Thy Cities Shall With Commerce Shine - Part I

Heritage

The ‘Official’ Heritage that the UK delineates is propelled as a set of values through education and media to build a community. The creates a sense of national identity. However, the construction of this is often based on the notion of a heroic past and can create structural forgetfulness that can lead to toxic nationalism, and simultaneously alienate diasporic communities. Heritage management, conservation, preservation and restoration are not just objective technical procedures, they are themselves part of the subjective heritage performance in which meaning is re/created and maintained.

Connections

Grenfell

On 14th June 2017, a devastating fire broke out in a West London tower block called Grenfell. The first spread so quickly and unexpectedly that in took 24 hours to get under control. 72 people lost their lives in the fire. It was fuelled by inexpensive but combustable cladding added to the outside of the building in order to make it look more appealing to the richer neighbours of this tower block.

I first heard the news waking up and seeing a post on Facebook from a blogpost of one of the residents, a few months earlier, claiming that they would only be listened to about needed safety regulations and renovations, when a disaster would happen. You can visit this website to read the stories from the survivors of Grenfell, and this website to see all the documents relating to the subsequent inquiry. The final report was only published in September 2024.

Brenna Bandhar has written this Article that details the privatisation of services as the lead to this disaster. When state services become privatised, profit is put before welfare, as the corporate body’s main goal is profit maximisation.

The reason I have linked Grenfell to Heritage is because legislation is a heritage within itself. This legal architecture we have adopted from previous generations with different political agendas, it also forms our national identity. It is a systematic construction that consistently undervalues, deprioritises and ignores minorities of all kinds.

In making these intangible things tangible, a greater understanding can emerge. This is why I arrived at Grenfell during my research through the modes of learning about the Great Fire of London I had at school.

Connections

Fire of London 1666

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec et feugiat erat, eget rhoncus neque. In efficitur quam in volutpat sagittis. Integer eget congue dolor. Integer fermentum tellus lectus, non dapibus urna condimentum quis. Donec erat magna, mollis a turpis non, sagittis maximus erat. Aenean nec ligula luctus, laoreet velit nec, consectetur purus. Pellentesque sagittis massa et nibh tempor, sit amet malesuada elit congue. Etiam molestie malesuada felis, dictum faucibus dolor laoreet vitae. Donec eget convallis sapien. Sed tincidunt tincidunt nunc, non blandit ex pretium id. Vestibulum egestas turpis turpis, vel lacinia turpis semper id. Suspendisse sit amet posuere ipsum, in interdum risus.

Aliquam facilisis nisl et maximus aliquet. Vivamus in libero ante. Nunc sit amet tempor purus. Nam justo magna, pellentesque sed elementum nec, mollis eget augue. Mauris id quam at magna volutpat hendrerit. Vivamus sollicitudin pulvinar dolor, in malesuada diam mattis quis. Suspendisse volutpat porttitor magna, ut bibendum lectus. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Praesent rutrum justo quam, a feugiat massa ullamcorper eu. Aliquam volutpat molestie nibh sed ultricies. Vestibulum tempus ullamcorper lobortis.

Ut efficitur nec est quis ullamcorper. Nam sagittis justo orci, eu condimentum dui iaculis vitae. Etiam quam felis, feugiat id ligula quis, cursus feugiat dui. Ut accumsan justo et bibendum viverra. Nam eget tristique enim. Curabitur in lectus nibh. Vestibulum dapibus odio ut leo faucibus dignissim. Etiam tortor lacus, semper eu arcu in, tempor ultrices justo. Vivamus tempus ligula vitae elit malesuada euismod. Integer id vulputate quam. Cras aliquam sem eu leo sollicitudin aliquet. Proin fermentum magna id mi consequat facilisis.

Connections

Education

The timelines we are taught at school in the UK do not account for slavery or colonialism. Anecdotally every UK-schooled person knows the ‘pink map’ of the British Empire we were briefly shown at school. My memory is that the message from this was ‘we used to own all this and now we gave it all back’. Admittedly, it was only when I left the UK that I was taught truly about British colonialism.

Whilst conducting this research, I had an interview with a (white) head of history from a West London school with a largely black student body. She told me that learning about Britian’s role in the slave trade was an optional module to teach. When I asked her if she taught it or not, she said no, as she felt uncomfortable teaching black students about ‘their’ history. The error here is firstly the misunderstanding that this is not a shared history. Secondly, we have built up a belief within education in the UK that if something isn’t a history that paints us as heroes it cannot be mentioned. The teacher’s response to this was students need to learn National pride ‘incase the country goes to war.’

Nationalism is useful for the state in terms of compliance, and the heroic rhetoric that is pushed through education legislature is deliberate. In 2014, the UK government introduced requirements for UK schools to teach and promote ‘Fundamental British Values’ which were inextricably tied to the desire to end multiculturalism. The ridiculousness of where this appeared from can be learnt about by listening to the Trojan Horse podcast. The Prevent strategy that was crated alongside these ‘values’ gave the responsibility to teachers to flag students that they thought were falling to extremism, the criteria being a signal that they were against ‘Fundamental British Values’. This of course targeted ethnic minorities, and in particular Muslim students. Children as young as four were flagged by their teachers.

Connections

Stonehenge

One of the pinnacle’s of British ‘Official’ Heritage is Stonehenge. It is used as a tool of projection, rather than holding a stable meaning/image in the British imagination. New discoveries about the site are always being made, and resulting ‘meanings’ tied to these discoveries. This BBC Documentary was broadcast in 2021 following archaeological excavations between 2014 and 2018. In the wake of Brexit and calls for a new Scottish Independence referendum, the overall narrative is one of ‘cultural mingling’ between tribes on Isles, promoting a uniform ‘Britain’. The potentially unintended effect of doing as such enables the far right to justify White Nationalism, although based in false truths.

Incase anyone was missing the subtlty, recently they have taken to literally projecting Queen Elizabeth onto the stones for her past Jubilee. This projection transports the stones into the modern era, and is used to represent Britain as the Monarchy. Such a thing did not exist when Stonehenge was constructed, and by conveniently assimilating the Queen to that of prehistory, we lose the narrative of the modern day Monarchy and its role in creating multinational corporations that were used as vessels to build the British Empire.

Archaeology has provided nationalism with with politically effective symbols, creating fixed historical memories that are shared by the nation. Stonehenge, and many other sites like it, locates current nationalism in the past, obliterating the chronology of history.

In school, when I was 6 years old, we watched our own mini Stonehenge being built in the school grounds. Building things outdoors was common for the school I attended, but I hadn’t seen the real Stonehenge yet, and I remember the mystery of it being passed onto me, cementing the beginnings of nationalist pride.

Connections

Lloyd's building

The Lloyd’s building, designed by Richard Rodgers in 1977 for Lloyd’s of London, is an example the architectural style known as Bowellism, a concept created by Rodgers himself. In this style, all the building’s functions are placed on the exterior, creating the impression of a gutted structure. This design conveys the idea that everything is on display, leaving nothing hidden. Although controversial at the time, the building was designated as a Grade I listed monument by Historic England in 2011, making it the youngest monument in England.

By conferring official heritage status upon this building, attention is immediately drawn to its worth, value, and significance. However, as a relatively young monument, its history appears to start with its design in 1977, obscuring the history of the contentious marketplace operating within. This building aligns with the British heritage narrative of heroism, linking British business and architecture as complementary expressions of daring and ingenuity. While the building’s style suggests transparency—its functions seemingly laid bare—it simultaneously blinds us to the historical and ongoing complicity in insuring risks that perpetuate violence.

Part I of this research focused heavily on the building itself, but the unexpected arrival of Covid forced a shift in direction. Unable to film the structure, I discovered a collector’s paper model of the Lloyd’s building. As I assembled the model, I learned that it is archived at the V&A Museum of Childhood (now Young V&A). This revelation opened new avenues of thought, connecting my research with reflections on my education, particularly lessons about the Great Fire of London.

Connections

Lloyd's of London

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec et feugiat erat, eget rhoncus neque. In efficitur quam in volutpat sagittis. Integer eget congue dolor. Integer fermentum tellus lectus, non dapibus urna condimentum quis. Donec erat magna, mollis a turpis non, sagittis maximus erat. Aenean nec ligula luctus, laoreet velit nec, consectetur purus. Pellentesque sagittis massa et nibh tempor, sit amet malesuada elit congue. Etiam molestie malesuada felis, dictum faucibus dolor laoreet vitae. Donec eget convallis sapien. Sed tincidunt tincidunt nunc, non blandit ex pretium id. Vestibulum egestas turpis turpis, vel lacinia turpis semper id. Suspendisse sit amet posuere ipsum, in interdum risus.

Aliquam facilisis nisl et maximus aliquet. Vivamus in libero ante. Nunc sit amet tempor purus. Nam justo magna, pellentesque sed elementum nec, mollis eget augue. Mauris id quam at magna volutpat hendrerit. Vivamus sollicitudin pulvinar dolor, in malesuada diam mattis quis. Suspendisse volutpat porttitor magna, ut bibendum lectus. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Praesent rutrum justo quam, a feugiat massa ullamcorper eu. Aliquam volutpat molestie nibh sed ultricies. Vestibulum tempus ullamcorper lobortis.

Ut efficitur nec est quis ullamcorper. Nam sagittis justo orci, eu condimentum dui iaculis vitae. Etiam quam felis, feugiat id ligula quis, cursus feugiat dui. Ut accumsan justo et bibendum viverra. Nam eget tristique enim. Curabitur in lectus nibh. Vestibulum dapibus odio ut leo faucibus dignissim. Etiam tortor lacus, semper eu arcu in, tempor ultrices justo. Vivamus tempus ligula vitae elit malesuada euismod. Integer id vulputate quam. Cras aliquam sem eu leo sollicitudin aliquet. Proin fermentum magna id mi consequat facilisis.

Connections

Kidnap and Ransom insurance

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec et feugiat erat, eget rhoncus neque. In efficitur quam in volutpat sagittis. Integer eget congue dolor. Integer fermentum tellus lectus, non dapibus urna condimentum quis. Donec erat magna, mollis a turpis non, sagittis maximus erat. Aenean nec ligula luctus, laoreet velit nec, consectetur purus. Pellentesque sagittis massa et nibh tempor, sit amet malesuada elit congue. Etiam molestie malesuada felis, dictum faucibus dolor laoreet vitae. Donec eget convallis sapien. Sed tincidunt tincidunt nunc, non blandit ex pretium id. Vestibulum egestas turpis turpis, vel lacinia turpis semper id. Suspendisse sit amet posuere ipsum, in interdum risus.

Aliquam facilisis nisl et maximus aliquet. Vivamus in libero ante. Nunc sit amet tempor purus. Nam justo magna, pellentesque sed elementum nec, mollis eget augue. Mauris id quam at magna volutpat hendrerit. Vivamus sollicitudin pulvinar dolor, in malesuada diam mattis quis. Suspendisse volutpat porttitor magna, ut bibendum lectus. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Praesent rutrum justo quam, a feugiat massa ullamcorper eu. Aliquam volutpat molestie nibh sed ultricies. Vestibulum tempus ullamcorper lobortis.

Ut efficitur nec est quis ullamcorper. Nam sagittis justo orci, eu condimentum dui iaculis vitae. Etiam quam felis, feugiat id ligula quis, cursus feugiat dui. Ut accumsan justo et bibendum viverra. Nam eget tristique enim. Curabitur in lectus nibh. Vestibulum dapibus odio ut leo faucibus dignissim. Etiam tortor lacus, semper eu arcu in, tempor ultrices justo. Vivamus tempus ligula vitae elit malesuada euismod. Integer id vulputate quam. Cras aliquam sem eu leo sollicitudin aliquet. Proin fermentum magna id mi consequat facilisis.

Connections

Transatlantic slavetrade

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec et feugiat erat, eget rhoncus neque. In efficitur quam in volutpat sagittis. Integer eget congue dolor. Integer fermentum tellus lectus, non dapibus urna condimentum quis. Donec erat magna, mollis a turpis non, sagittis maximus erat. Aenean nec ligula luctus, laoreet velit nec, consectetur purus. Pellentesque sagittis massa et nibh tempor, sit amet malesuada elit congue. Etiam molestie malesuada felis, dictum faucibus dolor laoreet vitae. Donec eget convallis sapien. Sed tincidunt tincidunt nunc, non blandit ex pretium id. Vestibulum egestas turpis turpis, vel lacinia turpis semper id. Suspendisse sit amet posuere ipsum, in interdum risus.

Aliquam facilisis nisl et maximus aliquet. Vivamus in libero ante. Nunc sit amet tempor purus. Nam justo magna, pellentesque sed elementum nec, mollis eget augue. Mauris id quam at magna volutpat hendrerit. Vivamus sollicitudin pulvinar dolor, in malesuada diam mattis quis. Suspendisse volutpat porttitor magna, ut bibendum lectus. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Praesent rutrum justo quam, a feugiat massa ullamcorper eu. Aliquam volutpat molestie nibh sed ultricies. Vestibulum tempus ullamcorper lobortis.

Ut efficitur nec est quis ullamcorper. Nam sagittis justo orci, eu condimentum dui iaculis vitae. Etiam quam felis, feugiat id ligula quis, cursus feugiat dui. Ut accumsan justo et bibendum viverra. Nam eget tristique enim. Curabitur in lectus nibh. Vestibulum dapibus odio ut leo faucibus dignissim. Etiam tortor lacus, semper eu arcu in, tempor ultrices justo. Vivamus tempus ligula vitae elit malesuada euismod. Integer id vulputate quam. Cras aliquam sem eu leo sollicitudin aliquet. Proin fermentum magna id mi consequat facilisis.

Connections

Insurance brokers

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec et feugiat erat, eget rhoncus neque. In efficitur quam in volutpat sagittis. Integer eget congue dolor. Integer fermentum tellus lectus, non dapibus urna condimentum quis. Donec erat magna, mollis a turpis non, sagittis maximus erat. Aenean nec ligula luctus, laoreet velit nec, consectetur purus. Pellentesque sagittis massa et nibh tempor, sit amet malesuada elit congue. Etiam molestie malesuada felis, dictum faucibus dolor laoreet vitae. Donec eget convallis sapien. Sed tincidunt tincidunt nunc, non blandit ex pretium id. Vestibulum egestas turpis turpis, vel lacinia turpis semper id. Suspendisse sit amet posuere ipsum, in interdum risus.

Aliquam facilisis nisl et maximus aliquet. Vivamus in libero ante. Nunc sit amet tempor purus. Nam justo magna, pellentesque sed elementum nec, mollis eget augue. Mauris id quam at magna volutpat hendrerit. Vivamus sollicitudin pulvinar dolor, in malesuada diam mattis quis. Suspendisse volutpat porttitor magna, ut bibendum lectus. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Praesent rutrum justo quam, a feugiat massa ullamcorper eu. Aliquam volutpat molestie nibh sed ultricies. Vestibulum tempus ullamcorper lobortis.

Ut efficitur nec est quis ullamcorper. Nam sagittis justo orci, eu condimentum dui iaculis vitae. Etiam quam felis, feugiat id ligula quis, cursus feugiat dui. Ut accumsan justo et bibendum viverra. Nam eget tristique enim. Curabitur in lectus nibh. Vestibulum dapibus odio ut leo faucibus dignissim. Etiam tortor lacus, semper eu arcu in, tempor ultrices justo. Vivamus tempus ligula vitae elit malesuada euismod. Integer id vulputate quam. Cras aliquam sem eu leo sollicitudin aliquet. Proin fermentum magna id mi consequat facilisis.

Connections

Shell

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec et feugiat erat, eget rhoncus neque. In efficitur quam in volutpat sagittis. Integer eget congue dolor. Integer fermentum tellus lectus, non dapibus urna condimentum quis. Donec erat magna, mollis a turpis non, sagittis maximus erat. Aenean nec ligula luctus, laoreet velit nec, consectetur purus. Pellentesque sagittis massa et nibh tempor, sit amet malesuada elit congue. Etiam molestie malesuada felis, dictum faucibus dolor laoreet vitae. Donec eget convallis sapien. Sed tincidunt tincidunt nunc, non blandit ex pretium id. Vestibulum egestas turpis turpis, vel lacinia turpis semper id. Suspendisse sit amet posuere ipsum, in interdum risus.

Aliquam facilisis nisl et maximus aliquet. Vivamus in libero ante. Nunc sit amet tempor purus. Nam justo magna, pellentesque sed elementum nec, mollis eget augue. Mauris id quam at magna volutpat hendrerit. Vivamus sollicitudin pulvinar dolor, in malesuada diam mattis quis. Suspendisse volutpat porttitor magna, ut bibendum lectus. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Praesent rutrum justo quam, a feugiat massa ullamcorper eu. Aliquam volutpat molestie nibh sed ultricies. Vestibulum tempus ullamcorper lobortis.

Ut efficitur nec est quis ullamcorper. Nam sagittis justo orci, eu condimentum dui iaculis vitae. Etiam quam felis, feugiat id ligula quis, cursus feugiat dui. Ut accumsan justo et bibendum viverra. Nam eget tristique enim. Curabitur in lectus nibh. Vestibulum dapibus odio ut leo faucibus dignissim. Etiam tortor lacus, semper eu arcu in, tempor ultrices justo. Vivamus tempus ligula vitae elit malesuada euismod. Integer id vulputate quam. Cras aliquam sem eu leo sollicitudin aliquet. Proin fermentum magna id mi consequat facilisis.

Connections

Life insurance

Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec et feugiat erat, eget rhoncus neque. In efficitur quam in volutpat sagittis. Integer eget congue dolor. Integer fermentum tellus lectus, non dapibus urna condimentum quis. Donec erat magna, mollis a turpis non, sagittis maximus erat. Aenean nec ligula luctus, laoreet velit nec, consectetur purus. Pellentesque sagittis massa et nibh tempor, sit amet malesuada elit congue. Etiam molestie malesuada felis, dictum faucibus dolor laoreet vitae. Donec eget convallis sapien. Sed tincidunt tincidunt nunc, non blandit ex pretium id. Vestibulum egestas turpis turpis, vel lacinia turpis semper id. Suspendisse sit amet posuere ipsum, in interdum risus.

Aliquam facilisis nisl et maximus aliquet. Vivamus in libero ante. Nunc sit amet tempor purus. Nam justo magna, pellentesque sed elementum nec, mollis eget augue. Mauris id quam at magna volutpat hendrerit. Vivamus sollicitudin pulvinar dolor, in malesuada diam mattis quis. Suspendisse volutpat porttitor magna, ut bibendum lectus. Orci varius natoque penatibus et magnis dis parturient montes, nascetur ridiculus mus. Praesent rutrum justo quam, a feugiat massa ullamcorper eu. Aliquam volutpat molestie nibh sed ultricies. Vestibulum tempus ullamcorper lobortis.

Ut efficitur nec est quis ullamcorper. Nam sagittis justo orci, eu condimentum dui iaculis vitae. Etiam quam felis, feugiat id ligula quis, cursus feugiat dui. Ut accumsan justo et bibendum viverra. Nam eget tristique enim. Curabitur in lectus nibh. Vestibulum dapibus odio ut leo faucibus dignissim. Etiam tortor lacus, semper eu arcu in, tempor ultrices justo. Vivamus tempus ligula vitae elit malesuada euismod. Integer id vulputate quam. Cras aliquam sem eu leo sollicitudin aliquet. Proin fermentum magna id mi consequat facilisis.

Connections