As Britain grapples with plunging property prices, home repossessions and a virtual standstill on mortgage finance, at least one group of individuals has become more innovative with its housing needs.
The group of 30 last month decided to make two Georgian listed properties worth GBP2.5 million (HK$250 million) on London's swanky Park Lane their temporary home, courtesy of an unlocked basement door and familiarity with Britain's squatting laws.
Calling themselves the 'Temporary School of Thought', the 20-somethings from as far afield as South Africa and Australia enjoyed an address most Britons could only dream of as they sprawled around the seven-storey mansions flanked by super-rich neighbours.
The 'residents' changed the locks, cut new keys for the premises and had the electricity switched on.
Morning walks in Hyde Park were followed by an array of activities; the squat's website lists a weekly timetable of events, from creative portrait photography, Sivananda yoga and puppet workshops to poetry discussions, acrylic painting and Hungarian folk singing.
Raising awareness about housing disparities was more a by-product of the media coverage they received than a conscious effort on the group's behalf. The purpose of the squat was rather to provide 'a space where people come together to share knowledge'.
It was, however, to be short-lived. The owners secured a court order for immediate possession late last month, and the whereabouts of the Temporary School remains unclear as the group looks to secure a new space.
