Kenton Bar Estate - A Blast from the Past

As I said, I lived in a bungalow as a kid...normally when you think of bungalows you think of homes for old people, but on Kenton Bar this was not the case...These were 3 bedroomed and surely designed for families...I think therefore a flaw in the housing designed for the estate was that it was not designed for old people to live there...as the estate evolved you found that the aged population ended up in the flats, cube or block, but these had no lifts for old people... But to get back to the bungalows, what was good about the design was that the bedrooms(except for the last one down the long corridor)were 'semi detached'(joining onto the corridor only...-the last one might join to another bungalow like ours did, but some didnt as they were not 'joined' and on the other side of the wall was a thoroughfare)The living rooms were totally detached:only the corridor joined to the next door bungalow, whilst the front room/kitchen backed on to an adjacent bungalow garden-or

Mensforth's photos of a hybrid model of the estate from the RIBA exhibition (subject to the master's watermarking...)

3 posts that need watermarked/edited by the master: a)boulders b)plans of electric type houses(from the RIBA exhibition) c)the 4th picture of the eighth wonder of the world (mensforth photo from the RIBA exhibition) watch this space!...

Hello avid readers, I have already waxed lyrical about the flat roofs on Kenton Bar before (See post 'flat roofs on Kenton Bar') but the mists of time have have cleared somewhat and I now remember more... As a matter of interest I happened to be talking to some riff raff who still lives on the estate, and this person was moaning on about how the kids are always running across the roofs of the electrical houses where this riff raff dwells, the DOOMPH! DOOMPH! DOOMPH!! sound of their heavy footfall being slooshied(heard) by the tortured residents as they run across the roof...I asked why they were doing this...'For the sheer hell of it' was the reply... the outer lip of the roof, was raised slightly higher( 20cm) than the roof itself...sometimes the down drainpipes on the garage roofs(separate from the houses except the split levels who had their own posh garage at the bottom of the house- see post 5th picture of the eight wonder of the world) got blocked,(Not so the roo

Courtesy of Jolyon Yates http:// www.jolyonyates.com A little smudgy but definitely THE PYRAMID – the top circled structure……

  Master, I hope you don’t mind if I do say a few words to describe my joy at my discovery of the 4th picture of the eighth wonder of the word, that joyous day,23rd January 2010 when I saw this wonderful photo at the RIBA 'Reinvigorating the region' exhibition at 11.15am...We had been told that there was no photo of she, but this was not true...I came to the print as I walked slowly round the exhibition, mein footsteps echoing in the deserted building (I was the first person in) The print showed a woman wearing a miniskirt with a beehive hairstyle walking down Ryal Walk which made me think straight away, oh a black and white photo from the late 60's when the estate had just been built... and mein eyes moved across... and then I saw her, she, the wonder of all wonders, the pyry, her radiant apex magnificent beyond description...I stopped and gasped AKA the moment in terminator 3 when the T-X discovers that the blood sample is from her primary target, John Conner and ga

No words can describe my joy…so I won’t add any text – here she IS – the holy apex peeking above those right hand rooftops………:-

  Photo courtesy of Courtesy Of Claire Harper and James Perry:- "Reinvigorating the Region" Exhibition - HERE Shades commented that he would be interested in a photo of Gordon Ryder as well-here is one of the two great architects together from the RIBA exhibition I went to over the weekend, so I hope they don’t mind me using it on the blog. So Shades, do you recognise him!? Kenton Bar Pyramid Appreciation Society   Technorati Tags: Claire   Harper , James   Perry , Gordon   Ryder , Peter Yates, Jolyon Yates, RIBA , Kenton , Pyramid , Appreciation , architects

The wonderful brochure of kenton bar unearthed by Jolyon Yates has got me thinking about the central heating venting system that was the main heating source in all the types of houses on the estate(on the brochure under the 'modern man' drying the dishes, it says'central heating in all houses'...)I remember the intense dry heat blasting out, but also that you could use them AKA 2 cans and some string to eavesdrop on the conversation in the front room(from the upper bedroom with the window leading onto the split level roof!)As a kid we thought this great fun. You could shut off the heat to a room by sliding up the little handle thing if you got too hot, and I believe there were 3 settings to the heat:How you turned the whole thing on or off I cant remember. The downside to the venting system was that if your mam and dad smoked(mine did, about 60 a day each) the smoke permeated all rooms horribly! I seem to recall at some point this system was replaced by central heating

http://kentonbar.blogspot.com Kenton bar was actually a great place to play. Because of the design of the estate there were many places that had NO CARS. This was great for parents who could let their kids into the streets with no worries about them being knocked down. Some memories that come back to me:- The Shopping Centre – as you know the site of the Great Pyramid. Apart from climbing the pyramid there were a number of activities that one could partake in – no need for Wii’s and PSP’s in those days. A cheap skateboard and a piece of old plywood was all that was needed for fun at the shops. Place the plywood against the steps in from of the flats just down from the pyramid and it transformed them into an instant stunt ramp. I learned all my basic skateboarding skills there – bank turns, 360’s the works. The long smooth slop coming down from the pyramid was great for slalom and speed trials. The blue tiled area adjacent to the pyramid was great for freestyle. All in all a great

photo 4 yes 4 of she, our beloved pyramid, the holy grail...

Dear Readers Don’t ask why……………I need any information you may have about either Phillipsons or Photo Mayo photographic studios….

http://kentonbar.blogspot.com This is a graphic I received and a note from Mr. Yates. The graphic shows the split level type housing described by Shades – these would be the ones  at the very top of the estate that allowed roof access via the little pointy turret. During all the time I lived on Kenton Bar I never once saw anyone use the access door though never mind sunbathe on the roof. Nice idea though. Here is the note:- Hi again El Patron  I’m sure there’s more somewhere .. perhaps not what I had imagined I’m afraid I remember shots of kids playing next to the housing (on what I remember as 'planted' tree trunks in a circle or .. ?) - but that might have been the pilot scheme at St Cuthberts Way - I can’t be sure I will look again over the next few days With Kind Regards Jolyon Kenton Bar Pyramid Appreciation Society   Technorati Tags: Claire   Harper , James   Perry , Gordon   Ryder , Peter Yates, Jolyon

Another note from Mr. Yates – as it happens the Kenton Bar Pyramid was set atop a water feature but alas I never saw it working. It was little blue glazed tiles and a cascade/waterfall. Must have looked great at the time:- Here’s a pic of Peter Yates of Ryder & Yates at Norgas House in Killingworth I’m sorry it’s not the pyramid you’re looking for On that thought - I’m sure you realised that your pyramid was designed to float visually on water. Do you remember it being “on” some kind of water feature ? Jolyon Yates MA(RCA)Lon www.jolyonyates.com www.odechair.com www.industrialarts.co.uk +44 (0)191 289 2374 Kenton Bar Pyramid Appreciation Society   Technorati Tags: Claire   Harper , James   Perry , Gordon   Ryder , Peter Yates, Jolyon Yates, RIBA , Kenton , Pyramid , Appreciation , architects

http://kentonbar.blogspot.com I got the following picture and notes from Jolyon Yates yesterday Dear El Patron Here is a brochure - or possibly a mock-up for a brochure. I’m not even entirely sure it’s for Kenton - but I suspect it is. Interesting to read - it shows the development to be aspiring to better living standards. Jolyon Jolyon Yates MA(RCA)Lon www.jolyonyates.com www.odechair.com www.industrialarts.co.uk +44 (0)191 289 2374

  Reinvigorating the region can be found by clicking HERE HI – I just received this email from James Perry. The hunt for the elusive pyramid pics is getting closer is my guess……   eMail:- Hi, I just thought I'd get in touch to say congratulations on the great website. I came across it whilst reading up about the 'Reinvigorating the region' exhibition whilst myself and my partner wrote, designed and curated last year. Although its only just being presented its worth a look if your interested in the Kenton Bar estate. I have to say we found it very difficult to find information out about the project as somehow it appears to have disappeared off the radar of the architectural press. The best source available on the project is by a local architect and writer called Rutter Caroll who recently published a book on Ryder and Yates architects ( http://www.amazon.co.uk/Ryder-Yates-Twentieth-Century-Architects/dp/1859462669/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264205185

Dear Friends - I got the following email from Mr Yates after responding to a comment by him on this esteemed blog. I asked him about the photos and also told him Mensforth was to visit the exhibition "Reinvigorating the region" this weekend. I cannot wait to get the pictures which will be immediately posted HERE!!! The eMail:- Dear El Patron I just got back from the opening - it’s a great exhibition in a terrific building .. It’s in George Stephenson’s workshop behind the Central Station - where the first steam locomotive was developed You’ll be disappointed to hear however that there’s no pyramid. What a terrific fascination though ! There was a molded pyramid in front of Norgas House in Killingworth. I’ll try to dig out some shots of Kenton at the weekend for you - there’s one or two very good early shots Peter was indeed my father - he put a lot of heart into Kenton - I know they did really wrestle with the project at times and for various reasons - For example, it was app

Friends of the blog: The link is now alive!!! Fingers crossed for holy grails(4th photo of Pyry and or plan of concrete maps) I will update ASP...roll on 23 January - 27 February 2010!!! www.architecture.com/NEexhibition