Squatting: the real story

The book includes useful histories of squatting in the 1970s (and previously) as well as personal accounts, photos etc.

Edited by Nick Wates and Christian Wolmar, with a mixed bag of contributors including anarchist Colin Ward, peace campaigner Ann Pettitt... and Piers Corbyn.

PDF courtesy of https://squattheplanet.com/

Contents

• 1 Introducing squatting by Nick Wates
• 2 The squatters
• A decade of squatting: The story of squatting in Britain since 1968. by Steve Platt
• 3 Setting the stage: The London Squatters campaign, thuggery in Redbridge, the hippies of Piccadilly, licensed squatting.
• 4 Here there and everywhere: The boom in squatting, opposing property speculators, taking over the street, not just for homes, squatting in style.
• 5 Mounting oppostion: Property owners on the offensive, media myths, antisquatting hysteria.
• 6 Fighting back: Squatters organise, local squatting groups, campaigning, Advisory Service for Squatters, All London Squatters and the Squatters Action Council.
• 7 A whole new ball game: Living with the new law, the London Squatters Union, amnesty for 5,000, co-ops, squatting lives on.
• Some history: Squatting in Britain before 1968.
• 8 The early squatters by Colin Ward - Squatting from the Middle Ages to the Second World War.
• 9 The post war squatters by Andrew Friend - 1945/6: the Vigilante movement, the occupation of service
  camps, taking over luxury blocks of flats.
• Success on the streets: Four successful squatting campaigns
• 10 Better than the telly any day by Ann Pettitt - Outwitting a private landlord in London’s East End,
  Myrdle and Parfett Streets.
• 11 We won, you should fight them too by Piers Corbyn - Grinding down the Greater London Council in West London, Elgin Avenue.
• 12 Victory Villa by Nick Anning and Jill Simpson - Challenging the planners in South London, Villa Road.
• 13 Is there life after squatting? by Tristan Wood - Winning a permanent home in Central London, Seymour Buildings.
• The law: The effect of the law on squatters
• 14 The erosion of squatters rights by David Watkinson - Unlawful but not illegal, the Act of 1381, the law tightens its grip, the Criminal Law Act.
• A chosen way of life: More than a roof – squatting can be good for you.
• 15 Using the space by Andrew Ingham - Fantasy and romance, self-help repairs, making use of space, opportunity to experiment.
• 16 Learning to learn by Pat Moan - Confessions of a layabout, hippie, anarchist, woman
  squatter.
• 17 Outpost of a new culture by Tom Osborn - Squatting communities as an alternative way of life.
• 18 The squatters estate agency by Heathcote Williams - The inside story of Ruff Tuff Creem Puff, the only
  estate agency for squatters.
• 19 From skippering to squatting by Celia Brown - Squatting as an alternative to hostels and lodging houses
• Squatting around the world: It’s not just Britain – looking further afield.
• 20 Everybody’s doing it by Mark Gimson - Squatting in the Netherlands, Ireland, Denmark, Portugal, Italy, Hong Kong and other places.
• The background
• The housing crisis – a brief summary
• Empty property – facts and figures
• Myth and fact – statistics on squatting and squatters
• Notes
• Bibliography
• Index