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As Sheffield Anarchists, we're here today to support Residents Against
Station Closure and their fight against East Midlands Trains closing off
access to our station. We support RASC because the arguments they make are
true: this will make access much harder for disabled people and those with
young children, as well as closing off a vital route for local residents and
workers. But as anarchists, we also think that this is a bigger issue than
just ticket barriers.

Over the last few years, we've seen public spaces in Sheffield grow more and
more closed off and regulated. As the old city centre is torn down to make
way for new glossy corporate investments, any hint of individuality has to
be driven out. The eviction of the Matilda Social Centre, and other, more
short-lived attempts to set up social centres, are just one example of this.
We've also seen an increase in CCTV, in “community support officers” who
harass bored teenagers in an attempt to distract attention from the fact
that they don't actually have any real powers to fight crime, and other
similar forms of control. And this isn't just a local issue: the
government's plans for ID cards and national databases show the kind of
total power over our lives they hope to get – if we'll let them.

This certainly isn't just a government problem – as these tickets barriers
show, big companies are equally keen to crack down on our freedom of
movement and access to public space, especially if there's a chance they'll
make a bit of money out of it. Sheffield Anarchist Federation want to help
win the fight against ticket barriers, but we also want to see it as the
start of a much wider campaign for free spaces and freedom of movement.

If you'd like to get involved and discuss how we can take the fight for free
space forward, contact:
sheffield@af-north.org http://www.yorks-afed.org/
For the official campaign against station closures, see: rasc2008@live.com
http://rasc-sheffield.com/

Suggest to the ordinary “man in the street” the notion that this country’s well along the path to becoming a police state and likely as not he’ll laugh at you.

Ask the ordinary “man in the street” what role he believes the police play in society and likely as not he’ll answer something along the lines of “maintaining law and order”.

Put to him the notion that this country’s well along the path to becoming a police state and likely as not he’ll laugh at the suggestion.

The following’s a fairly standard definition of a police state:
“a political unit characterized by repressive governmental control of political, economic, and social life usually by an arbitrary exercise of power by police and especially secret police in place of regular operation of administrative and judicial organs of the government according to publicly known legal procedures”
- from the Merriam Webster Online Dictionary

Or perhaps you’d prefer this one, from Wikipedia:
“The term police state describes a state in which the government exercises rigid and repressive controls over the social, economic and political life of the population. A police state typically exhibits elements of totalitarianism and social control, and there is usually little or no distinction between the law and the exercise of political power by the executive.

The inhabitants of a police state experience restrictions on their mobility, and on their freedom to express or communicate political or other views, which are subject to police monitoring or enforcement. Political control may be exerted by means of a secret police force which operates outside the boundaries normally imposed by a constitutional republic.”

Well, obviously we don’t move from being a relatively free and unrestricted society into a regime of repressive controls overnight. Its a process of transition, and a gradual one at that.
So where would we be likely to observe this process occurring first? Most likely over the “freedom to express or communicate political or other views”.
Why? Because it seems to me that would be the most obvious and necessary first step in the development of a politically repressive regime.

The full aritcal by Mike Langridge is rather long read it here are we in Britain 2009 in a Police State?

Have we not told you before we are not going towards a police state,

http://politics.guardian.co.uk/homea…644201,00.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main…portaltop.html

Here what is planned in the next few months

National Identity Card Act
http://www.no2id.net/

Requirements to report changes of address, handing over biometric details, system of fines for non-compliance and incorrect data. Holding an ID card or registering onto the National ID register could be made a requirement of obtaining any other document.

Even more anti-terror bollocks

http://projectsheffield.wordpress.co…ew-terror-law/

Potential Ban on Photography under new Terrorism Legislation (police will interpret whether people have good reason, so expect widespread abuse. Snatch film and camera now ask questions later). So much for a free press providing a watchful eye on the police.

Borders Citizenship and Immigration Bill

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisf…es-immigration
New Customs and Exercises officials with powers of arrest and search etc., reporting directly to the Home Office and Secretary of state (politically controlled police force) Citizens

Coroners and Justice Bill

http://www.no2id.net/news/pressRelea…_Bill_to_build

Data Sharing Orders created under clause 152 allowing government departments to circumnavigate data protection act and request any data about you from any other governmental department for any purpose. E.g. medical records sent to benefits offices to check up on people claiming incapacity.

Communications Bill

http://www.politics.co.uk/legislation/legal-and-constitutional/communications-data-bill-$1245133.htm

Plans to retain all our communications data as part of the Interception Modernization Program (IMP)Never even mind the Criminal Justice Act, Serious Organized Crime Act, and all the existing Anti-Terror legislation.

11997 – 2006 – 3000 new criminal offences introduced.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti…ame-power.html
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk…ce-412072.html

From the Indie:

Jan 2006 – 100 people a day stopped under anti-Terrorism legislation
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk…ws-524447.html

Feb 2008 – From parliament:

11th feb 2009 – 180,000 people stopped under Terrorism legislation:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/arti….html?ITO=1490

From the government website: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/securit…m-and-the-law/

So this preservation and conservation of 1,172 listed structures around the city of Sheffield, 75 are at risk, compared with 88 identified in survey in 2005, Reading the Headlines, and then the report it fails to talk about Leah’s Yard, a 19th century cutlery works in Sheffield Centre, That is suffering fire damage and decay, along with Sheffield City Councils unwillingness to take any enforcement action on the owners.

The largest group of at-risk sites are metals trades buildings, 23 of which require repairs. These include Milton Works, Egerton Lane, Lion Works, Spital Hill, Cornish Works, Cornish Lane, and Don Works, Doncaster Street.

As we have seen regards Wharncliffe Works, 86 and 88 Green Lane, Kelham Island.

The building was first placed upon the Listed Buildings at Risk Register in June 1993 and the then owner’s agent was also written to, informing him of the powers the Local Planning Authority has to execute urgent or necessary repairs under sections 54 and 48 of the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, and requiring certain works to be undertaken.

At the end of 2008, a cheap tin of blue paint, and some superficial boarding of Wharncliffe Works is all the work that has been undertaken, and despite his protestations live on Radio Sheffield over his concern for George Barnsley and Sons Ltd, the same superficial works has been done there.

In recent weeks The former Sheffield Crown Courts, old Town Hall has been in the news. Concerns for the building, with its distinctive clock tower, have been raised by the Victorian Society following the recent snow. It wants the council to serve an urgent works notice on the owner.

“If something isn’t done soon to secure the site then there is a real danger that the structural integrity of the building, and its Victorian court fittings, could be irreparably damaged,” said Alex Baldwin, the society’s conservation adviser.
On wed 18.2.09, we visited The Old Crown Court on Waingate, our access made easy by the lack of concern, or any real security on the building, it was self evident where this had left the building: a playground for people with drug related problems.

Following on from past explorations, the sad state of Sheffield Crown Court where some of the insides had been smashed and part removed, indeed in one room lay all the old signs ready for possible removing.

As much as the owners are accountable for the state of this building where it has become at risk, so are Sheffield City Council. Instead of polite conversation with the owners perhaps they might like to consider further action, but we know we are only dreaming when we ask this, we only need to look at how much in the pocket they are with property developers and speculators.

It comes as no real surprise that the Future of 75 historic city buildings are ‘at risk’, Action proposed includes surveying vacant sites and preparing a short strategy for each, and approaching owners of occupied buildings offering advice. Where it is difficult to persuade owners to restore them, the council could issue Repairs Notices ordering work or even buy buildings under Compulsory Purchase Orders.

As we have seen in the past such action, polite conversation is not dealing with this problem, all this report highlights is the will fill neglect, an unwillingness for Sheffield City Council to act on the preservation and conservation of our shared heritage, if the public did see what we do through our urban explorations then there might be more concern, as it stands all we can do is once again slam Sheffield for there crass disregard for it,s past, it might been fine to celebrate it, but action also needs to be taken in it,s preservation, and conservation, of which we see very little of.

All right day 3 of of our holidays, part 2 of our day out, following on from others we thought we go take a look, due to some of us desiring to live to an old age and being mindful of the asbestos, it was a short one, which pissed some of us off as we did not get time to get images we would like i.e. long exposure on a tripod shots, but we never give up and we are going back, as there is much more we need to see oh what a strange vibe this one is, I loved it more than any other place we have done in our visit to asylums, it had bollocks to it, and the sheer arrogance of the place oh it reminded me of myself any how enough said, other than we ended the day with gun shouts ringing round us, the sun did set as we expected and if we had got our last objective it would have more than made up for not getting round St Johns, but we drove past Rampton and none us got booked in, erm close shave I feel.

Some Background then: (from what ive dug up on the old google)

St. Johns Asylum was designed by John R Hamilton of Gloucester assisted by Thomas Percy, Surveyor to the County of Kesteven , the Asylum was also called “Bracebridge Heath Asylum,” but its formal name was the long and cumbersome: “Lindsey and Holland Counties and Lincoln and Grimsby District Lunatic Asylum.

It also operated under the name: “Lincolnshire County Pauper Lunatic Asylum and was built in 1852 on a slight rise in Bracebridge parish, Originally built to house 250 inmates, it was enlarged in 1859, 1866, 1881 and 1902.

The asylum grounds covered 120 acres.

The asylum finally closed in 1989 and was bought by a property developer a few years later who has converted half of the site into houses but the main asylum buildings are Grade II listed buildings and cant be demolished.

1852-1893 Lincolnshire County Lunatic Asylum or Lincolnshire County Pauper Lunatic Asylum
1894-1915 Lincolnshire Lunatic Asylum
1897-1898 Lindsey, Holland, Lincoln and Grimsby District Pauper Lunatic Asylum
1903-1920 Lincolnshire Asylum
1898-1902 Bracebridge Pauper Lunatic Asylum
1902-1919 Bracebridge District Lunatic Asylum
1919-1948 Bracebridge Mental Hospital
1930-1938 Lincolnshire Mental Hospital
1939-1960 Bracebridge Heath Hospital
1961-1989 St John’s Hospital, Bracebridge Heath

The grounds were cultivated by the inmates to provide vegetables and sewage was disposed of by irrigation over 10 acres of land about a half mile from the asylum.

St. Johns also had a cemetery of one and half acres on the grounds, with its own mortuary chapel.

Day Three of our week on holiday, we visit what is left of High Marnham Power Station, see a rather cool report here, alright it would have been something to add to the stories we tell our grand children, but here we are in these giants and it was for us better than Thorpe Marsh that is more post society, here they stood in silence on their own and if you love cooling towers, dislike men in yellow coats and up for easy access then this has to be done. now if you like it all a little bit more urban industrial then we guess a no go, bucolic with an edge then your in..

High Marnham Power Station is a former coal-fired power station, currently undergoing demolition. It is located in Nottinghamshire, to the west of the River Trent, just south of the village of Dunham. It was the most southerly of three power stations which lined the River Trent, the others being West Burton and Cottam. The station was opened in 1959 and had a generating capacity on 945 megawatts (MW).

The station closed in 2003 after nearly 45 years in operation, with a loss of 119 jobs. The station’s chimneys were demolished on 15 December 2004.^[3] The station’s 150 feet (46 m) high boiler house was demolished on 5 October 2006.^[4] The station’s five cooling towers still stand.

References

• 28 Days Later – photos of the station mid-demolition.
• 28 Days Later – photos of the station mid-demolition.

We did however find what seems to be an old Station in the grounds, old platform, paths and the houses looked like old rail houses, was there a station there in 1959?

Onto some Images then:

The Washington Post broke the news on Friday that Binyam Mohamed, British resident, Guantánamo prisoner, victim of “extraordinary rendition” and torture, and the subject of high-profile court cases on both sides of the Atlantic, will be returning to the UK “early next week,” according to “a source involved in the process, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak on the subject.”

Sex jibe husband murders wife
Bomb blast victim fights for life
Girl thirteen attacked with knife

Re worked Depeche Mode:

Samuel Osborn became a town councillor (1869), Master Cutler (1873), alderman (1890) and Mayor (1891). Because of ill health he was only able to attend a few council meetings and became the first Mayor of Sheffield to die during his year of office.

His former home on Bungreave Road, a former Chidren’s Home now lies in ruins, no doubt its future is demolition, is this how Sheffield treats the preservation and conservation of our collective Heritage?

Samuel Osborn headed one of Sheffield’s great tool steelmaking families. He was born in Ecclesfield and began his career as a drapers apprentice but switched to manufacturing and set up his own file making business.

People like Mr Samuel Osborn and the grand buildings they built are treated, in our view, with utter contempt. Last year we had the privilege of going into the former George Barnsley and Sons Ltd. (founded 1836). They were in Cornish Place on the Don and specialised in forge filing and cutting tools for leather workers and shoe makers. One George Barnsley was Master Cutler in 1883.

It is currently owned by Mr. Gerald Duniec of Gerald Duniec & Company Chartered Surveyors whom have left this place to go to rack and ruin, just as he has done with Wharncliffe Works, 86 and 88 Green Lane, Kelham Island.

The building was first placed upon the Listed Buildings at Risk Register in June 1993 and the then owner’s agent was also written to, informing him of the powers the Local Planning Authority has to execute urgent or necessary repairs under sections 54 and 48 of the Planning (Listed Building and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, and requiring certain works to be undertaken.

At the end of 2008, a cheap tin of blue paint, and some superficial boarding of Wharncliffe Works is all the work that has been undertaken, and despite his protestations live on Radio Sheffield over his concern for George Barnsley and Sons Ltd, the same superficial works has been done there.

In recent weeks The former Sheffield Crown Courts, old Town Hall has been in the news.
Concerns for the building, with its distinctive clock tower, have been raised by the Victorian Society following the recent snow. It wants the council to serve an urgent works notice on the owner.

“If something isn’t done soon to secure the site then there is a real danger that the structural integrity of the building, and its Victorian court fittings, could be irreparably damaged,” said Alex Baldwin, the society’s conservation adviser.
On wed 18.2.09, we visited The Old Crown Court on Waingate, our access made easy by the lack of concern, or any real security on the building, it was self evident where this had left the bulding: a playground for people with drug related problems.

Following on from past explorations, the sad state of Sheffield Crown Court where some of the insides had been smashed and part removed, indeed in one room lay all the old signs ready for possible removing.

As much as the owners are accountable for the state of this building where it has become at risk, so are Sheffield City Council. Instead of polite conversation with the owners perhaps they might like to consider further action, but we know we are only dreaming when we ask this, we only need to look at how much in the pocket they are with property developers and speculators.

The detriment being the conservation and preservation of our heritage, where we lose the former Trafalgar Works for a car park and in the near future we are going to lose more as they push ahead for the crass Sevenstone redevelopment. In this economic downturn it might be true what V. Bayliss said about the former Sheffield Crown Court:

“As long as it’s a use which respects the building inside and out and there are people using it I don’t really mind what it is. It would make offices, nightclub, restaurants, a cultural space for lectures and concerts, maybe even apartments – but you’d need a really good imaginative architect for that.

“The current economic climate [autumn 2008] might be the worst possible time to say a private developer or a local authority should spend money on this – but what happens if they don’t?…”

Just the same needs to be asked of Sheffield City Council and their continued failing to act to preserve what little is left of Sheffield’s Heritage.