Estate

Hailed by the authorities as "the future of housing", The Estate in south London was opened with a flourish by the Lord Mayor of London in the late 1960s. The six 20-storey tower blocks were seen as the new way forward for community life in London. However, within a matter of weeks it had all started to go wrong as racial tensions built up and families of ethnic minorities clashed. Based on true stories, this is a novel based around 11 different families living side by side in The Estate, and their perceptions of it. We find out how the Indian family, the gypsies, the gay couple and the landlord of the local pub all deal with their new homes and the dynamics of a multi-racial community. Building up to a finale at The Estate's Christmas party, this is a poignant and funny account of how life really treated the occupants of the tower blocks.