Grenfell Tower

I’ve really got to write something now. I really couldn’t even begin to express anything over the last 3 days that hasn’t been said on TV and in the papers about the catastrophic events of the last three days in London.

The emergency services should be the pride of Britain for what they’ve done and continue to do, along with the volunteers and those who’ve donated necessary aid for the families who are the victims of this avoidable tragedy.

Ive got a story to tell on the subject of tower block living but now isn’t the time as this is still unfolding and like an onion will have many layers. Perhaps next week sometime I’ll get my story off my chest.

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hi dolly

i’m a bad sleeper and was awake when it happened.

seeing it unfold in real time had me sobbing.

every time it shows it on the news it sets me off again.

carole x

I’m sorry to hear how it has been effecting you along with many others, I haven’t been in tears and haven’t cried since my mum died in 1999 but I’m feeling more and more angry as things unfold in the papers and on TV.

As a Londoner born and bred who lives in similar circumstances just a few miles from these events i have my own personal reasons for being angry but I can’t write about it yet in full as it’s not the right time and will probably sound like I’m turning this terrible event into something that’s all about me. So for the time being I keep remembering that the remains of those who perished have not even been recovered yet, and that families here in London are suffering their own personal trauma and loss.

It truly is a shocking time. And to think this tragedy need never have happened!

We’ll read your story when you feel like telling it Dolly.

Polls x

The Grenfell Tower inferon was so shocking.

I was speechless.

It looks like a nuclear bomb hit it.

It’s astonishing how so many things went wrong at the same time.

That eco-cladding has been banned in the US, and yet it’s been plastered over 30,000 public buildings!

I’m sure most folks have put out kitchen fires - chip pans, toasters catching fire, and electrical fires.

We used to train the public how to deal with these common accidents. Health & Safety in schools, at work.

What has happened to us?

It sounds like a small fridge fire - which could have been put out with an extinguisher

was left to incinerate the whole building! According to reports, the man packed his bag before leaving, and didn’t attempt

to get help to put it out himself.

Fridge fire Plastic backed fridge fire - YouTube

And it seems those that survived, did so because they ignored the advice of the London Fire Brigade.

Well…awareness wise…

It made me buy a new fire extinguisher, and make sure everyone one knows

how to use it - and the fire blanket!

But, do tell us your story Dollydaydream when you are ready.

Thankfully we live in a detached bungalow in the country.

So if the house goes up inflames we only have ourselves to blame.

Fay

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The cladding that was used; was apparently cheaper than another cladding that could have been used and was fire retardant.From what I’ve heard it was used to smarten the building up, so that the eyesore that was Grenfell Tower was not such a blot on the landscape. Some cynical people might think that it was to placate the very rich neighbours.

This has upset me greatly, as it probably has many people in this country. Lets hope that an enquiry makes sure that this can’t happen again.

Wendy

The cladding used has actually been banned in this country and the US so someone must be held to account.

Totally agree.

I agree too, just hope the right people are held to account.

You okay Dolls?

Pollsx

It really takes me back as that is my area in London. Born Southam St; lived in Ormiston Grove Shepherd’s Bush; supported QPR and always will.

This was 50 years ago; but it still has a marvellous; helpful community. This is something areas like this bring out in people. Thankfully as it seems the Government and the Council are being reactive, not pro-active.

When I first left school I worked in the Clarendon Court Hotel; this has just been refurbished and is ideal for some of these unfortunate people http://www.tooleyfoster.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/Clarendon-Court.pdf

George

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Hello, when I first brought this up under the Eternal Rest headline, it was made out that it was not the time to make political statements, yes it was/is time for politics, as the need to tart the building up in the cheapest way was done by a tory council under a tory government to those not rich enough so the eyesore wasn’t so ugly to the neighbours, and I repeat the claim that Jeremy Corbyn’s motion for all landlords to make their rented properties safe but the government defeated it as not good for business, prosecutions MUST be made by all involved, Brian. ps, George, you have my condolences for supporting QPR.

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slightly o/t - why do news readers et al always ‘warn’ us about possible ‘distressing images’ that may be shown when reporting about Grenfell Towers.

All images of tragedies are distressing and we expect that – what are we supposed to do avert our gaze when we get this ‘warning?’

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One thing I have observed is that Tory councils do what they want, regardless of what Conservative Central Office wants.

This happened in my county. When Blair wanted “Unitary Authorities” our Council Leader pushed hard for one (even though Central Office did not want it to happen). This was going to do away with all the duplication of effort on behalf of the District Councils. So all the District Councils were done away with - and a few months later were replaced with Area Boards to reflect local interests.

Our Council Leader got created a life peer (Baroness) on the recommendation of David Cameron - now see where that got him.

As it happens, I am moving into an area with a Labour MP (probably a much better listener). At least he will not tell me (as the present one has (and yes, I still have the e-mail) that the NHS is not being privatised.

If the Grenfell Tower enquiry ever reports, I doubt if anyone will get more than a slapped wrist over this. Any senior culprit will be re-deployed (given a better job in another office).

Geoff

It’s looking more and more like you are right Brian.

Wendy

Suffering from the heat at the moment and feel as weak as a kitten, but I have started thinking about how to tell this story, it’s all a lot of this and that right now and full of questions without answers but my thoughts are jumping around a lot from one thing to another so I’m struggling to make it sound sensible.

There is no way they will ‘tart the building up,’ it will come down.

they can’t tart it up, it was declared unstable last Wednesday and too many people have died, no, they’ll just build a nice community centre and a memorial garden using some of the £5000000 fund.

How many were in the building?

Some say 24 per floor with 3 floors for offices with 21 floors occupied, so about 504 people.

That’s a lot of people. Yet, no clear numbers on how many are safe. Just the number of 79 killed or presumed killed. Yet they say this figure will increase - so by how much?

The council tax and local GPs must have good records on how many people occupied the tower.

So it should have been possible to state the number killed/missing.

I mean, how many of the 504 people need re-housing?

Fay

We have just had a shower room built downstairs as well as an extension to the kitchen. Many thanks to my late parents-in-law who have made this possible.

From start to finish, ‘building regulations’ came up in whatever part of the job…

We are talking here about let’s say 20-30 square meters…

When I was still to work as a carer (risk assessments!), you learn things like to pick up food, if it has dropped to the floor, within 2-3 seconds, before it gets contaminated… Whenever I reacted, during these courses to become a carer (having looked after a disabled daughter for many many years did not count…), with the phrase ‘Use common sense’… I was ‘told off’ as a little ‘rebelish’ boy and told to follow ‘the rules’…

Do not get this wrong…, of course you need ‘guide lines’/ ‘rules’ to do a job in care, to build an extension, etc. etc., but then it should be for everything and everyone.

A tower block in London goes up in flames, killing many many people… no sprinklers?.. no emergency exits?.. highly flammable panels on the outside?.. saving relatively a few pounds because these panels were cheaper?..

The assessors of this building, if there were any, clearly had a panel in front of their eyes when ‘assessing’…

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