Christ, I never thought I'd find myself writing about someone more stubborn than my Uncle Terry (who once refused to leave a pub during a fire alarm because he'd "just got a fresh pint"). But here we are.
Let me tell you about Andy Roche.
This 50-year-old Rochdale resident is basically living in a ghost town. The kind where tumbleweeds would roll by if Manchester wasn't so bloody damp all teh time. He's the last man standing in a block of 24 flats on the Lower Falinge estate – a place that held the depressing title of "most deprived area in England" for FIVE consecutive years starting in 2013.
What the hell happened to Lower Falinge?
I drove out to Rochdale last Tuesday to see this place for myself. Took me nearly 2 hours with traffic, and I spent £17 just on petrol and a sad service station sandwich. Worth it though.
The estate is... bleak. Like something from one of those dystopian films where society's collapsed but nobody bothered to tell the remaining residents.
Rochdale Boroughwide Housing (RBH), the landlord, has been on a demolition spree. They've targeted several blocks with fancy names that sound more like posh villages than concrete monstrosities – Ollerton, Newstead, Romsey, Quinton, Ullesthorpe, and Vaynor.
Their reasoning? These 1970s buildings are "no longer fit for purpose." Having seen them, I'm inclined to agree. Most sit empty, windows boarded up, walls tagged with graffiti that ranges from political statements to anatomically ambitious drawings.
One Man's Concrete Box is Another Man's Castle
But Andy? He's going nowhere.
When I met him outside his flat, he was wearing a faded band t-shirt and sporting a beard that would make a Viking jealous. "This place has everything I want," he told me, gesturing to the crumbling block around him.
I thought he was joking at first.
He wasn't.
Why the bloody hell would anyone stay?
Andy and his partner have lived here since 1988. That's 37 years – longer than I've been alive. The ground floor location is crucial for his partner who struggles with mobility issues. And despite RBH offering alternatives, Andy insists none match up to his current digs.
"The new flats are very small in comparison to the old ones," he explained, inviting me in for a cuppa. And I have to admit, the place was surprisingly spacious inside. High ceilings, decent-sized rooms, adn a layout that actually makes sense – unlike my overpriced 2018 new-build where you can barely turn around in the bathroom without elbowing yourself in the ribs.
There's also the location. "One of the main reasons we like it here specifically is because of the grassy areas and it's away from the road noise," Andy told me.
The Toll of Being the Last One Left
Listen. This isn't just about a man being stubborn. There's something deeply sad happening here.
Andy remembers kids playing on the grass outside his window. Neighbors chatting. Community.
Now he looks out at boarded windows and spray paint. 128 empty homes surround him. His block is next for the wrecking ball.
"The pressure to move out, it's taking a toll on our mental health," he admitted, staring into his tea like it might hold some solution.
Poor bloke. I couldn't help but wonder if I'd have the same resolve or if I'd have packed up years ago.
The Landlord's Grand Vision (or whatever)
RBH isn't backing down either. Their head of regeneration, Hannah Fleming, gave me the corporate spiel when I called for comment. Lots of talk about "sustainable solutions" and "aspirations of the next generation of customers." (Customers? Not residents or tenants? That says everything.)
The demolition plan isn't new – they've been clearing people out for seven years. Three phases of new homes have already gone up, with more planned after they finish knocking down the remaining blocks over the next 12 months.
My editor bet me £20 I couldn't get Fleming to admit on record that this is all about property values and gentrification. I lost that bet. She stuck rigidly to the script about "high-quality homes" and "community consultation."
The Concrete Standoff
So what happens now?
Andy says he hasn't "lost hope completely" and continues his one-man campaign to save the blocks. But with 128 empty homes and demolition crews already at work nearby, it feels like watching someone try to stop a tsunami with a beach umbrella.
I texted my housing advocate friend about Andy's situation. His response: "They'll wait him out. Cut services. Make life uncomfortable. Seen it before."
I feel conflicted about the whole thing. On one hand, the estate is genuinely past its prime. On the other, there's something admirable about Andy's refusal to be pushed around.
When I left Lower Falinge, the sun was setting behind the half-demolished blocks, casting long shadows across empty courtyards where children once played. Andy stood in his doorway, a solitary figure in a landscape of abandonment.
I wonder how much longer he'll be there.
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