The estate where I live is a collection of privately owned houses built in the middle of a huge council estate. The council estate is "rough" to coin a phrase... but there is never any serious trouble. No racial tension at all.. just lads out late in the evenings in the summer months having a bit of fun... Nothing serious at all.

The local pub was well known for being a haven for trouble makers... rough as rats and not the sort of place I would go to drink. Some years ago it was closed down after a fire... and never reopened. Directly opposite a primary school it was an open target for children to explore. It was boarded up more times than a shop front in North Carolina and there were constant pressures on the landlords and the council to do something about it. Not only was it an eyesore... it was downright dangerous.

On Bonfire night last year... it was up in flames again and this time it was completely gutted by fire. On Monday morning of this week I stood at my back door drinking my tea and in the distance I could hear the sound of building work. I assumed it was the water board or the council digging up a road nearby. Imagine my surpise as I drove to work when I rounded the corner to see a huge yellow JCB smashing down the pub. It was rather poignant to see after all these years. I've lived here almost 20 years (which is scary when I come to think of it) and to see this huge pile of rubble where the pub used to be was quite sad. I guess that doesn't really make sense but its how I felt. The pub.. "back in the day" had been the centre of the universerse as far as the area I live in was concerned.. and over the past few days.. as I've watched its slow demolition... I've felt sad.

Oh man thats so lame its stupid...

Taxi drivers all over the city will be lamenting its loss. Everyone on our estate would say "behind the Royal Marine" to tell the taxi driver where to take them home. What landmark will we use now????