BHA bids farewell to Alan!
Wednesday, 03 August 2011 15:15
Sadly, Alan Slater died recently. Those tenants who've been around for a long time may remember Alan. He was one of a group of professional people who started up Barnsbury Housing Association in 1967.
They obtained a grant from the then G.L.C. and converted a run down house in Barnsbury Street into flats. Small beginnings! Then they bought a couple more houses in this north terrace.
The future for these fine houses might well have been extremely grim, but gradually they converted other houses between numbers 28 and 60. Eventually leading to 39 flats. No. 60/62 Barnsbury Street was the last to be converted and used the original facade with flats re-built onto the back. Alan seemed to be running everything single handed. He had his own accountancy business in south London but seemed to be forever around here, mostly in the evenings.
We wondered if he ever slept or even ate! He was passionate about B.H.A.
After Barnsbury Street came 155 homes on Barnsbury Mews and 12 in Milner Square. Business was carried on from a converted garage in Londsdale Place until the offices in Morland Mews were set up. Until B.H.A. had a full compliment of staff, Alan was continuously involved. He always turned up for the AGM and continued to give his valuable advice. Those of us who remember him will be forever grateful for his vision and insight.
