The central bird, a giant sparrow with multicoloured wings, represents a member of the diverse community of Cressingham Gardens. An ordinary person who has lived on this beautiful estate for years. Saving Cressingham Gardens from demolition by Lambeth Council.
The ordinary Sparrow is made powerful by the fierce possessiveness over her home and by the support of the whole community, seen in the flock of birds swooping in to join the fight against the vulture, Lambeth Council, small dark and gnarly, the vulture uselessly trys to grasp at the houses as the sparrow beats him up. The oppressive grip the Council have on the residents of Cressingham Gardens is reversed and immortalized in stained glass.
The angelic posture of the parakeet and the impossible heavenly colours and size of the local Brockwell Park birds, depicts the Universe’s judgement on Lambeth Council’s cruel and unnecessary, profiteering plans to demolish Cressingham Gardens.
The “redevelopement” planned by the Council to replace this well established social housing community are not affordable to some of the current residents to return to when and if the new build is built. A proportion of the community have already had to move away from the area. The Council have replaced them with tenants who are on cruel and stressful 7-day notice tenancies.