Warren gets ready for the kids Christmas party.
For most of its decade of existence, Frestonia seemed likely to be annihilated at any moment. Nobody knew if or when evictions would happen. There were constant rumours, and some of them were true as official bodies could neither bear to leave "illegal occupants" in situ, nor come up with any better ideas about how to use their derelict property. At the time of the declaration of independence, the GLC wanted to raze the site and leave a field of rubble indefinitely. The publicity that resulted did at least compel them to scrap that idea.
Living with this sort of uncertainty is corrosive. Even if you have it, you cannot spend money on a home that may be a pile of hardcore in a few weeks. So you put up with the damp and discomfort and wait in limbo. For years, as it turned out.
This insecurity produced a sense of community and interdependence that town planners can only dream about. The old pub was designated a community centre, and used for meetings, parties, gigs and benefits - and later a law centre run by a Frestonian who trained as a solicitor.