Frestonia
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Frestonia was the name adopted for a couple of months by the
squatters Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building (usually residential) that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there wer ...
of Freston Road, London, when they attempted to stop a threatened eviction via
secession Secession is the formal withdrawal of a group from a Polity, political entity. The process begins once a group proclaims an act of secession (such as a declaration of independence). A secession attempt might be violent or peaceful, but the goal i ...
from the United Kingdom. In 1974, two streets of tumbledown terraced Victorian cottages – Freston Road and Bramley Road – in the
London Borough of Kensington and Chelsea The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (often known by its initialism as RBKC) is an Inner London borough with royal status. It is the smallest borough in London and the second smallest district in England; it is one of the most densel ...
, were broken into by squatters who rigged up electricity, water and makeshift roofs. They playfully formed the Free and Independent Republic of Frestonia and declared independence on 31 October 1977. The residents were squatters, some of whom eventually set up a
housing co-op A housing cooperative, or housing co-op, is a legal entity which owns real estate consisting of one or more residential buildings. The entity is usually a cooperative or a corporation and constitutes a form of housing tenure. Typically housi ...
in negotiation with
Notting Hill Housing Trust Notting Hill Genesis (NHG) is a housing association formed in April 2018 by the merger of Notting Hill Housing Trust, Notting Hill Housing and Genesis Housing Association. Notting Hill Genesis’ primary purpose is to work in the community to ...
after that landlord bought the street. Residents included artists, musicians, writers, actors and radical feminist activists. Actor
David Rappaport David Stephen Rappaport (23 November 1951 – 2 May 1990) was an English actor with achondroplasia (a genetic disorder where the primary feature is dwarfism). He appeared in the films ''Time Bandits'' and '' The Bride'', and television series ' ...
was the
Foreign Minister In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...
, while playwright
Heathcote Williams John Henley Heathcote-Williams (15 November 1941 – 1 July 2017), known as Heathcote Williams, was an English poet, actor, political activist and dramatist. He wrote a number of book-length polemical poems including ''Autogeddon'', ''Falling ...
who occasionally visited a friend in the street, served as Ambassador to the United Kingdom.


Location

Frestonia consisted of a triangle of land (including communal gardens) formed by Freston Road, Bramley Road and Shalfleet Drive, W10, which belonged at the time to the
London Borough of Hammersmith The London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham () is a London boroughs, London borough in West London and which also forms part of Inner London. The borough was formed in 1965 as the London Borough of Hammersmith from the merger of the former Metr ...
. This land crosses the boundary of London postal districts W10 (
Kensal Green Kensal Green, also known as Kensal Rise, is an area in north-west London, and along with Kensal Town, it forms part of the northern section of North Kensington, London, North Kensington. It lies north of the canal in the London Borough of Brent ...
) and W11 (
Notting Hill Notting Hill is a district of West London, England, in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. Notting Hill is known for being a wikt:cosmopolitan, cosmopolitan and multiculturalism, multicultural neighbourhood, hosting the annual Notting ...
), and now belongs to the
Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (often known by its initialism as RBKC) is an Inner London, Inner London borough with Royal borough, royal status. It is the List of English districts by area, smallest borough in London and the secon ...
. Prior to the construction of the Westway, Freston Road had been called Latimer Road, and the nearby
tube station The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or as the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent home counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England. The Undergro ...
still bears the former name.


Origins

Most of the residents of Freston Road were
squatters Squatting is the action of occupying an abandoned or unoccupied area of land or a building (usually residential) that the squatter does not own, rent or otherwise have lawful permission to use. The United Nations estimated in 2003 that there wer ...
, who moved into empty houses in the early 1970s. The "Republic of Frestonia" continued to operate as a collective well into the 1980s, becoming a creative hub for writers, artists and musicians as well as cultural activists. When the
Greater London Council The Greater London Council (GLC) was the top-tier local government administrative body for Greater London from 1965 to 1986. It replaced the earlier London County Council (LCC) which had covered a much smaller area. The GLC was dissolved in 198 ...
planned to redevelop the area, the 120 residents first all adopted the same surname of Bramley with the aim that the council would then have to re-house them collectively.


Independence

The Council threatened formal eviction, so at a public meeting attended by 200 people, resident Nicholas Albery—inspired by both the 1949
Ealing comedy The Ealing comedies is an informal name for a series of comedy films produced by the London-based Ealing Studios during a ten-year period from 1947 to 1957. Often considered to reflect Britain's post-war spirit, the most celebrated films in the ...
film ''
Passport to Pimlico ''Passport to Pimlico'' is a 1949 British comedy film made by Ealing Studios and starring Stanley Holloway, Margaret Rutherford and Hermione Baddeley. It was directed by Henry Cornelius and written by T. E. B. Clarke. The story concerns the unea ...
'' and a previous visit to
Freetown Christiania Freetown Christiania (), also known as Christiania or simply ', is an intentional community and anarchist commune in the Christianshavn neighbourhood of the Danish capital city of Copenhagen. It began in 1971 as a squatted military base. Its m ...
in Copenhagen—suggested that they declare the street independent of the rest of the UK. A
referendum A referendum, plebiscite, or ballot measure is a Direct democracy, direct vote by the Constituency, electorate (rather than their Representative democracy, representatives) on a proposal, law, or political issue. A referendum may be either bin ...
returned 94% of residents in favour of the plan, and 73% in favour of joining the
European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organisation created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisbo ...
. Independence was declared on 31 October 1977.
Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer The shadow chancellor of the exchequer in the British Parliamentary system is the member of the Official Opposition Shadow Cabinet (United Kingdom), Shadow Cabinet who is responsible for shadowing the Chancellor of the Exchequer, chancellor of ...
Sir
Geoffrey Howe Richard Edward Geoffrey Howe, Baron Howe of Aberavon, (20 December 1926 – 9 October 2015), known from 1970 to 1992 as Sir Geoffrey Howe, was a British politician who served as Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1989 to ...
wrote expressing his support, saying: "As one who had childhood enthusiasm for '' Napoleon of Notting Hill'', I can hardly fail to be moved by your aspirations." In a legal dispute regarding the unauthorised performance of his play ''The Immortalist'', Heathcote Williams won a ruling from the UK courts that Frestonia was for this purpose not part of the UK. The state adopted the
Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
motto ''Nos Sumus Una Familia''—''We are All One Family''—and applied to join the United Nations, at the same time warning that
peacekeeping Peacekeeping comprises activities, especially military ones, intended to create conditions that favor lasting peace. Research generally finds that peacekeeping reduces civilian and battlefield deaths, as well as reduces the risk of renewed w ...
troops might be needed to keep the GLC at bay.


Culture, communications, transport and economy

Frestonia had its own flag; postage stamps (which were honoured by the General Post Office) in which the Queen was replaced with Gary the Gorilla; passport stamps for visitors; a national newspaper ''The Tribal Messenger'' ; as well as an art gallery, The Car Breaker Gallery. The Car Breaker Gallery's exhibitors included
Joe Rush Joe Rush (born 1960) is a British artist. He is the founder of Mutoid Waste Company, a performance arts collective that has performed at Glastonbury Festival. Early life Rush was born in 1960 in London, England. Career In 1980, Rush exhibit ...
of the
Mutoid Waste Company The Mutoid Waste Company are a performance arts group founded in London, England by Joe Rush and Robin Cooke in collaboration with Alan P Scott and Joshua Bowler. It started in the early 1980s, emerging from Frestonia's 'Car Breaker Gallery'. Th ...
, Julie Umerle,
Brett Ewins Brett Ewins (1955 – 16 February 2015) was a British comic book artist best known for his work on ''Judge Dredd'' and ''Rogue Trooper'' in the weekly anthology comic '' 2000 AD''. Biography Ewins studied Conceptual Art at Goldsmiths College, w ...
, Giles Leaman and
Brendan McCarthy Brendan McCarthy is a British artist and designer who has worked for comic books, film and television. He co-wrote the film '' Mad Max: Fury Road''. He is the brother of Jim McCarthy. Life and career Early life and work Brendan McCarthy was ...
. The gallery opened to the public at 4 Bramley Road on 14 December 1979. In 1980, conceptual artist John Latham was a member of the audience at the private view of one of the performances presented there. Professional lighting for the gallery was donated by
Sandy Nairne Alexander Robert Nairne (born 8 June 1953) is a British art historian and curator. From 2002 until February 2015 he was the director of the National Portrait Gallery, London. Life and career Nairne was responsible for the successful recovery o ...
, later to be Director of the
National Portrait Gallery National Portrait Gallery may refer to: * National Portrait Gallery (Australia), in Canberra * National Portrait Gallery (Sweden), in Mariefred *National Portrait Gallery (United States), in Washington, D.C. *National Portrait Gallery, London ...
. Frestonia
street art Street art is visual art created in public locations for public visibility. It has been associated with the terms "independent art", "post-graffiti", "neo-graffiti" and guerrilla art. Street art has evolved from the early forms of defiant gr ...
included a whale on Stoneleigh Street and a performance of
Apocalypse Now ''Apocalypse Now'' is a 1979 American psychological epic war film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola. The screenplay, co-written by Coppola, John Milius, and Michael Herr, is loosely inspired by the 1899 novella '' Heart of Darkn ...
on bicycles. In addition, there was a "National Theatre" at Frestonia which performed
Heathcote Williams John Henley Heathcote-Williams (15 November 1941 – 1 July 2017), known as Heathcote Williams, was an English poet, actor, political activist and dramatist. He wrote a number of book-length polemical poems including ''Autogeddon'', ''Falling ...
's ''The Immortalist''. The Frestonian National Film Institute was also formed; its first screening being—appropriately—''
Passport to Pimlico ''Passport to Pimlico'' is a 1949 British comedy film made by Ealing Studios and starring Stanley Holloway, Margaret Rutherford and Hermione Baddeley. It was directed by Henry Cornelius and written by T. E. B. Clarke. The story concerns the unea ...
'' and a film of the
Sex Pistols The Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band formed in London in 1975. Although their initial career lasted just two and a half years, they became culturally influential in popular music. The band initiated the punk movement in the United Ki ...
. Local transport was served by the Number 295 bus, and the
London Underground The London Underground (also known simply as the Underground or as the Tube) is a rapid transit system serving Greater London and some parts of the adjacent home counties of Buckinghamshire, Essex and Hertfordshire in England. The Undergro ...
, Latimer Road underground station being at the north end of Bramley Road. There were even plans to introduce a currency. When the state celebrated its fifth anniversary in 1982, the population numbered 97 people occupying 23 houses. The same year,
The Clash The Clash were an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1976. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they are considered one of the most influential acts in the original wave of British punk rock, with their music fusing elements ...
recorded their album ''
Combat Rock ''Combat Rock'' is the fifth studio album by the English rock band the Clash, released on 14 May 1982 through CBS Records. In the United Kingdom, the album charted at number 2, spending 23 weeks in the UK charts and peaked at number 7 in the U ...
'' in Ear Studios (also known as The People's Hall) in Frestonia. The Clash and
Motörhead Motörhead () were an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1975 by bassist and lead vocalist Lemmy Kilmister, guitarist Larry Wallis and drummer Lucas Fox. Kilmister was the primary songwriter and only constant member. The band a ...
practised in the rehearsal studios there.
Killing Joke Killing Joke were an English rock music, rock band formed in Notting Hill, London, in 1979 by Jaz Coleman (vocals, keyboards), Paul Ferguson (drums), Geordie Walker (guitar) and Youth (musician), Youth (bass). Their first album, ''Killing Joke ...
and
Girlschool Girlschool are a British rock band that formed in the new wave of British heavy metal scene in 1978. Frequently associated with contemporaries Motörhead, they are the longest-running all-female rock band, still active after more than 40 ...
also practised there. One third of the little tumbledown Victorian houses were squatted by young women from around the globe. Many gradually developed a shared feminist consciousness and began setting up creches, food co-ops and helping in the growing networks of women's refuges and legal advice agencies. The street became a hub for a while, for local anarcho feminist meetings and activism. One woman, Hilary, was the cook on the first Greenpeace Rainbow Warrior. Another, Lizzie, lived at Greenham Peace Camp, Marisa consolidated her career as an artist and Diane hers as a successful jazz musician. Everything seemed possible and everything was questioned.


Decline and fall

Following international press coverage, the residents formed the Bramleys Housing Co-operative Ltd, which negotiated with
Notting Hill Housing Trust Notting Hill Genesis (NHG) is a housing association formed in April 2018 by the merger of Notting Hill Housing Trust, Notting Hill Housing and Genesis Housing Association. Notting Hill Genesis’ primary purpose is to work in the community to ...
for continued residence and acceptable redevelopment of the site. Some Frestonians were unhappy with the consequent loss of independence and moved away. According to Tony Sleep, a resident photographer whose online photo-journal documents the history of the area, those leaving were often replaced by people with drinking and drug problems. The remaining Frestonians proved incapable of maintaining the ideals of the Frestonian "nation", which consequently went into decline. In its place, a more conventional local community developed, without any claims to secession from the UK.


21st century situation

As of 2016, Bramleys Housing Co-operative manages the properties owned and built on the Frestonia site by Notting Hill Housing Trust, and its members live as a close-knit community. Some are children or grandchildren of the original Frestonians, although there has also been a significant influx of new residents. A large new office development, also named Frestonia, was built on the adjacent site at the junction of Bramley Road and St Anns Road, and is occupied by the headquarters of
Cath Kidston Catherine Isabel Audrey Kidston (born 6 November 1958) is an English fashion designer, businesswoman and author whose company, Cath Kidston Limited, sold home furnishings and related goods online, through franchises and by mail order. She is p ...
. In 2001, a second large office development also named Frestonia by its developers was erected at 125/135 Freston Road. In 2006, the Louise T Blouin Foundation was built in nearby Olaf Street. The nearby 150,000 m2
Westfield London Westfield London is a large shopping centre in White City, west London, England, developed by the Westfield Group at a cost of £1.6bn, on a brownfield site formerly the home of the 1908 Franco-British Exhibition. The site is bounded by the ...
shopping complex opened in 2008. Major developments occurred in 2007 with the completion of headquarters for
Monsoon Accessorize Monsoon Accessorize is a British private limited company. It operates two international retail clothing chains – Monsoon and Accessorize.TalkTalk (2009) at the rear of 91–121 Freston Road.


Cultural reactions

*1978. Simon Watters-Bramley, Frestonian Ambassador to Canada, the Arctic and Chicago, was featured on the cover of ''Salty Dog'' magazine (Vol. I, issue No. 2) an arts and culture tabloid newspaper published by Joanne Light in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada where he resided at his ambassadorial residence before leaving his post to work for
Greenpeace Greenpeace is an independent global campaigning network, founded in Canada in 1971 by a group of Environmental movement, environmental activists. Greenpeace states its goal is to "ensure the ability of the Earth to nurture life in all its biod ...
. *1995. '' Frestonia'' was the name of the final album from
Aztec Camera Aztec Camera were a Scottish pop/ new wave band founded by Roddy Frame, the group's singer, songwriter and only consistent member. Established in 1980, Aztec Camera released a total of six studio albums: '' High Land, Hard Rain'' (1983), ''Kn ...
. *2014. Robert Kerr won best Screenplay (UK) for his debut documentary ''The Republic of Frestonia'' at the 11th
London Independent Film Festival The London Independent Film Festival is a British film festival that takes place annually in April. It was founded by Erich Schultz and specialises in low-budget independent films. It offers a screenplay competition and distribution fair. Hist ...
. *2015. ''To the Bramley Family of Frestonia''. A publication documenting the public art project in London by
Turner Prize The Turner Prize, named after the English painter J. M. W. Turner, is an annual prize presented to a British visual artist. Between 1991 and 2016, only artists under the age of 50 were eligible (this restriction was removed for the 2017 award). ...
nominee
Nathan Coley Nathan Coley (born 1967 in Glasgow, Scotland, where he currently lives and works) is a contemporary British artist who was shortlisted for the Turner Prize in 2007 and has held both solo and group exhibitions internationally, as well as his wo ...
with an introduction by art critic, writer and curator Sacha Craddock. *2015. ''Arcadia''. An article by Robert Barry, viewing Frestonia as the forefathers of Arcadia Spectacular. *2016. Robert Kerr's documentary ''The Republic of Frestonia'' was shortlisted for a Golden Trellick Award at the
Portobello Film Festival The Portobello Film Festival is an independent international film festival based in London, which annually premiers over 700 new films, including feature films, features, short films, shorts, documentaries, music films, and animation. Additionall ...
. *2017. The Frestonian Gallery opened at The People's Hall. The Frestonian Gallery seeks to channel the independence of thought and expression of its rebel forebears. *2018. ''Welcome To Frestonia'' by Tony Sleep. Publisher: Frestonian Gallery. *2020. Kensington and Chelsea Art Week commission a mural to be painted on a large hoarding on Freston Road to commemorate the history of the area. *2021. The musical ''Ruff Tuff Cream Puff Estate Agency'' based on the story and events of Freston was created and premiered at the Belgrade Theatre, Coventry."Arts & Homelessness Festival: Ruff Tuff Cream Puff Estate Agency"
16 October 2021.


See also

*
List of micronations Micronations, sometimes also referred to as ''model countries'' and ''new country projects'', are small, self-proclaimed entities that assert their sovereignty as independent states but which are not acknowledged as such by any of the recognise ...


References


External links


Tony Sleep's Photojournal Portfolio

The Republic of Frestonia. Website
{{SquatE&W 1977 disestablishments in England 1977 establishments in England 1977 in London 20th century in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Anarchism in England Counterculture Former unrecognized countries Legalized squats Micronations Micronations in England Squats in the United Kingdom Counterculture of the 1970s