After two and a half years occupying this former bakery, left derelict for ten years, the so-called owners came down twice last week to try and kick us out. We're still here.
Being warned by Mr Thakrar, alleged agent for the alleged owners of the property, Glen International, that builders "and the police" were coming to illegally evict us on Monday 26th July, we gathered our forces and had a few mates down to help defend the building.
At 8am on Monday morning, the same builders who visited the Centre last week appeared and told us to get out. We said no. They got confused and in traditional style went off to the cafe and to ring their bosses; they stayed in the cafe for a couple of hours. Shortly after this a truck turned up with a load of breeze blocks, but pissed off when the driver realised the builders were not in control of the building.
The builders buggered off just after this, waving to us cheerfully. Despite Mr Thakrar's hysterical promises on Friday that the police would "deal with us", no police arrived.
Although our friends at S.K. Thakrar claim they are agents acting for the owners, there is a widespread suspicion that they are in fact the owners, disguised behind various offshore companies. Use Your Loaf is a very old building, it is Grade 2 Listed, so they cannot just knock it own along with the 3 derelicts they own round the corner to build the 21 flats they desperately desire. Their clear intention is to let the place fall down by itself: a cunning plan only spoiled by us occupying the building and repairing it. The load of breezeblocks shows they were only interested in bricking the place up and leaving it to rot.
We aren't going to allow that to happen. The building is open, a free space for all, and will continue to defy illegal eviction.
We would like to thank from the heart of our bottoms the lovely people who came down Monday morning to help defend the Social Centre. HOWEVER: We still need people to help us out. We urgently need people to come and stay in the building, day and night, to prevent any further attempt to kick us out. Come down or ring us on 07984 588807 to put your name on the rota. We urgently need folk to organise events here as well, to draw people in and keep the life in the space. If there's any event you would like to put on, or want to see happen, get in touch. USE YOUR LOAF IS YOUR SPACE TOO.
Please pass the news/appeal on to as many people as you can.
Thanks again to all those who came down. We won't accept the crumbs from the table, we've got the whole bakery!

UPDATE...

As of Wednesday July 28th, we received a court summons for a possession hearing for Use Your Loaf, to be held on August 11th. We are looking at our options... Get in touch with us for more information.

USE YOUR LOAF, 227 Deptford High Street, Deptford, SE8.
How to get there:
Tube: New Cross.
Overground train: Deptford.
Docklands: Deptford Bridge.
Buses: 47, 53, 177, 188, 199, 225, 453.