Frestonia

The catchment area of the Harrow Club W10 in Freston Road included a run down area called Frestonia. Frestonia consisted of a triangle of land formed by Freston Road, Bramley Road and Shalfleet Drive. It was inhabited by a community of squatters, about 120 in number who in 1977 declared themselves The Independent Republic of Frestonia. They very artfully all changed their surnames by Deed Pole to Bramley to bamboozle Kensington Borough Council under whose duristricton they came under. Many of the Frestonian children used the Harrow Club services The Harrow Club also housed The Notting Dale Urban Studies Centre run by Chris Webb. Frestonia also came within the Urban Studies Centre's catchment and was documented over the years on a regular basis as part of their work. In 1979 Chris Web commissioned me to create a body of artwork based on Frestonia and the broader area of Notting Dale as well and the gallery contains that collection.