York through (White) Rose Tinted Glasses

I really hope that the following paragraphs do not come as too negative or judgemental about the place.

After all, the City of York in the North of England has some history and status.

Established by the Ninth Roman Legion in or around 71 A.D it went on to become the centre of a Viking Kingdom, a major seat of power for Crown and Clergy, the temporary Capital of England in the Middle Ages and a principal trading and population centre.

In the present it is one of the most popular destinations in the UK for overseas visitors and fits nicely into a typical itinerary that covers London, Edinburgh, the Old Trafford Stadium home of Manchester United and a Shopping Outlet near Oxford.

It is easy to see York for all of its positivity and attributes.

It was one of the few Northern areas to vote to Remain in the EU in the 2016 (was it really that long ago?) Referendum which was an endorsement of its cultural, social and historical foundations.

However for one of its proud Citizens that rose tinted view was somewhat shattered within the space of a few tightly knit streets just a couple of days ago.

I often provide work experience for those interested in a career path in Surveying.

These mainly come from local schools who allocate a couple of weeks in the summer term time during which their O'Level students are seconded to approved companies and businesses to get an insight into the workplace. Other attendees are already on a Full Time Course covering the Urban Environment requiring a practical grounding or have just graduated and need to be able to list a placement on their pending job applications.

A more recent trend has been from those seeking a change of job after some years of being otherwise employed.

The proliferation of day time TV property related programmes has certainly create a higher level of awareness of the sector as a lifestyle and as a way to make a living.

A York resident, in Financial Services felt that this had run its course in terms of keeping his interest and motivation and approached me for some advice on how to get into the Surveying Profession.

A half day of shadowing is always the best introduction to a typical workload and a run of three inspections in York fell into place to facilitate such an event.

The first was a nice modern house on quite a pioneering development from the collaboration of a Social Housing Provider and a National Builder. The former, very respected organisation, in providing the land for the housing development had been able to dictate specific conditions. These included a Community Biomass Heating Plant, a restriction to single car ownership for the residents, subsidies for the purchase of bicycles and a new dedicated bus service.

The style and specification of the houses are quite striking and although quite expensive for all of the social credentials the area is a further indictment of York's forward thinking and long term strategy.

After that rather privileged start the other two appointments were on adjoining streets in a terraced housing area wedged in behind the hospital and railway lines and close to the football ground of York City.

Built in the early years of the 20th Century the maze of residential roads will have been more than adequate for any movement of population on foot, by horse, horse drawn carriages and the rarity of early combustion engined vehicles.

Under levels of car ownership now the street widths are very much constricted and take some concentration to negotiate without taking off wing mirrors or catching bodywork.

In between the mass of parked vehicles we came across a small group on bicycles.

They fitted the stereotype of physical appearance, dress code and mannerisms that identify a drug dealer and even at 11 in the morning a transaction was under way. My colleague for the day looked a bit shocked when I pointed this fact out to him. It was a home truth too far.

It took a couple of circuits of the neighbourhood to find a space to leave the car. Paralell parking as a skill is much prized in that area.

I was not sure that we were at the correct address as we stood in front of the boarded up, former corner shop . A shadow crossed into view at an upstairs window but so fleetingly that I was not sure if it had actually been a human form. The door to the street of what will have been the shop-keepers accommodation was partly open. Peering in only reinforced the thought that the place was not lived or indeed capable of habitation as it was in quite a state of dereliction.

The purpose of my visit was to report on a proposed project of renovation and with the arrival of a Housing Officer everything became clearer.

For a combination of reasons the occupant of the old shop had fallen through every safety net of Social Welfare.

The internal condition and lack of amenities were the worst I had seen for some time but thankfully now the machinery of funding and expertise had kicked in and within a few months a major scheme of works would create a fine and comfortable home.

My colleague for the day continued in his shocked demeanour.

Next up was just around the corner.

Keys were collected for access to inspect a house that had just been repossessed by the Bank for a default in payment of a mortgage or a loan. I find these type of jobs quite upsetting as the owners will have been evicted and only able to take the minimum of possessions with them before the locks are changed and its contents impounded.

The place had evidently been in longstanding occupation with all of the furnishings and chattels of a familiar and beloved home. There were some clues as to the fate of its occupants from a pile of unopened official looking envelopes on the dining room table and an atmosphere of resignation of overpowering and debilitating debt.

The legalities of the eviction process take some time and responsible Lenders do try to come to an arrangement by which the homeowners can offset payments or enter into a payment schedule. The stress and anxiety arising from the possibility of losing your house cannot be understated.

This revelation seemed to be too much for my colleague for the day and he had to go outside to get some fresh air.

Later, over a cup of coffee we had a bit of a review of the day.

To me it had been a succession of relatively common jobs in the housing market.

He, however, would probably have to re-think his previously held perceptions of his home City.