No squatters at Fairlop - yet

Since a long caterpillar RAF convoys wound its way out Fairlop airfield many months ago, scores of sturdily built in Nissen huts scattered over the area have lain deserted and derelict.No longer do airmen's voices drift over the quiet country air.

No longer does a blue-uniformed community eat, drink, sleep and laugh there. They did eat and sleep and most of them for it enjoyed it (barring perhaps, service discipline). Many of these men have been demobbed, and several of them no doubt wish they were back at Fairlop again, this time with their families again. Having swelled the ranks of the National Army of the homeless, they are in many districts, revolting against the seemingly apathetic official response to their home-seeking efforts.

Fairlop may be deserted with as yet to no sign of communal civilian activity, but growing resentment is felt by homeless or badly housed folk in the Hainault area at the day the site and are well situated ex-American Army camp opposite Hainault Station. It is deserted except for the watchman who night and day patrol it.. One of the watchmen said that dozens of homeless people visted the site in the past few weeks giving the place the once over.

Last week engineers from the Ilford Council severed the main electricity cable nearby cutting off the camps power supply. The two large brick buildings in the camp, at present consisted of unused drying rooms wash houses and a boiler house have now been locked up with strict instructions not to hand the keys over to anybody.

Since this camp was left directly by the army earlier this year, floorboards have been removed and transported away on lorries. Before that, the camp seemed perfectly suitable for family occupation. Water and sewerage systems are installed and throughout the camp and there is a communal cookhouse. Watchman work three days and nights shifts per day.

Meanwhile, the camp rots.