Gentrification

Six years ago, I was working in an office in this building, as we faced eviction from the owners who wanted to sell up. The facilities were a little basic - the plumbing sang, the striplights flickered, the home-made shelves creaked - but the view from the library over the rooftops towards the hills was particularly fine.

Now it has been converted into posh flats, two to a floor, the asking price £340,000 each.