# Squats in major English cities - London, Cardiff, Birmingham etc



## Lee (Jan 19, 2013)

Hey guys and girls.

I'm very interested in finding a squat in, like I've said, a major/semi-major English city. I mean somewhere more permanent, well, more-so than a month, if you dig. 

I probably sound like a rather big nonce asking this on the internet, but I'd imagine you guys are the ones I want to see. So.

Where can I find information for this? Can you guys give me any? 

P.S - SWIM may be under-age (Under 18), what's the general consensus on under-agers and squatters? Any aggro I should look out for?

Cheers guys, give us any info you can, even if it doesn't pertain to this directly, but to first-time squatters and squatting, Thanks!


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## noitanicullaH (Jan 19, 2013)

I was squatting in London, if you get caught breaking in, as for us it was a college or something like that above post-office alot of police came and arrested us, holded for 13-14 hours i cant remember and then let us go after interrogation. Later my friends squatted there anyway, so about under-age i dont know.


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## Lee (Jan 19, 2013)

noitanicullaH said:


> I was squatting in London, if you get caught breaking in, as for us it was a college or something like that above post-office alot of police came and arrested us, holded for 13-14 hours i cant remember and then let us go after interrogation. Later my friends squatted there anyway, so about under-age i dont know.


 
Cheers man, I know it's recently been made a criminal offence by the Tory twats in power. How hard is it to find someone to squat with and find a place?


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## noitanicullaH (Jan 19, 2013)

"Squatting in residential buildings (like a house or flat) is illegal. It can lead to 6 months in prison, a £5,000 fine, or both. Although squatting a non-residential building or land isn’t in itself a crime, trespassers on non-residential property may be committing other crimes."

To find a place its not really hard, if you just walk and search, look at letter box, windows, leave something for couple days near entrance or idk just make sure noone lives there, and to find someone to squat with idk, it depends what you want to do, just live there or ?


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## Lee (Jan 20, 2013)

noitanicullaH said:


> "Squatting in residential buildings (like a house or flat) is illegal. It can lead to 6 months in prison, a £5,000 fine, or both. Although squatting a non-residential building or land isn’t in itself a crime, trespassers on non-residential property may be committing other crimes."
> 
> To find a place its not really hard, if you just walk and search, look at letter box, windows, leave something for couple days near entrance or idk just make sure noone lives there, and to find someone to squat with idk, it depends what you want to do, just live there or ?


 
Yeah, live, obviously not for years up years, as long as we get,but I can't really be doing it on my own.


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## noitanicullaH (Jan 20, 2013)

il PM


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## landpirate (Jan 22, 2013)

You'll find squatters in every biggish town and city in the UK. I'm not going to go into details about any squats I know. Sorry, its the internet and I don't know you. Also, by the time you get to the UK they will probably be evicted and stuff just changes quick. London, manchester, bristol, brighton are all good places with big squat communities. I don't know anybody in Birmingham so can't tell you about the situation there. 

A lot of areas have squatters networks and they more often than not have websites. 

I found this one for Cardiff:
http://cardiff.squat.net/

I found this one for Brighton:
https://network23.org/snob/

and this website will no doubt tell you loads of useful stuff:
http://en.squat.net/

With regards being underage and squatting. It's not really a problem. There are plenty of teenagers who squat. I have lived with a few and I am 30. I would just say to maybe try and find a squat with a few people your own age or similar. I found it kind of irritating sometimes having 'kids' living with me. They would hassle me to buy them beer that they couldn't handle drinking and they would do too many drugs that they couldn't handle taking. I know I have lived in squat situations that I don't think were suitable for anybody especially younger people. I don't want to come across as a patronising bitch saying this stuff, but living with people who have been alcoholics and living on the streets for 30 years is sometimes scary and hard to handle, especially in a foreign country. Also, if something happens in a squat to a 'minor' then that is really fucking bad news legally for the 'adults' living there. 

The last annoying thing i will say (I promise!) is check that you are allowed to a.) fly over on your own, and b.) enter the country and stay here without an adult. it would be really shit if you got all the way here and were sent back because you needed a permission letter from a parent or something. (I don't know that this is the case, but would be worth finding out)

anyway yeah, The UK is fun, come and give it a try.


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## Lee (Jan 23, 2013)

landpirate said:


> You'll find squatters in every biggish town and city in the UK. I'm not going to go into details about any squats I know. Sorry, its the internet and I don't know you. Also, by the time you get to the UK they will probably be evicted and stuff just changes quick. London, manchester, bristol, brighton are all good places with big squat communities. I don't know anybody in Birmingham so can't tell you about the situation there.
> 
> A lot of areas have squatters networks and they more often than not have websites.
> 
> ...


 
Sorry, I am in the UK, I really need to change my info now, haha. No, you're not coming off as patronising, living with a junkie or alchy wouldn't be good for anyone, let alone a teen. Nah, don't be sorry, I wasn't expecting anyone to give me adresses or the like, like you said, none of you guys know me, I'm lucky to have got to info I have.

Thanks for those links, I've got 56a in London bookmarked, I'll give those ones a look as well. I get served in most pubs, I'm sure I'll be able to buy my own beer, aha. But no, thank you for all this info, any tips on how to find squatters? 

Thanks, I really appreciate all the info.


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## noitanicullaH (Jan 23, 2013)

Oh btw, read.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/31078102/Squatter-s-Handbook-England-13th-Edition


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## Lee (Jan 23, 2013)

noitanicullaH said:


> Oh btw, read.
> 
> http://www.scribd.com/doc/31078102/Squatter-s-Handbook-England-13th-Edition



I have that bookmarked, haha. Thanks anyway man, really appreciate the help, I'd have expected some stick from you guys, for being underage, but I'm quite surprised, haha. 

Keep up the good work.

Cheers.


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## noitanicullaH (Jan 23, 2013)

Whatever man,i guess, just dont be stupid. I started drinking and doing shit at age 13, at 18, quit drinking,dope, so i guess sooner you realise what you want in your life, the better.


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## Lee (Jan 23, 2013)

Yeah, I'm not a drinker, not much of a drug user either, thanks man.


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## landpirate (Feb 7, 2013)

there's some useful info to be found here. 

https://network23.org/ass/for-new-squatters/


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## Lee (Feb 7, 2013)

landpirate said:


> there's some useful info to be found here.
> 
> https://network23.org/ass/for-new-squatters/


Cheers!


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## adam patterson (Jun 20, 2013)

landpirate said:


> You'll find squatters in every biggish town and city in the UK. I'm not going to go into details about any squats I know. Sorry, its the internet and I don't know you. Also, by the time you get to the UK they will probably be evicted and stuff just changes quick. London, manchester, bristol, brighton are all good places with big squat communities. I don't know anybody in Birmingham so can't tell you about the situation there.
> 
> A lot of areas have squatters networks and they more often than not have websites.
> 
> ...


 

Hey!

i make short films and am based in ireland.

i'm making a series of 7 shorts (3mins) about interesting people - from comedian to a window cleaner. 

I'd like a to feature a squatter. 

I have done work on this before:

http://www.adampatterson.net/portfolio/squatters/

Also you can find some of my films on my vimeo: 
www.vimeo.com/user3844878

Perhaps you know someone i could initially chat too?

It will go out late night on Channel 4 - and is really just the person talking about something they are passionate about. (will not reveal where they live!)

Adam


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