Ally Pally: The Peoples’ Palace Sold to the Highest Bidder

 

The World's First HD TV Broadcast from Ally PAll in 1936

As the summer comes to a close, as it does with more haste every year, there are few things to look forward to.

One of the small things that almost seems to past unnoticed, as I take those cold and reluctant trips to the W.C. is that as the autumn leaves fall, slowly piece by piece, as if roy walker and mr chips were orchestrating life it self, the falling jigsaw slowly reveals through my toilet window, the beautiful piece of Victorian architecture and British icon of the Golden age of TV, Alexandra
ll in 1936

Palace.

Built in 1873 as a peoples’ palace of education and recreation and literally did become the people’s palace in 1900 when through an act of parliament the building and all it’s parks were given to the people of London for all time, that is until now.

Plans by the current trustee, Haringey Council, have drawn up proposals to dispose of the whole property and management to commercial developers Firoka Ltd.  This will rid all charitable and public uses of the property through it’s 125 year commercial lease aloowing it to be converted into a mixed leisure complex including a hotel, ice rink, bowling alley and casino.

The Sad fact is that most of our heritage and icons of our past are being sold off to make way for modern developments that have and will continue to homogenise all of the variety that comes from living in a country with such a long and interesting history. What’s even worse is that the public is very rarely aware  of what is going on until after the fact and local campaigns can only reach so far in the short amount of time given to appose decisions that will inevitably effect our local community and the Uk at large.

The time is drawing near, the petition to save ally pally closes in two days all I can ask is that anyone near or far who recognises this building as a part of our history who doesn’t want it handed over to a cheap circus of commercial gain please follow the below link and sign the petition to keep Alexandra Palace as a Peoples’ palace.

Sign Petiton Now            

For further information on the ‘Save Ally Pally Campaign’ please go to :-

Save Ally Pally

Short Changed Students Occupy North London University

Flying the Flag: Announcing Byam Shaw's Takeover to the World

 

 

Byam Shaw School of Arts Students Protest Against Central Saint Martins Cutting of Teaching Hours and Funding.

As of 16.00 on 18^th February the main building of Byam Shaw School of Art, N19, has been occupied by a majority of its current students. This university is only a stones throw away from where the ‘Crouch End Commune’ formed in similar circumstances at the Hornsey Art College, on Crouch Hill Road.

Originally founded in 1910 by John Byam Shaw and Vicat Cole it was incorporated into Central Saint Martins in 2003, part of the London Institute for Art. It has had a reputation of maintaining an independent art college sensibility, encouraging and nurturing its student’s skills and originality, not merely a prep school for the creative industries. In order for smaller art schools to get validation, they are no longer able to survive on their own and forced into surrendering their autonomy by merging with other institutions. This provides many benefits to its students such as broadening of subjects, resources and facilities but comes at a great detriment to the individuality of its teaching and output.

Over the past two years the amount of teaching hours due to budget cuts has been reduced by approximately 276 hours for the BA Fine Art course alone. This was implicated with out discussion or notification to the students and the majority of its staff. The students who were enrolled on the course on or before the 2006/2007 year are demanding their right as students and consumers to get what they signed up for and refunding of what has already been lost from the beginning of this academic year to date.

Over the past two weeks there have been over 29 occupations of universities by their students throughout the UK, making it one of the biggest student revolts in over 20 years.

What makes ‘Byam Shaw’s Peoples University’ stand out from the rest, is its apolitical stance as they are addressing issues that directly affect them as students within their university.

In a decade that seems to have lost it’s ability to be heard by the people in charge breeding an air of apathy amongst a generation it seems that the voice of a small group of students in a fairly unknown patch of art education is making their collective voice be heard.

With the occupation well into it’s 3^rd day it has already gained meetings with the head of resources, student dean and university principle, which will be followed next Tuesday with a response to today’s questions.

Check out the progress at http://byamshawpeoplesuniversity.blogspot.com/.