DEAR GUARDIAN WANKERS

Fuck off.

We are not interested in any sort of coverage from the mainstream media. Aside from the fact that they are usually factually incorrect, and make everyone come across as complete wankers, we see any news articles or similar as detrimental to the squatting movement. It is articles like this that have, and will lead to the laws being changed, making it much harder for squatting to exist at all.


Date: Wed, 9 Dec 2009 16:42:59 +0000
Subject: From the Guardian
To: videobasement@hotmail.com

Hello there
Helen Pidd here, I'm a reporter from the Guardian. I'm working on a piece about the different squatting groups around London, and have heard about what you lot have been doing this year. The idea of the piece is to round up all of the squatting activity to hit the headlines this year - the Da! collective, the Park Lane squatters, Mark Guard and his curious project, the Oubliette, plus the VHS Video basement.
I know you're currently resident in the Puss in Boots strip club, and wondered whether I could come along one day soon to have a chat to you about what you are doing and why. Is it an art project? Just somewhere to live? A political statement? All of the above?
Hope to hear from you soon,
thanks
helen

--
Helen Pidd
Reporter, the Guardian



2009/12/14 Pavel Velour :
Hi "Helen",

We have a "policy" that we don't respond to "major news reporting". In general, coverage of "squatting" has been predominantly detrimental to the movement, with for example the newer anti squatting laws introduced around the heyday of media coverage of the previous major squatting drive.

We understand however that your interest is in us as a "collective", and appreciate this and your interest in "us". Not sure what to say about what we "do". We're slowly drifting away from the arts and are drifting towards shoplifting and "petty crime" more recently.

Someone else has written an article about our "current space" which is quite relevant:
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article36886.ece#ixzz0WvdupiRx

I don't really know how to respond in emails, how to type and get my "ideas / feelings" across. Would you watch a video if we made it for you?

xx

"VHS" Video Basement?

Puss in Boots Strip Club
11 White Horse Street
Mayfair
London
W1J 7LL



Date: Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:15:33 +0000
Subject: Re: From the Guardian
To: videobasement@hotmail.com

er "thanks"

From:	Pavel Velour (videobasement@hotmail.com)
Sent:	14 December 2009 11:36:53

Would you still like us to make a movie for you?

VHS Video Basement

---

AND WE ARE SQUATTERS.