<html><body><font style="font-family: arial,helvetica,sans-serif;" size="2">As I
was over the allotment this afternoon one of my neighbours told me that
there had been a murder on our estate. It happened nearly next door to
him.<br>
<br>
As part of privatisation, some years ago the government encouraged
Council tenants to buy their own homes with the ideological intention
of creating owner-occupiers on council estates who they claimed would
be more responsible than tenants. Sold off at knock down prices, this
meant that many working class people could become property owners.
However, this did not mean that they would necessarily become owner
occupiers as many then rent their properties out. My daughter lives in
such a house few doors away, sharing with a Bulgarian, a Japanese
person and an Argentinian.<br>
<br>
Anyway a group of Polish men moved into the house, and soon got a
reputation for rowdiness. The neighbours complained about drunken
parties going on into the small hours waking up children etc. The
landlord was then asked to do something about it. However when he
visited the flat, an arguement quickly ensued, he was hit over the head
with a weapon and died in the ambulance on the way to hospital.<br>
<br>
So now all the stereotypes about Poles, Russians, Kosovans are coming
out - drunkenness, violence, poverty and working in the building trade.
Indeed these stereotypes have been passed on from the Irish and West
Indians, who previously used to do the work which is now taken up by
Eastern Europeans. There was even an article in Wharf News (a newspaper
produced at Canary Wharf - the massive office conglomeration just down
the road), entitled "Lama Louts" about some Eastern Europeans
(nationality not stated) in the lama compound on the local urban farm
(the Mudchute Farm is the largest urban farm in Europe). It suggested
that people were afraid of them because they were begging, although how
many people went along wityh this stereotype is hard to say.<br>
<br>
The Eastern European population of East London is increasing - which
means that we can get very cheap pickles and other previously unknown
condiments (to me ay any rate) from shops catering to their tastes. <br>
<br>
Fabian<br>
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