Squatters Take Over a Social Relic Pub reports BarStool Megastore

(EstateNewsWire.com, November 14, 2012 ) Matthews, NC -- The Cross Keys on Lawrence Street in Chelsea, west London has been visited by many over a three-century stint. Everyone from Sir Christopher Wren to Dylan Thomas, Bob Marley and Catherine Middleton have stopped into the bar and have enjoyed its atmosphere. Now, the pub has been occupied by 17 squatters.

The pub was once one of the most popular bars that boasted a well-known Sunday lunch crowd. Now, the bar is simply an overrun and dingy place to be as the squatters have turned it into a temporary home.

The sofas that sit in front of the open fire have now been converted from a paying-punters resting space to a squatter’s personal club room. The mezzanine, once used for private parties, is now utilized for as a dormitory.

Andrew Bourne, the owner of the pub, has launched legal action against the squatters, in an attempt to evict them from the area.

The pub had been recently unoccupied after a failed attempt by Boone to turn it into a residential building. Residence nearby ran a campaign to keep the Keys as it always has been.

The squatters are aged 17 to 35 years of age, and drafted a letter to the owner stating that they would look after the place while buyers looked to purchase it, according to Marina Costa. She is a Portuguese theater student who finds herself in the Cross Keys and states, "We hoped to stay here until the place was sold and protect it from theft and becoming damp." Bourne has declined the offer.

Bourne has described the situation as “outrageous” and will go before the West London County Court to seek eviction for the squatters.

Ms. Costa has pointed out that the group has done considerable good for the real estate, including fixing the toilets, unblocking the drains, and ridding the space of mice.
Another temporary resident, Rosa, stated that the group had plans to use the space respectfully, even using it to exhibit artwork.

One squatter, titled Mr. X, was formerly a poultry farmer who was making $32,000 per year in Norfolk. Now he has chosen his alternative lifestyle. "We are dropping out of the system. I'd rather live in a tent than be a slave being paid an average wage and being ripped off by electricity companies, utility companies and the BBC [for a TV license].

"There are enough buildings like this sitting in limbo to house the 17,000 people on the homeless register."

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