason they are still on the island is that they have children now living their which now involves social services and is delaying eviction. they are effectively using children to delay thier departure which will come.
PLEASE SURBITON DO NOT SUPPORT THESE PARASITES WE DO NOT NEED THEM SPOILING OUR COMMUNITY.
I wholly support the project to turn Ravens Ait into an educational community centre. It is the ideal venue for a venture of this nature and we have to realise that these sorts of establishments are what is needed MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE for the benefit our empowering our people and creating a more sustainable future for everybody.
If you know something should be done - then just do it. We all know what is right and wrong - so lets put our heads together and get on with fixing the mess that we're in. I admire these guys - not only do they have vision, drive and loads of love to give, they also have no fear. They are courageous leaders, and we should support them in every way we can. Let go of your fear (your imagination), go and visit them and be inspired.. you won't be disappointed - in fact you'll probably fall in love.
If you believe they are just liars, criminals and scumbags, I'd say the same thing about the people that currently control our every action and enslave us with their unjust economic and legal systems. The squatters at Ravens Ait have made a conscious decision to stay in this country and BE THE CHANGE THEY WANT TO SEE, not just run a mile (like many people that can see things for what they really are already have done). These guys are doing what is NEEDED for ALL!
If you go to visit them and hear what they have to say, I'm sure your opinion will change dramatically. They are people with a concern for all life, including your own.... They are trying to provide a much needed service to our society and if necessary, through drastic action. We can't just wait for our corrupted centralised governments to sort out the problems we have in our world (after all they create most of them) - we need to take it upon ourselves to make the right choices and act upon them, not be swayed by propoganda or out-dated legal rhetoric.
These are extremely generous people who give so much yet take so little - does that surprise you? This is planned to be a centre open to everybody, not just the people that can afford it - is that not selfless action? The squatters hold the solutions to our problems, they are also extremely hard-working and compassionate individuals. Never be afraid to find these things out for yourself. Fear keeps us separated and right now the division both between us and nature; and that of ourselves, is causing everything a great deal of stress. This is the main reason we NEED more centres like this to unite us. Stress is not healthy and together we CAN create a harmonious world - we just need to stop being fooled by people that have been fooled- and get our priorities in order.
Priority number 1 - Get together and talk as adults. (So we need community centres/venues).
The opinion that you have about these squatters is not the truth, simply your imagination as I suppose you have never met them. Go and meet them and you will see what I mean - you'll feel a lot better about the whole thing.
Love, light and don't forget the laughter.. :)
Blue Eagle
RAVEN'S AIT CARE-TAKERS SILENCE THE HATE-MONGERS. ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDER THAN WORDS.
Inside the Raven's Ait squat
6:40am Monday 16th March 2009
By Kerry Grove »
The squatters who have taken over the private island of the former Raven's Ait wedding and conference centre invite us over for a visit to their 'eco-centre'.
From the moment you moor up to Raven’s Ait Island it is obvious you are encountering no ordinary group of squatters.
After reading the health and safety disclaimer and signing the official guest book, you are met by helpers wearing high-visibilty jackets and salvaged Raven’s Ait uniforms.
Squatter Peter Phoenix, 38, hasn’t paid for a home in 18 years. He claims to want to turn Raven’s Ait into an "eco-centre".
There is a conference room containing a white board with lists of local contacts and a library which will, according to him, soon be filled with environmental books shipped over from a former squat.
He has plans to create a Live Edit TV Studio, so guests and speakers can have their views recorded, and he hopes to build a teepee and dome in an eco garden.
Make-shift signs in fluorescent card are sellotaped to the doors to distinguish the conference room from people’s bedrooms.
And the romance which filled Raven’s Ait on many a wedding event has not been forgotten as they have a “honeymoon suite”, which has its own sign boasting the views over to Hampton.
Although most of the most expensive possessions were removed by the former owners, storage rooms are still filled with flowers and decorations. Rose petal confetti is still strewn across the carpet in a reminder of what the venue used to represent.
From first impressions, Peter Phoenix and his gang cannot be criticised for being reckless vandals intent on damaging the place and using it as a party pad.
As we walk round during the pre-arranged visit, people are cleaning the kitchen, making repairs and organising cupboards.
Not liking the negative associations with the word squatter, the group prefer the title “care-taker” and even have their own caretakers’ logbook.
Many of them have squatted before, but for some the multimillion pound Raven’s Ait is an introduction at the more distinguished end of squatting, complete with river views most law-abiding citizens could only dream of.
Anonymous users' postings should always be considered with suspicion.
Dear whoever you are?
You really need to get out more, speak to all the local people of Surbiton and Kingston.
All these Islanders are asking for is that the Council do not sell of this fantastic asset. They are working tirelessly around the clock to get the whole community involved in developing Raven's Ait for the benefit of the entire community, not just some greedy businessmen. They are simply asking that it be returned to it's previous long time use as a not for profit, educational, learning environment and community meeting place. What's so bad about that?
Sounds pretty unselfish to me.
Lets us please have some more positive input and debate on this, instead of one or two individuals mindless ramblings and vitriole.
Thank you and goodnight.
Debate and discussion should have been the first port of call on this, instead of storming the place, tearing it up and setting up a squat. They have angered and alienated most of the local residents. My fellow book club members and myself discussed the current situation at our most recent meeting and of 16 people, none were in favour of this questionable cause. Most were angered.
Perhaps they should set up a political party and have people vote them into power before they go acting on behalf (supposedly) of a whole community.
Welcome to Surbiton.com Gwendoleee,
and thank you for contributing to this debate at such a late stage, better late than never.
There has already been an open debate and public meeting on all of the issues mentioned so far plus a multitude of more pressing concerns. This has been followed up by further public meetings and regular public discussions have been and continue to be held on the Island itself, all comers are welcome.
The first of these Public meetings took place about 3 weeks ago and was held at the Clatton Lecture Theatre Kingston University on Penhryn Road. Invites were sent out to all local councillors, MPs, the Mayor, various local groups, the press and the wider general public. Even with the realitively short notice and this meeting been held at 7pm on a Friday evening when most people have gone home after a hard weeks work, the turnout more than doubled that of the local neighbourhood meeting,held by our elected representatives at the Hawker Centre the previous week, when 20 plus councillors and not one member of the public showed up, as the councillors had only advertised this public meeting on the councils internal website.
This has all been done with the utmost openess and actively encourages FREE SPEECH and FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION. May I suggested that your private little members club/Rugby club/Interested Business Partners/Private Investors/Book Club come and join this ongoing debate on important LOCAL and GLOBAL ISSUES in the real world, with real people who have real names and real friends.
and have you and your fellow book club members done anything to provoke debate on the environment? or taken any action to provoke such debate? no? too busy sitting around discussing the merits of the latest dan brown while the world is still being systematically disassembled leaving our children and grandchildren with a scrapheap, yes, discussion and debate should be the first port of call, but if you aren't willing to start that discussion or take part in that debate what right do you have to complain when someone else uses methods that you don't approve of?
The very mention of the word 'environmental' and you lose all common sense. How exactly will 'measuring tides' in this non-tidal stretch of the river help the planet? How will showing videos most of us have seen on tv in the comfort of our own homes help the planet?
Now, how large a carbon footprint have they caused by all the toing-and-froing by the police, barristers, etc? Real environmentalists trying to push home a message so strongly would be rowing around on the river not using oil based fuel as I have seen them do.
I make my difference as best I and most other people can, by recycling, not using my car unnecessarily and being cautious with energy use at home. Perhaps you should stop wasting electricity and posting nonsensical, illogical comments? Your arguments, like the recentlty damaged doors on the Ait, are full of holes.
And in all honesty, how can anyone take them seriously when their spokesperson or leader is bragging to the press about how he hasn't paid to live anywhere for 18 years and can delay court cases for 13 months costing us, the taxpayer ridiculous amount - which ofcourse could have been better spent on green innitiatives.
No, this group is a farce and people like you trying to justify their actions with whimsical, illogical arguments, are simply making yourselves look more foolish.
SURREY COMET ARTICLE by Kerry Grove
Committee formed to watch Raven's Ait adminstrator
1:10pm Thursday 8th January 2009
By Kerry Grove »
Wedding couples, local businesses and even Kingston police officers who lost thousands of pounds when Raven’s Ait went into administration have learnt that they are unlikely to recoup their losses.
Disgruntled businesses who lost Christmas party payments at the island venue have now joined together to form a committee, which will oversee an investigation by administrators Wilkins Kennedy into the venue’s finances.
They came face to face with Managing Director Keith Hartogh at a “lively” creditors’ meeting on Wednesday, January 7.
They were told they would receive no money unless the investigation finds Mr Hartogh was wrongfully trading after going insolvent and is then taken to the county court.
The committee is made up of bosses at printers Kall Kwik in Kingston, a Tolworth-tower based training company, charity Fara and a Wimbledon accountancy firm, who all lost Christmas party payments amounting to more than £10,000.
Detective Inspector Jez Clarke from Kingston police is also on the creditors’ committee, after more than 50 borough police staff lost £1,080 paid individually for their Christmas party.
They were left angry when Raven’s Ait closed its doors on November 27, just days after receiving advance payments for many Christmas parties and weddings.
Among those worst hit was wedding couple Alexis and Byron Holloway, both 26, who lost £12,500 and were left with a last minute struggle to find a wedding venue for December 20.
Cheam High School teacher Mrs Holloway, who started treatment for breast cancer two days after her wedding, said: “The day after my wedding I had to get my hair cut off ready for my treatment. At a time when I can’t afford to get stressed it has been the most stressful time of my life. It has been absolutely heartbreaking.”
The couple have been left with a wedding bill of almost £30,000, after being forced to pay for another wedding at Woodlands Park Hotel in Cobham, which in turn halted plans to move into their new home and left them living with parents.
The creditors’ committee will meet with administrator Keith Stevens in the next couple months to check his progress on the investigation and ask further questions.
Mr Stevens said creditors’ committees are formed in about one in every 15 insolvency cases.
He added: “Bearing in mind it was about deposits and weddings and parties were cancelled, the meeting was always going to be lively. There was no violence, which you sometimes get in these situations.”
Try to keep up SAPPHIRE8, thats OLD news!
I am quite frankly sickened by the narrow minded bigoted comments left on the subject. don't you dare judge people you have never met! walk down to the river call the number on the banner and go and visit them! you will see no "cracks head" no "crusty swampies". just a group of passionate people some of which have lived in the area for most of their lives.
They are creative and forward thinking and do a damn sight more to help their community then you bunch of malignant whining losers! if you realty care get out and do something.
Well i saw two 'crusty swampies' shouting and hollering as they walked down Grove Road at 8am on Monday morning. When I saw the Surrey Comet I recognised one of them straight away as the 'leader' of this group. Complete with dreadlocks, he could not have looked more 'Swampy' if he wanted to.
Amusingly dressed in a suit and tie with trainers, he would probably be quite impressive in the court room unless the judge had heard the amount of times he used the f--- and c---- word to his mate during a 5 minute walk.
Please stop being so naive - these people are here for a free ride and hiding behind their environmental concerns to pick up sympathy from the large minority of lefty liberals that we seem to have in Surbiton.
The squatters on Surbiton's island in the Thames have a website at http://ravensait.org.uk/ That's right: Surbiton, island, squatters.
Anonymous (not verified),
Re: your childish comment on the Rising Sun Public House, I don't think the people occupying the Pub would have benefited from it burning down, but maybe the developers did. As Raven's AIT has been run down and neglected by its landlord and its previous tenants, leaving it ripe to be sold off at a knock down price for development, let us all hope and pray that the same fate does not befall this Historic Local Landmark. I don't think the Navy League or the London Yacht Clubs would be to pleased.
Wow - another passionate & considered reply by sapphire. A pity it's all opinion and no fact. Raiven's Ait was far from run-down and neglected by it's previous owners. In fact it was partially re-decorated fairly recently and was actually quite beautiful inside. It was a family-run business and the owners took great pride in it. Perhaps if you knew the venue at all, you wouldn't be quite so hasty to condone squatters tearing it up and defacating on the new carpets.
The owners are RBK council, the previous occupants were tenants hired to manage the failed business which was/is run by Raven's Ait Ltd/Raven's Ait Halls Management Ltd, I am sure that if you check the terms and conditions of the Lease, you will find that both parties have certain responsibilities that they are bound too in Law. Generally the owners/freeholders will be responsible for the exterior of a premises, such as the roof, the boundary walls, drainage, balconies and balustrades etc. The tenants are generally responsible for the interior decorations and fixtures and fittings. The roofing and balcony areas show clear signs of Landlords neglect, the interior walls in the upstairs rooms, the honeymoon suite and the carpets show clear signs of damp, one problem that leads to another. As there are land right issues that also concern this Island, the onwers/vendors are also duty bound to respect the Covenants that are passed on each time the land is sold. In an exchange of Land deeds, the vendors, in Law, also act as the trustees for the purchasers.
I have no doubts as to the managers commitments to the running of this business, they were however only a front for the above mention Ltd companies who were ultimately responible for the businesses demise into recievership. As in most cases like these, the Ltd company will re-emerge with some slight changes to its company directors and board of chairmen, free from its debts and able to carry on a new until further down the line, history repeats itself. These are not my opinions, merely FACTS!
We obviously don't have the same definition of beautiful!!
The decoration was reasonable, however far from outstanding or beautiful. It looked fairly functional for a venue, typical for a pub.
Having visited the Ait today I would like to question your comments. Have you visited recently? Have you ever witnessed anyone defecating on the carpets, or tearing them up?
We overheard one of the tour guides that took us round for a delightful tour of the island, complete with cammomile tea, saying to the other that the carpet needed hoovering, and how they needed to get hold of a hoover.
We saw no tearing up of your precious carpets. As a resident of this area for over twenty years, I welcome the discussion that their actions are raising.
There is a lack of public space in this area.
Rather than creating hostility against the squatters, energy would be better spent improving access to public space and council housing repairs.
hmm, such pride that they let the rats run riot, I used to live in Angler's Reach, the building opposite the ait, and as a wildlife enthusiast quite enjoyed watching the resident rodent infestation zipping around the bins from the ait. Though my favourite sight connected with the place has to be the middle aged woman in a posh frock defecating on the bench just on the path down to the river, not really the ait's fault, but i bet even the crustiest of crusties hasn't done that.
The river is the Thames - it is full of rats. The great plague ring any bells? Vile's disease if you swallow river water, etc. So no, any connection between the Ait and rats does not wash.
no it doesn't wash i agree, but their bins weren't exactly secured, despite numerous complaints from local residents (and i believe the council). The rats will be there no matter what, but they can be kept under a modicum of control.
LOL, Swampy’s now in Surbiton! Can see the funny side of this, good luck to the dude, Surbiton news was getting a bit boring!
I've always thought that a bridge linking Surbiton to Home Park, via this island would be great for Surbiton.
It would really open up little used Home Park for greater use by Londoners.
People could get the train to Surbiton at weekends, walk over the bridge and loop back via Kingston.
It could breate life into Surbiton, especially at weekends and in summer.
Now I've learnt that the council own the site, it makes even more sense.
What a fantastic idea to create a bridge link to home park. This would really open up Surbiton and put Home Park to great use. Make the bridge high ! after throwing so much cash at an elite theatre which is certainly no rose ! its about time the council did something special for its residents, I've only been a resident for 44 years & IM STILL WAITING !!!!!!!!
Dear whoever you are?
If you really knew and cared about your local area, then you would also know that a bridge across this stretch of the Thames is not viable due to the Sailing of Tall Ships that are connected to the London Yacht club. Not that the local council would be able to afford such a venture anyway, when they are so busy bailing out the Rose and our local Primary Schools with our council tax money. Got anymore bright Ideas, like perhaps selling the Island off to the owner of those ugly, noisey polluting, party boats.
I work in a shop in surbiton and one of the squarters came in to day and started to complain about the "Bad" publicity they were getting. What! who are you to say that you should be getting good publicity for what you are doing. the man in the shop was F-ing and blinding for about five minutes until i finally had to tell him to leave. I will like to see what they say and who they pin the blame on when one of these Cracks heads fall in the river. I'm all for their protest, It needs to be done, but not there. theres a place and time and i think action should be taken to evict these people.
oh of course, they're all crack heads now (or 'cracks' heads as you put it), have you seen them using crack pipes? did he seem shaky and unhinged? i doubt it somehow. I'm not a traveller by the way, i'm what you'd call a decent upstanding citizen who pays my taxes like a good little drone, but it sickens me when people jump to such conclusions with absolutely no recourse to the facts, they may well be crack heads for all i know, but i'm not about to jump to that conclusion, if you do that then you might as well say that all those respectable mothers that protested at greenham common were all heroin addicts and acid heads, or that everyone that was against the war in iraq was coked out of their mind. daily mail nonsense of the worst kind.
Just seen these losers on the TV news. Apparently they are 'appealing for funds' to put a deposit down to buy the Island. Funny that, perhaps someone should explain that you are supposed to get the money to put a deposit on property BEFORE you occupy it and start changing it. For their further reference the usual way of getting the money is to GET A JOB.
Get rid of them, preferably with minimal use of council tax payers' money.
Also one of the eco-twits, possibly the one styling himself 'Phoenix' absolutely murdered 'The World Turned Upside Down' , a song about the Diggers movement in the seventeenth century. I don't think the diggers were claiming state benefits - but I bet this lot are.
We didn't have a welfare system set up back in those days, we did however have greedy landlords who abused their power and raised Taxes for their own benefit and that of their sons & heirs. The Levellers were claiming Land Rights for all the Common People of England and not just the privilaged few.
Sorry, what was your point again?
Send a gun boat, these vermin must be removed and any damage caused by them or getting them out must be repaired at their expense.
They can be the labour force (chain gang) and their giro cheques can be withdrawn until all the costs of the operation have been met.
Why cant they do something useful like occupy the "Rose"
Would that be because the Rose is a home for culture and arts and not a greasy P***hole you can drink the weekend away in! which lets face it is what most of you seem to want!
Are the voice reason and sanity from the HOF.
Perhaps you cannot see that very few people are against the Rose because it is a centre for the arts,no it is because Council Tax payers in RBK are pretty well funding the whole shebang and probably will be for many years.Many will also visit and enjoy the Rose but most will not and resent their monies being spent in such a way.
Given the track record of the RBK council star chamber it will probably end up funding the heroic islanders,mind you it could fund their bus to take them into town to peacefully demonstrate at the forthcoming G20 and then it could regain control of the Ait.This would qualify as supporting an open air art installation or some such nonsense.
Power to P*** hole drinkers if that is what they choose to spend their money on.
Hello people, I found this article response in a local online newspaper dated 17 months ago, it reads,
LAND SELL OFF
3:33pm Tuesday 9th October 2007
SIR. I am very concerned to learn that the Lib Dems wish to sell-off land within the borough, such as Ravens Ait Island. I do not recall reading in any of their newsletters or in their manifesto that they wish to sell land.
Where do the Lib Dem councillors get the right to sell of land without any view or say from the local residents?
If the sales go ahead where will this money go? Because up until now all the Lib Dems have done is waste our money and cut services.
You are right, of course. What a lot of people tend to forget is that things need to be paid for. I think that the Rose was a nice idea, but the problem was that RBK ploughed on and built it without working out where the funds were going to come from - it would appear that more people would rather spend £30 in the pub than going to the theatre once in while. Sad? Yes, but it should not have been too hard to predict.
The same goes for Ravens Ait - it is all very well supporting the squatters in their environmental quest, but it is the residents of RBK whose council tax money will be spent on the eviction process and clearing up after them, and the residents of the nearby area who are going to suffer the noise and damage until it happens.
Fantastic - Comment of the year already. You should be knighted - arise Sir bloodaxe.
Hmmm, the only thing matching the ugliness of the design of this site is the opinions of some of it's regular contributors. quite surprised you didn't suggest sending them off to some kind of labour camp as a final solution. From what I've read of the inhabitants of the Ait's behaviour it sounds like they are actually treating the place with a modicum of respect, and if all you can do as a 'law abiding tax payer' is spew invective and insults at people without any recourse to the facts, then maybe you need to take a good long look at how you fill your life, there are more important problems in the world than hearsay on the behaviour of a few green campaigners in what amounts to an abandoned building.
bubbawetones, there's absolutely no point trying to take on the Daily Mail contingent on this site. It's best just to laugh at them.
unfortunately they seem to be the most vocal contingent, just thought i'd weigh in with a more considered, balanced opinion (and i thought i held my tongue pretty well considering i wrote that post after several pints!)
Many thanks "bubbawetones",not for a final solution but I do like the idea of a Labour Camp.
I dont think I have ever claimed to be a "law abiding tax payer",nor do I read the Daily Mail,I am probably a bit of a hypocrite but doubt the owner/administrator or council would consider the building abandoned.
I will take another look at how I fill my life, if you will do the same perhaps we both might learn something to our advantage.On the site design why not alert the web master and see if your ideas are practical and thus improve the sites attractiveness.
you do realise that my references to a final solution and labour camps were an allusion to the nazis actions, don't you? because your reply doesn't put you in a good light if you understood or not, eirther you just exposed your ignorance of a part of history that pretty much everyone knows about, or you've just nodded your head in approval of the actions of history's greatest monsters. nice.
bubbawetones, "ABANDONED"? If you got kicked out of your house for non-payment of rent/mortgage, would consider it to be abandonment? and would you be happy for anyone to simply walk into your house and claim its theirs as it was empty at the time. As a "law abiding tax payer", when I've read my copy of the Daily Mail, maybe then you could invite us around to your ‘hobble’ for a month or two whilst your pretending to save world in an attempt to cool
hmmm, let me see, if I've defaulted on my mortgage and been kicked out of my home, then it's no longer my home, it's the bank's. It's very sad when that happens but that's the long and the short of it, maybe you'd prefer if the government gave us all our own property.....oh hang on, that's what the people on the island are asking for, isn't it?
Oh, and i'm not quite sure what a 'hobble' is, last time I used that word it was with reference to my aching feet making me walk a little gingerly, perhaps you meant hovel? I don't live in one of those either, my pokey little flat's a little untidy sometimes, but I doubt you could call it a hovel. Or a hobble.
Right, I'm off to pretend to cool somewhere now, don't come round though, I don't think my wife would let you in.
Is this group related to the one that squatted in the Rising Sun pub a couple of years ago, and ended up nearly burning it down?
Their aims sound very respectable, so lets hope that this is not just a thinly veiled attempt to squat in the area while causing havoc and stealing from local residents.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts about business suits.
Regards
Come on people, these scum bags aren't environmentlists. They're criminals/con men who are throwing around this 'environmentalist' banner because if there's one cause to unite all of us it's environmentalism. Please, what qualifications do they have to allow them to run a 'green university'? Please, thats absurd. They're squatters, making other poeple's live's misery because they know how to manipulate the legal system.
They were bragging about how they can make court cases drag out for over a year - this will of course come out of our tax payer's pockets.
They aren't locals, we are and thus it should be us who decide what becomes of the ait, not these opportunistic, unwashed criminals.
For God's sake, showing a dvd about shrinking fish stocks does not make you an eco-warrior-university-dean! They do not belong there and they must be removed. If the council needs any help removing them, please let me know, i'd like to introduce that Pheonix idiot to a bar of soap. If I see him out and about I will also have more than a few words with him.
Feel free to disagree, but all I ask is to see through this 'environmentalist' bullsh*t, because thats exactly what it is.
Seriously, what a load of idiots. Get out of our Surbiton!
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Dear whoever you are,
I don't think the people occupying the Rising Sun Public House would have benefited from it burning down,
maybe some other party might have, who knows.
Let us all hope and pray that the same fate does not befall this Ancient Local Landmark, I don't think the Navy League or the London Yacht Clubs would be best pleased. At least these kind folk care about our environment and not only tidy up after themselves, they also tidy up the River Thames of detriment and other waste that is continually disposed of by those ugly party boats that cruise up and down the river like they own it, nuff said.
I think that you will find that the squatters burned down the Rising Sun when they were finally evicted.
The above text has been deliberately disemvowelled as it is in breach of the Surbiton.com terms.
I can't understand what you are trying to say!
No one is questioning the green concerns of the squatters, just their methods. It is pretty tough to come home from a 40 hour working week to find that your already high council tax is going to go up even further to fund the eviction of a group of people who refuse to play by the rules.
Can I come and take over your house as long as I promise to turn it into an environmental centre?
Excuse me, Surbiton.com, but what is wrong with mentioning that the occupiers of this Island ARE Local, care about the River, come from decent law abiding families, and still uphold the basic human principles of Honesty & Integerity?
How do these facts offend exactly?
We've absolutely no problem with you expressing your opinion, just the manner in which you expressed it.
Please try to be civil to other users and argue your points without resorting to personal insults.
I agree, we shouldn't resort to personal insults, but maybe that should extend to calling the inhabitants of the island 'scum' and 'vermin', don't you think?
Dear Surbiton.com.
Thank you for you prompt and courteous reply. I agree whole-heartedly with you ethos and my final comment was merely an observation directed at an individual with no identity.
I must add that this disemvowelling thingy does make for a jolly good game. Keep up the good work.
Yours sincerely,
Sapphire8.
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