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Ex paratrooper Donald Cook, 38 year old aircraft inspector and secretary of the St
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Ex paratrooper Donald Cook, 38 year old aircraft inspector and secretary of the St
Ex paratrooper Donald Cook, 38 year old aircraft inspector and secretary of the St. Pancras United Tenants Association, talks to his 36 year old wife Edith through a barricade of barbed wire and two upturned old pianos at their top floor flat at Kennistoun House, a block of St. Pancras Council flats in Leighton Road, Kentish Town, London. An eviction notice served on Mr. Cook expires at midnight and he says he is prepared if necessary for a three year siege. A rocket will be fired as a signal that the bailiffs have arrived Mr. Cook, father of four children, said that he owes about ?56 in rent on his two-bedroomed foat, which originally cost him 28s. a week. There was a 10s. increase in January and another of 12s. 6d. last month. He and other tenants had been told they could expect another next January, and by then the rent would be 56s. He had refused to pay. - Photo taken 28th August 1960.
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Media ID 11261352
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Defence Eviction Fence Housing Living Conditions Protect Protection Protest Barbed Wire Barricade Defences Defend Inspector Resident Siege
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EDITORS COMMENTS
In this powerful print captured on August 28,1960, we see ex-paratrooper Donald Cook engaging in a heartfelt conversation with his wife Edith. The couple is separated by a barricade of barbed wire and two upturned old pianos at their top-floor flat in Kennistoun House, located in the Kentish Town area of London. At the time, Donald was not only a 38-year-old aircraft inspector but also served as the secretary of the St. Pancras United Tenants Association. The urgency and tension surrounding this moment stem from an impending eviction notice that expires at midnight. Determined to fight for their home, Donald expresses his readiness for a potential three-year siege if necessary. A rocket will serve as a signal indicating the arrival of bailiffs. Donald's refusal to pay rent stems from ongoing increases that have burdened tenants like him. Originally paying 28s. per week for their two-bedroom flat, they experienced a 10s increase in January and another one of 12s. 6d last month alone. With expectations of yet another increase next January, which would bring the rent to an overwhelming 56s. , he took a stand against these escalating costs. This poignant image serves as both documentation and symbolization of the struggles faced by working-class families during this era – fighting against rising living expenses while trying to maintain stability and security within their homes.
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