
Your guide to the place to live in Laindon....
The Five Links Estate (AKA Alcatraz).The
Five Links Estate was a housing estate made up from 6 (yes - SIX, so why Five Links?) sections. You had Brendons, Handley Green, Somercotes, Newbury Side, Mellow Purgess, and Laindon Link. Brendons and Laindon Link have both been renamed and Handley Green is in the process of being renamed to Beeston Courts. I lived for 25 years of my life at 176 Handley Green up until I moved to Evesham in 2002. The estate was built I believe in 1970 and wasn't a bad place until only recently when the council decided it would be a good idea to redevelop the entire estate.
The estate is nearly unrecognisable to what it was once. Now, the place looks run down, and I don't think it will be long before they decide to just pull down the whole estate. Shame, as I have so many fond childhood memories of this place.
1. Welcoming sign to one of the links... Handley Green (where I lived)
2. My old house (the house in the corner with the white door)
3. A random block from Mellow Purgess. Actually, it just so happens that a good friend of mine lived at the house with the white door. Spent many times round that house many years ago.
4. Back to Handley Green - my sister lived at that house 10 years or so ago. Note that all the blocks look more or less the same. If you have never visited the estate before, it is very easy to get lost. Apparently the entire estate has around 1600 house/flats so that gives you an idea of how big the place is.
5. One of the many alleyways on the estate. Not a great place to walk down in the dark - the street lights hardly ever work. This alley is in Somercotes and leads to a couple of shops. I use to walk this way when I went to school. An old granny lived in a house on the right of the alley - her garden backed up onto the alley and I always waved to her every morning!!!!!!
6. My old local shops. These shops are located in Somercotes (actually, it is now just one shop). It was once a newsagents run by some Patel character and a small general groceries store run by a really friendly family. They closed shop some time ago, and Patel took over both units.
7. Another alley
8. Luxury Flats (??!!)
9. Another random block
10. I took this picture over a year ago. 227 Handley Green was the home of one of my best friends (Steven) and I spent a great amount of my childhood round this house. The house has since been demolished, and a carpark and new houses have been built on the site.
11. As picture 10, I use to play Tennis here with Steven - and this is the view I had.
12. Steves old back garden.