Please Sir, I want some more!

Charles Dickens and his family moved a lot depending on their circumstances.  A couple of times he lived in this charming Georgian house in Fitzrovia, just a few yards from the Workhouse.

It is believed that some of the characters in Oliver Twist were based on those from the workhouse. There apparently was even a shopkeeper in the street with the name Bill Sykes!

Those that are asking for more now however are not poor working lads but rather developers who wish to pull down the Georgian buildings and build modern expensive apartments that sell for a couple of million.

Dickens fans, historians, local community groups and lots of other Londoners have been trying to save the historic buildings and character of the area.  What has been achieved is that the workhouse building has managed to get a heritage order placed on it.  Everything around it however will be demolished and a high rise apartment building will go up behind it.  The developers plan to gut the workhouse and create luxury apartments inside the facade.

To view the application and leave comments you still have a couple more days to have your say.
For details and links visit here.

the workhouse