Blasts From The Past

Tower block demolitions on video

On 30h November 2003 Rathbone Point and Rachel Point were demolished as part of the regeneration of Nightingale Estate. The dramatic controlled explosions reduced the tower blocks to rubble in just 10 seconds and bought the total of tower block demolitions in Hackney to 22.

The first blowdown in Hackney was back in 1985 with the demolition of Northaird Point on Trowbridge Estate. Since then the remaining 5 Trowbridge blocks have been demolished along 4 at Clapton Park, 3 at Holly Street, 2 at Kingshold, 2 at Kings Park and 5 at Nightingale Estate.

Nightingale Estate 2003 QuickTime video (980KB) Windows Media video (1.52MB) Nightingale Estate 1998 QuickTime video (630KB) Windows Media video (1.5MB) Clapton Park 1993 QuickTime video (1.2MB) Windows Media video (2.0MB)

If you have trouble viewing the videos, use the links below to download the latest viewer software.

                   

Videos by Michael Kirkland, reproduced with permission.

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Page updated: 18 Jan 2008