Streetlife

Is there not some kind of listing on this building ? I assume that you mean the one in Gorsebrook Road ? Please excuse my ignorance.

Yep that's the one Ken :0)

Drove past it yesterday. There are NO for sale signs up.

My mums friend is the cook there and she said that it's up for sale, but needs a lot of modernisation work doing to it. Ive now tried searching for information in the sale but can't find anything, yet the cook is still saying that it's for sale.

What on earth is happening to our heritage in Barking and Dagenham? Doesn't anyone care about our history or culture? This is one of the very few grand local buildings left to us.  Will it be another block of flats with coloured panels on the balcony or maybe a Tesco?
Our grandchildren will inherit an even more dismal landscape having lost all that is beautiful in this borough through the decisions and actions of the few.  
We have just experienced the Olympics celebrating all that is British - even cricket on the green.  Why do the local powers that be find it so offensive and find it wrong to be proud of who we are and where we come from?
We are becoming a grey town with no personality. Visitors to our borough could be anywhere in the world.
Is this really progress?      

Kathleen, I sometimes wish that it was a grey town.

Have you seen that carbuncle that they put for the Dagenham library. Library is find when your inside but I hardly think that from the outside it blends with the 1930's style of the flats above the rest of the shops in the Heathway.

I suppose the architect, who probably lives miles away, has been given some design award from a panel of judges who don't even know where Dagenham is. Just like Queens Hospital.

Why could they just not change the use of the convent without changing the appearance? I just hope that it is a listed building.

Finally if it is sold where does the money go, to the council or to the Catholic Church ?

You don't really think it being a listed building will preserve it do you? 

Does anyone remember the OLD Barking Library; now that was a beautiful building that mysteriously caught fire and hence appeared the Vicarage Field!

Barking Town Hall is I believe a listed building, although a more modern one but it is surrounded by all these glass buildings with various colours and washing hanging over the balconies.  It is so attractive.

It's a pity LBBD couldn't put time into recognising our great history instead of burying it.

I have noticed that quite often old buildings listed or not once they have hoarding round them they tend to be set on fire, I do not think that it is always young people that do it !

Pam D:

Why do you say the old Barking Library mysteriously caught fire? The man who set fire to it went to prison for what he did.

Regarding the convent being for sale:

http://www.findaproperty.com/house-valuation/baden-powell-close.rm9.dagenham.essex

£125K !! I think someone left a zero off. If not I'm buying it and putting the whole family in there.

Will they be taking a vow of silence :-)

Pasted from another posting just for information and maybe an avenue to explore in relation to Sacred Heart ?

DEMOLITION OF SEVEN KINGS CHURCH - APPLICATION DENIED!! Ref: 0602/12

We are pleased to announce that the permission to Demolish Seven Kings Church has been DENIED by Redbridge Council on 8th August.  The reasons given state that the Church is a Landmark of Seven Kings and a Heritage asset.

We would like to thank all of those that have taken time to sign and circulate the petition which numbers over 2000 ...

I think that's wrong Colin, Harmony House is in Baden Powell Close, but the actual convent is in Goresbrook Road. If only it were £125k, I'd buy it in the blink of an eye lol.

Sacred Heart: I've just noticed that the link I sent is to  a valuation - it is not actually saying it is for sale. Sorry - I didn't look properly. Not saying the valuation is any good. Seems to be about the price of a flat!

Colin N; I never heard about someone being caught for the Barking Library fire; obviously not very alert in those days!  Strange isn't it though that they never re-built but put the Vicarage Fields in instead, which is now slowly emptying as shops leave.

Wasn't there a football club where Vicarage Fields is as well. I think it was at the back, or it could have just been a playing field.

Yes there was it was Barking football club.

As the name Vicarage Field suggests, the land originally belonged to the Vicar of Barking (or perhaps just  the Church). The football club bought a chunk of it for their ground, I believe (memory!), but the shopping centre commemorates the old use of the land.

This shopping centre nonsense is ridiculous. Where will the next monumental one be, that's even bigger than Stratford Westfield? Barking Reach? I reckon if the Martians ever landed they would say "you can't be serious'.

Do you really think the Martians would hang around.

They wouldn't be able to park without a permit or for fear of getting a ticket.

Fuel prices would see them opting for the USA.  

They would soon get sick of the price wars, BOGOF's and £1 shops.

I wouldn't think that they would need to get their phone unblocked or use a LLP to claim for an accident or reclaim PPI.

They wouldn't understand bookies and horse racing......

But I suppose they would be interested in take away food ?

A Mars bar?

Colin

I expected something better from you ! But then again perhaps they deserved a Treet after spending so much time in the Milky way or some other Galaxy. I know there's always someone who has to go to far ! Chose another Topic !

Nice one Ken.