0:00:02 > 0:00:05Hello, you're watching Inside Out London.
0:00:05 > 0:00:10Here's what's coming up on tonight's show.
0:00:10 > 0:00:14Could building on our rooftops be the solution to London bus
0:00:14 > 0:00:16in the housing crisis?
0:00:16 > 0:00:18The combination of building in the airspace but doing it
0:00:18 > 0:00:21where a lot of the work produced an off-site to minimise
0:00:21 > 0:00:22inconvenience.
0:00:22 > 0:00:26It's got to be an exciting concept for us.
0:00:26 > 0:00:28Why hiring a professional friend to help with your court case
0:00:28 > 0:00:30could do more harm than good.
0:00:30 > 0:00:31They're clogging the courts.
0:00:31 > 0:00:32They give false hope to people.
0:00:32 > 0:00:39They are the unlicensed minicab of the court world.
0:00:39 > 0:00:41And why is the Irish dance hall is making a comeback.
0:00:41 > 0:00:43It reminds 40 years the music hasn't changed.
0:00:43 > 0:00:46The atmosphere is much the same, even the people are much the same,
0:00:47 > 0:00:51only 40 years older.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04We all know the capital is hungry for housing,
0:01:04 > 0:01:06and according to Sadiq Khan's draft London plan, we need
0:01:06 > 0:01:1665,000 new homes each year for the next ten years.
0:01:18 > 0:01:20But with a shortage of space, where are these
0:01:20 > 0:01:21properties going to go?
0:01:21 > 0:01:23Some reckon the answer lies above our heads,
0:01:23 > 0:01:25I went to find out more.
0:01:25 > 0:01:27London boasts one of the most dramatic skylines in the world.
0:01:27 > 0:01:29And for decades, it's been building upwards.
0:01:29 > 0:01:31With at least 400 more skyscrapers in the pipeline.
0:01:31 > 0:01:34With space at a premium in the capital, many believe
0:01:34 > 0:01:41the answer to our housing crisis belongs in the sky.
0:01:41 > 0:01:44But rather from starting from the ground up, some developers
0:01:44 > 0:01:47want to use the roof above our heads instead.
0:01:47 > 0:01:49Asha sounded Apex airspace three years ago, one of a handful
0:01:49 > 0:01:52of rooftop developers in London.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54He believes expanding upwards is the future.
0:01:54 > 0:01:59And after years of work, he thinks people are starting to listen.
0:01:59 > 0:02:00What is airspace?
0:02:00 > 0:02:04This is airspace.
0:02:04 > 0:02:07We are talking about existing buildings with flat roofs,
0:02:07 > 0:02:10where we can build extra new homes on the top of existing
0:02:10 > 0:02:13buildings using construction.
0:02:13 > 0:02:16People have no idea how much cash they are sitting under and how much
0:02:16 > 0:02:18they can sell fresh air above the rooftops.
0:02:18 > 0:02:20And where is the potential for this?
0:02:20 > 0:02:22Across London.
0:02:22 > 0:02:28From council blocks to housing blocks, from retail
0:02:28 > 0:02:30to private freeholds.
0:02:30 > 0:02:31Everywhere.
0:02:31 > 0:02:33Let me show you the one we have already done.
0:02:33 > 0:02:35Over in Camden, Apex is about to complete one
0:02:35 > 0:02:38of its first rooftop developments on this 1960s apartment
0:02:38 > 0:02:40block, adding a single penthouse to the roof.
0:02:40 > 0:02:43I'm intrigued to see how this all works in practice.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46Let's take a look.
0:02:46 > 0:02:49I see air, you see airspace?
0:02:49 > 0:02:53So if simplify it, what are the processes here?
0:02:53 > 0:02:59Essentially, our project managers look at property.
0:02:59 > 0:03:09We agree a legal agreement with the freeholders.
0:03:09 > 0:03:11We apply for planning permission then we build
0:03:11 > 0:03:13the unit off-site, bring it
0:03:13 > 0:03:15on the back of the lorries and installed it.
0:03:15 > 0:03:18In this particular apartment, took only a day to install it up.
0:03:18 > 0:03:19Because it was built in the factory.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Is this a temporary fix to a long-term problem?
0:03:21 > 0:03:22Absolutely not.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25It is the way to go now, we are the 21st century
0:03:25 > 0:03:27and the industry is moving that direction.
0:03:27 > 0:03:31The project came about after one resident convinced seven
0:03:31 > 0:03:35of his neighbours to the club together and by the
0:03:35 > 0:03:36the leaseholder of the building.
0:03:36 > 0:03:39They then sold the roof to Apex and used the money to fund hundreds
0:03:39 > 0:03:43of thousands of pounds worth of repairs.
0:03:43 > 0:03:45Describe what your block was like for work started?
0:03:45 > 0:03:51To be honest it was maybe one of the ugliest buildings in any road.
0:03:51 > 0:03:56With the money raised some of the residents have not only been
0:03:56 > 0:03:59able to give the building a face-lift, but also have
0:03:59 > 0:04:04improved the insulation, remodelled the communal areas
0:04:04 > 0:04:05and repair a long-broken lift.
0:04:05 > 0:04:09It sounds like there was a lot of work that needed to be done.
0:04:09 > 0:04:10How much did that cost?
0:04:10 > 0:04:11About £200,000.
0:04:11 > 0:04:13How were you going to raise that before?
0:04:13 > 0:04:15Without selling the before we couldn't have that money.
0:04:15 > 0:04:17Without selling the roof we couldn't have that money.
0:04:17 > 0:04:19As you can see, this place is almost finished
0:04:19 > 0:04:23and will go on sale very soon.
0:04:23 > 0:04:26I find it hard to believe that all of this was built in a factory
0:04:26 > 0:04:34hundreds of miles away and brought here by truck.
0:04:34 > 0:04:40Tucked away in the Welsh countryside is F1 Modular,
0:04:40 > 0:04:42one of the factories supplying ready-made homes to
0:04:42 > 0:04:43developers in London.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46We take everything we do in the building site
0:04:46 > 0:04:52but do it in a factory.
0:04:52 > 0:04:55We start on day one as component parts, we can build the box,
0:04:55 > 0:04:58at the end of the 15 days you have a finished house.
0:04:58 > 0:05:03They are far more robust than anything traditionally
0:05:03 > 0:05:05built because we have to lift and transport them.
0:05:05 > 0:05:08House prices in London and the construction cost make
0:05:08 > 0:05:10off-site particularly interesting because we are manufacturing
0:05:10 > 0:05:13here in Wales and our hourly rate and ability is far exceeding
0:05:13 > 0:05:14that of London.
0:05:14 > 0:05:20It makes this a very cost effective solution.
0:05:20 > 0:05:23Off-site will provide to my mind, certainly 20-30% of the solution
0:05:23 > 0:05:25to London and the whole of the UK.
0:05:25 > 0:05:31The issue we have is getting to build the quantities required.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34Across the UK new factories for modular housing are being built
0:05:34 > 0:05:37to supply the increasing demand.
0:05:37 > 0:05:41Demand that appears to be present at all levels of the housing market.
0:05:41 > 0:05:45In Bermondsey, a housing association has plans to work with Apex to build
0:05:45 > 0:05:49more affordable homes on top of two existing council blocks.
0:05:49 > 0:05:52The idea is to build 28 new apartments here,
0:05:52 > 0:05:54we will have two additional stories and then book end
0:05:54 > 0:06:00apartments on either end.
0:06:00 > 0:06:03Of the 28 apartments, 17 will be sold by Apex on the open
0:06:03 > 0:06:06market and 11 will be accused by the housing association for local
0:06:06 > 0:06:09residents at affordable rent levels.
0:06:09 > 0:06:14We need to do something to house people in London so we can do
0:06:14 > 0:06:17one of two things: one, we can spread out or we can
0:06:17 > 0:06:20end up using better use of the density level.
0:06:20 > 0:06:23The combination of building in the airspace but doing it
0:06:23 > 0:06:25where a lot of the work is actually done off-site, said minimises
0:06:25 > 0:06:29inconvenience, has got to be an exciting concept for us.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31Across London in Knightsbridge, the first penthouse that produced
0:06:31 > 0:06:33house for the higher end of the market.
0:06:33 > 0:06:36They sold one of the award-winning multi-million pound penthouses
0:06:36 > 0:06:38on top of the grade two listed building.
0:06:38 > 0:06:48They continue to develop some of London's most expensive areas.
0:06:48 > 0:06:54We are talking marble, designer kitchens, solid parquet
0:06:54 > 0:06:57flooring, the whole lot.
0:06:57 > 0:06:59But planning restrictions mean that both entered the market often
0:06:59 > 0:07:02are slow to progress.
0:07:02 > 0:07:12I don't mind guidelines at all, but we need to be flexible.
0:07:13 > 0:07:16You need someone with a bit of oomph as I said, this
0:07:16 > 0:07:18is what we are going to do.
0:07:18 > 0:07:19Let's go for it.
0:07:19 > 0:07:20because the longer
0:07:20 > 0:07:28things are delayed and inevitably there are cost implications
0:07:28 > 0:07:29and there is the frustration people experience.
0:07:29 > 0:07:31Fortunately for developers for the government
0:07:31 > 0:07:34appears to be listening.
0:07:34 > 0:07:38Earlier this month, the Ministry of Housing announced plans to update
0:07:38 > 0:07:40the National Planning Framework to encourage local authorities
0:07:40 > 0:07:46to facilitate rooftop developments.
0:07:46 > 0:07:49and free the path so local authorities with the ambition in
0:07:49 > 0:07:52London but also across the country can get on with it.
0:07:52 > 0:07:54There are a lot of local authorities with this ambition.
0:07:54 > 0:07:57We want to make sure they have freedom of flexibility of choice,
0:07:57 > 0:07:59and scope, to build the homes London needs.
0:07:59 > 0:08:01One of London's largest estate agents has used 3-D mapping
0:08:01 > 0:08:03technology to analyse the airspace above buildings
0:08:03 > 0:08:09in zones one and two.
0:08:09 > 0:08:12To identify exactly what potential there is.
0:08:12 > 0:08:15There are 23,000 buildings supporting potentially
0:08:15 > 0:08:1541,000 additional homes
0:08:15 > 0:08:17within zones one and two.
0:08:17 > 0:08:21This level of development will be the equivalent of London sprouting
0:08:21 > 0:08:2460 new skyscrapers each as high as the Shard.
0:08:24 > 0:08:27We need to think outside the box.
0:08:27 > 0:08:34We know the housing targets are significant, we know that
0:08:34 > 0:08:35existing intensification tends to focus on bringing
0:08:35 > 0:08:38brownfield land back into use.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40We feel anything that adds an alternative model
0:08:40 > 0:08:45to that is a good thing.
0:08:45 > 0:08:50And beyond the confines of central London, Arshad is even more bullish
0:08:50 > 0:08:52when it comes to the future potential modular airspace living.
0:08:52 > 0:08:54We can have potentially more than 60,000 affordable new homes
0:08:54 > 0:08:59and in total 180,000 across London.
0:08:59 > 0:09:01Pretty much finished, what next?
0:09:01 > 0:09:06We are in the process of building over 100 in 2018.
0:09:06 > 0:09:08Spread across six sites, we can offer London as an opportunity
0:09:08 > 0:09:11that they can tell us what they want to how
0:09:11 > 0:09:14it is the budget, we will build a penthouse for them.
0:09:14 > 0:09:18It has not always been an easy road for London's rooftop developments,
0:09:18 > 0:09:21but by the looks of things here, the sky is very much the limit.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38Good job I've just about got my head for heights.
0:09:38 > 0:09:41Still to come on the show...
0:09:41 > 0:09:43In comparison to dance halls in Ireland
0:09:43 > 0:09:45it was a basic hall, it's an awesome.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48We're looking at a place like this, it's beautiful.
0:09:48 > 0:09:52Following legal aid cutbacks, it has been much harder for people
0:09:52 > 0:09:57to get free legal assistance for many types of law cases.
0:09:57 > 0:10:00And if you can't afford a solicitor, representing yourself in court can
0:10:00 > 0:10:01be daunting and stressful.
0:10:01 > 0:10:03That's where McKenzie friends come in, people who can provide practical
0:10:03 > 0:10:10guidance and emotional support.
0:10:10 > 0:10:13But with the market for professional McKenzies now building,
0:10:13 > 0:10:14there are concerns that some could be misleading
0:10:14 > 0:10:19or exploiting their client.
0:10:19 > 0:10:22People needed an alternative to solicitors.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25Who were extremely expensive and dominated the client
0:10:25 > 0:10:32with a rod of iron.
0:10:32 > 0:10:34McKenzie friends I think are a brilliant idea
0:10:34 > 0:10:35but unfortunately, there's people like him taking advantage
0:10:40 > 0:10:41of people like me.
0:10:41 > 0:10:43They're clogging the court, they run unnecessarily arguments,
0:10:43 > 0:10:45they give false hope they are the unlicensed
0:10:45 > 0:10:48minicab of the court world.
0:10:48 > 0:10:53Blake is representing himself in an upcoming court case.
0:10:53 > 0:10:56Today he's come for a consultation with his McKenzie friend, Nicola.
0:10:56 > 0:11:03Hi, good morning.
0:11:03 > 0:11:07The pre-trial review, do you know what that is?
0:11:07 > 0:11:16No.
0:11:16 > 0:11:21It is where we go along at its then listen for that half an hour.
0:11:21 > 0:11:23It is where we go along at its then listen for that half an hour.
0:11:23 > 0:11:26It is where we go along at its then listen for that half an hour.
0:11:26 > 0:11:29As he has a full-time job he doesn't qualify for legal aid.
0:11:29 > 0:11:31But still feels the need to help the pairing his case.
0:11:31 > 0:11:32It's a challenging process.
0:11:32 > 0:11:34Mentally very challenging and tiring.
0:11:34 > 0:11:36Obviously, in terms of financial funding, the solicitor is not
0:11:36 > 0:11:37the cheapest option.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40So I looked into other options and I stumbled across Nicky.
0:11:40 > 0:11:42I feel like she was sent from above.
0:11:42 > 0:11:44You never know what a judge is going to be feeling
0:11:44 > 0:11:47like and they say they don't want any witnesses because
0:11:47 > 0:11:48it will take too
0:11:48 > 0:11:50much court time and therefore you don't get the witnesses
0:11:50 > 0:11:53that all, none.
0:11:53 > 0:11:56We spoke about the cases ahead, what needs to be done
0:11:56 > 0:11:59in terms of paperwork, I've done research myself but I can't
0:11:59 > 0:12:00do it without Nicky.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Nicola has been working as a professional McKenzie
0:12:02 > 0:12:07friend for 15 years.
0:12:07 > 0:12:09On average you pay £250 VAT per hour for a solicitor.
0:12:09 > 0:12:12With me, you pay £89 an hour.
0:12:12 > 0:12:18Let's go to your application.
0:12:18 > 0:12:25I realised there was a real imbalance in the system
0:12:25 > 0:12:28and need to be an alternative So that people didn't have to pay
0:12:28 > 0:12:30£500,000 a month every month for something straightforward
0:12:30 > 0:12:32and administrative task for all intents and purposes.
0:12:32 > 0:12:35As a McKenzie friend, Nicola does not have the same rights
0:12:35 > 0:12:38in court as a qualified solicitor.
0:12:38 > 0:12:42But she believes she still offers a valuable service.
0:12:42 > 0:12:48For clients that have the support of a McKenzie friend it's great,
0:12:48 > 0:12:50because it's more like moral support and being able
0:12:50 > 0:12:51to organise so they have
0:12:51 > 0:12:56confidence.
0:12:56 > 0:12:58Anyone can act as a McKenzie friend without formal qualifications.
0:12:58 > 0:13:03The term dates back to a divorce case in 1970 called
0:13:03 > 0:13:04McKenzie versus McKenzie after which it was
0:13:04 > 0:13:07ruled everyone can be supported in court by a friend
0:13:07 > 0:13:10or family member.
0:13:10 > 0:13:12As for many years most McKenzies provided that
0:13:12 > 0:13:13support free of charge.
0:13:13 > 0:13:17But since legal aid cuts came in five years ago,
0:13:17 > 0:13:20there's been an explosion of McKenzie friends charging fees.
0:13:20 > 0:13:23There is no regulation in this corner of the legal marketplace
0:13:23 > 0:13:26and making sure the McKenzie you hire is a help rather
0:13:26 > 0:13:36than a hindrance isn't easy.
0:13:36 > 0:13:38Solicitor Julian has faced several McKenzies in family law cases
0:13:38 > 0:13:41and think they often overlooked step abounds of their original role.
0:13:41 > 0:13:43Why would you trust something as important as your children
0:13:43 > 0:13:45and your relationship with your children or your future
0:13:45 > 0:13:48financial security to someone who has no real clue what they're
0:13:48 > 0:13:54doing most of the time?
0:13:54 > 0:13:56Quite often professional McKenzie friends who have no training,
0:13:56 > 0:13:57no qualifications, and actually
0:13:57 > 0:14:00very little experience, have watched far too much American
0:14:00 > 0:14:02television and feel the need to be adversarial, aggressive,
0:14:02 > 0:14:05they really put on a show for the poor sap who's
0:14:05 > 0:14:10paying the money.
0:14:10 > 0:14:16I'm thinking of one incident, the father in this case
0:14:16 > 0:14:18chose a professional McKenzie friend who just poured fuel
0:14:18 > 0:14:21on the fire and any chances of coming to a sensible resolution
0:14:21 > 0:14:24were blown out of the water.
0:14:24 > 0:14:27The moment he sacked him, we made a deal in half an hour.
0:14:27 > 0:14:31End of it.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34That would not have happened had the McKenzie friend kept trying
0:14:34 > 0:14:35to aggravate matters.
0:14:35 > 0:14:38The Law Society which represents solicitors also thinks that
0:14:38 > 0:14:41regulated professionals are a much safer bet for litigants.
0:14:41 > 0:14:48There's a complaint system which means that if the client
0:14:48 > 0:14:51is unhappy with the solicitor they can lodge a complaint
0:14:51 > 0:14:52with an independent body.
0:14:52 > 0:14:54If you instruct a McKenzie friend, they do not necessarily have
0:14:54 > 0:14:57insurance, there is no regulatory system backing them up
0:14:57 > 0:15:03so if something goes wrong, there is no redress for the client.
0:15:03 > 0:15:10Things certainly went wrong for one litigant who we are calling Beth.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13When she went to a family court to get an urgent innjunction
0:15:13 > 0:15:19to restrict her ex-partner's access to her son.
0:15:19 > 0:15:22I was advised by a domestic violence charity to go to a McKenzie friend
0:15:22 > 0:15:25which would alleged to save me a lot of money.
0:15:25 > 0:15:28He charged me £500 on the spot.
0:15:28 > 0:15:31He thought the best course of action was to go straight
0:15:31 > 0:15:34in with an injunction at High Court, it turns out this was totally
0:15:34 > 0:15:35the wrong thing to do.
0:15:35 > 0:15:37They don't hear family matters at the High Court
0:15:37 > 0:15:39so it was a complete waste of time.
0:15:39 > 0:15:42When Beth finally got the injunction, it wasn't watertight
0:15:42 > 0:15:44enough and left her son at risk because the McKenzie had filled
0:15:44 > 0:15:46in the paperwork incorrectly.
0:15:46 > 0:15:52The McKenzie also failed to deliver the injunction
0:15:52 > 0:15:55to Beth's ex-partner, to guarantee he'd received.
0:15:55 > 0:15:58The McKenzie insisted he would go and knock
0:15:58 > 0:16:03The McKenzie insisted he would go and knock himself and deliver it.
0:16:03 > 0:16:06The following day when I asked him how he delivered it,
0:16:06 > 0:16:11he said he posted it to my ex's door.
0:16:11 > 0:16:13So he left me at risk by doing that.
0:16:13 > 0:16:16Another hearing was scheduled but by this time, Beth was heavily
0:16:16 > 0:16:18pregnant and her McKenzie friend told her he'd arranged
0:16:18 > 0:16:19for the case to be adjourned.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23But he tried to do this by post, just two days before the hearing.
0:16:23 > 0:16:28The post takes ten days before the court even open it,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31so they didn't see the request for the journey.
0:16:31 > 0:16:32So the case went ahead.
0:16:32 > 0:16:35My ex partner was that and I wasn't was made it look
0:16:35 > 0:16:36like I didn't turn up.
0:16:36 > 0:16:39As a result, he managed to change some things in the order
0:16:39 > 0:16:40which created upset for my son.
0:16:40 > 0:16:43At this point, Beth decided to stop using the McKenzie
0:16:43 > 0:16:47friend and in desperation, she turned to a solicitor.
0:16:47 > 0:16:53I'd used all my savings on the McKenzie friend,
0:16:53 > 0:16:59I gave him £1200 altogether, it cost me roughly another £2500
0:16:59 > 0:17:02to undo the mess that was made by the McKenzie friend.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05I had to beg, steal and borrow the money to do this.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08This is absolutely what I wanted to avoid in the first place.
0:17:08 > 0:17:11Beth is now trying to get back some of money by taking the McKenzie
0:17:11 > 0:17:12friend to the Small Claims Court.
0:17:12 > 0:17:14It made me feel extremely angry and down.
0:17:14 > 0:17:16McKenzie friends I think our brilliant idea but unfortunately,
0:17:16 > 0:17:23there's people like him taking advantage of people like me.
0:17:23 > 0:17:28Beth's bad experiences with a professional McKenzie
0:17:28 > 0:17:30friend may not be typical, but there have
0:17:30 > 0:17:32certainly been several
0:17:32 > 0:17:39other rogue McKenzies who painted the profession in a bad light.
0:17:39 > 0:17:42In 2015, a former nightclub bouncer was barred from acting
0:17:42 > 0:17:45as a McKenzie, after verbally abusing a lawyer.
0:17:45 > 0:17:48And in 2016, paid McKenzie David was jailed for 12 months
0:17:48 > 0:17:50for perverting the course of justice by submitting a false
0:17:51 > 0:17:53psychology report.
0:17:53 > 0:18:01The judiciary are currently consulting on whether to restrict
0:18:01 > 0:18:03the role McKenzies can play in court and ban them
0:18:03 > 0:18:05from recovering their costs.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07We have come a long way from the original
0:18:08 > 0:18:09good Samaritan role.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12The industry that is growing up with those providing at a cost,
0:18:12 > 0:18:14legal advice, conducting litigation, that was something that
0:18:14 > 0:18:23was never envisaged.
0:18:23 > 0:18:25My clear view about that is that the protection
0:18:25 > 0:18:26of the consumer requires
0:18:26 > 0:18:30that should not be allowed to develop in an uncontrolled way.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33And I know that the judiciary you have first-hand experience of this,
0:18:33 > 0:18:35are concerned about it.
0:18:35 > 0:18:38But McKenzies like Nicola are clear, if they can't earn
0:18:38 > 0:18:46a living, it's the justice system that will lose out.
0:18:46 > 0:18:48It would proabbly put a lot of very efficient,
0:18:48 > 0:18:50effective and honest professional McKenzie friends out
0:18:50 > 0:18:53of business and of course,
0:18:53 > 0:18:56that's bad for the litigants in person and it's bad for everybody.
0:18:56 > 0:18:58Especially given there's no real support out there.
0:18:58 > 0:19:00So what's the alternative?
0:19:04 > 0:19:06People settle in London from all over the world,
0:19:06 > 0:19:08and when they arrive here, they'd usually recreate
0:19:08 > 0:19:12a slice of home.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15For the newly arrived Irish immigrants in the 1950s and 60s,
0:19:15 > 0:19:21twisting the night away in their very own dance halls
0:19:21 > 0:19:24was the perfect way to remind themselves of the old country.
0:19:24 > 0:19:27Thomas McGill has been to find out what became of those ballrooms
0:19:27 > 0:19:29and the wild nights that took place in them.
0:19:29 > 0:19:34# Last night I had a pleasant dream.
0:19:34 > 0:19:36# I woke up with a smile #.
0:19:36 > 0:19:39This song by Larry Cunningham knocked the Beatles off the number
0:19:39 > 0:19:45one slot in Ireland back in the 60s.
0:19:45 > 0:19:47And the night he performed it here in Cricklewood in the ballroom,
0:19:47 > 0:19:55nearly 7000 people queued up to see him.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58The old doors are still here but the dance hall's gone now.
0:19:58 > 0:20:07It first opened in 1952 and along with other venues such
0:20:07 > 0:20:14as the National in Kilburn, the Gresham in Archway,
0:20:14 > 0:20:16it featured Irish showbands and country singers,
0:20:16 > 0:20:19often playing to huge crowds of regulars.
0:20:24 > 0:20:28In the 60s and early 70s, there was nearly 22 or 23 Irish
0:20:29 > 0:20:30dance halls in London.
0:20:30 > 0:20:34You could go dancing seven nights a week.
0:20:34 > 0:20:37In comparison to the dance halls in Ireland, which was a basic
0:20:37 > 0:20:45hall, it was awesome.
0:20:45 > 0:20:47You asked am I looking at it and were really
0:20:47 > 0:20:49in a place like this, it was beautiful.
0:20:49 > 0:20:53It was massive queues but once he got on the door, that was it.
0:20:53 > 0:20:53An absolutely fantastic night.
0:20:53 > 0:20:56In the swinging 60s, these dancers would have been young
0:20:56 > 0:20:58and living in a foreign land for the first time.
0:20:58 > 0:21:02Having just arrived from Ireland and yearning for a bit of home.
0:21:02 > 0:21:04We came here with school pal as a holiday job and almost 44 years
0:21:04 > 0:21:09later I'm still here.
0:21:09 > 0:21:11Being away from home was difficult at first even though
0:21:11 > 0:21:13it was my choice rather than, you missed your family,
0:21:13 > 0:21:16your parents, you missed the ways of Ireland,
0:21:16 > 0:21:20things were very different.
0:21:20 > 0:21:24It was good to be able to talk to and meet other Irish people.
0:21:24 > 0:21:26People in those days, they lived in shared houses and rooms.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29And they really didn't want to stay in rooms all night.
0:21:29 > 0:21:32It was only a place to sleep, put your head down, more or less.
0:21:32 > 0:21:34So they got out and about.
0:21:34 > 0:21:38First of all, they get to a pub, maybe to another pub or whatever,
0:21:38 > 0:21:42then they go to the big show band scene.
0:21:42 > 0:21:46Girls would line up on one side, and then when the dance started,
0:21:46 > 0:21:49the boys would ask you would you like to dance?
0:21:49 > 0:21:56Some of these guys were really drunk and staggering.
0:21:56 > 0:21:58They would come over and would say would you dance?
0:21:58 > 0:22:00And you'd look and think he's going to fall, no.
0:22:00 > 0:22:02But eventually, Mr Right could come along.
0:22:02 > 0:22:04And that first dance could last forever.
0:22:04 > 0:22:07Yeah it took a long time to arrive but it arrived in 2003.
0:22:07 > 0:22:09I met my husband Declan sitting there.
0:22:10 > 0:22:20It was actually 2002.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24We met in the Galtymore 1969 and in 1970 we got married.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27Still here today, 48 years.
0:22:27 > 0:22:30We had a dance and then another dance, and moved on from there.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Is he a good dancer?
0:22:32 > 0:22:32Yes he is.
0:22:32 > 0:22:37I was a good dancer, mover and waltzer.
0:22:37 > 0:22:45# This is my home now.
0:22:45 > 0:22:47But time has changed.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Some of the early immigrants return to Ireland and youngsters stopped
0:22:49 > 0:22:56coming over to London en masse like they once did.
0:22:56 > 0:22:58Most of the ballrooms closed and the Galty was demolished.
0:22:58 > 0:23:01It marked an end of the era, and it seemed the Irish dance
0:23:01 > 0:23:06scene had gone for ever.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09But something rather wonderful is happening just behind the Church
0:23:09 > 0:23:11of the Sacred Heart here in Kilburn.
0:23:11 > 0:23:13Every Monday night one of the performers from back
0:23:13 > 0:23:16in the day, a man known as McGinty, is single-handedly attempting to
0:23:16 > 0:23:18revive the old dance Hall tradition.
0:23:18 > 0:23:21He is turning its social club into the ballroom of romance.
0:23:21 > 0:23:22What are we doing here?
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Dancing, me and you.
0:23:25 > 0:23:30It's slippy!
0:23:30 > 0:23:33What have you put on the floor?
0:23:33 > 0:23:34It is like salt.
0:23:34 > 0:23:36Special stuff floor.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38It's from Ireland.
0:23:38 > 0:23:39What does it allow you to do?
0:23:39 > 0:23:42Reduces the stickiness of the floor.
0:23:42 > 0:23:48A lot of people said, Monday night, lots of people wake up Monday night
0:23:48 > 0:23:49because they work on Tuesday.
0:23:49 > 0:23:51But a lot are retired.
0:23:51 > 0:23:54I thought I give it a go and I came up with the name
0:23:54 > 0:24:02the Ballroom of Romance, it works really well.
0:24:02 > 0:24:11# Think of all the good times that we knew #.
0:24:11 > 0:24:15# And time will go rushing by you won't be ...
0:24:15 > 0:24:17# Bring me safely home to you.
0:24:17 > 0:24:18Straightaway, they're up on the floor.
0:24:18 > 0:24:21They're all dancing and they're going round the floor like rabbits.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24Rabbits, dancing all night.
0:24:24 > 0:24:28I know some people who come in here and have got a stick
0:24:28 > 0:24:30and they are walking in.
0:24:30 > 0:24:32And a the music starts, there are dancing on the floor.
0:24:32 > 0:24:36They reckon I'm a faith healer as well.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40In terms of the music, is it helping to keep the music alive?
0:24:40 > 0:24:41It is a lifeline.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44The band will come from Ireland and I have somewhere to play,
0:24:44 > 0:24:46and they'll play Manchester on Friday, Birmingham on Saturday
0:24:46 > 0:24:50and finish up in London.
0:24:50 > 0:24:54At least it's an extra gig for any of the bands.
0:25:00 > 0:25:03There's local bands that play here as well.
0:25:03 > 0:25:07I play three times a year and keeps the old thing ticking over.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10The Irish were brought up on basically a love of music.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13People come here from Luton, Essex, you name it.
0:25:13 > 0:25:17Croydon, they come from all over the area.
0:25:17 > 0:25:21# Country roads, take me home #.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25# To the place I belonged #.
0:25:25 > 0:25:34They're all people from the Hibernian, they're
0:25:34 > 0:25:39from the Galtymore, all from the dance floor.
0:25:39 > 0:25:42Maybe a quarter of them have met in the Galtymore.
0:25:42 > 0:25:50But how does it compare to the original ballrooms?
0:25:50 > 0:25:52To find out, I invited Trisha and Declan to trip
0:25:52 > 0:25:53the light fantastic once
0:25:53 > 0:25:55again at McGinty before the ballroom of romance.
0:25:55 > 0:25:58It reminds me of 40 years ago, the music, hasn't changed.
0:25:58 > 0:26:01The atmosphere is much the same and even the people are much
0:26:01 > 0:26:03the same, only 40 years older.
0:26:03 > 0:26:08Surprisingly that this can stay going in the world.
0:26:08 > 0:26:10The world is technologically whatever.
0:26:10 > 0:26:19And you see something like this that is the throwback to the old days.
0:26:19 > 0:26:23And it seems the words "will you dance" are still working
0:26:23 > 0:26:24working romantically in this dancehall today.
0:26:24 > 0:26:27We met here on the second week of it opening, roughly,
0:26:27 > 0:26:28almost two years ago.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30And we've been going out together ever since.
0:26:30 > 0:26:35What is it about the ballroom of romance that made you fall in love?
0:26:35 > 0:26:39We both enjoy a good work-out.
0:26:39 > 0:26:45And this is certainly a good work-out.
0:26:45 > 0:26:48I enjoyed the dancing and I love music.
0:26:48 > 0:26:51With the lack of Irish dance halls in London now,
0:26:51 > 0:26:53when I first came here in 1967, there was probably about 20
0:26:53 > 0:27:03on a bigger scale than this.
0:27:04 > 0:27:08And now the Galtymore was the last of them in 2008 that close,
0:27:08 > 0:27:12and this hall here, McGinty, he took a punt on it and he's been
0:27:12 > 0:27:18very successful with it.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20So the old Irish dancing scene is still alive
0:27:20 > 0:27:24and kicking in Kilburn.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28And as I took in the atmosphere here, it struck me that all too
0:27:28 > 0:27:31often we don't appreciate a moment until it becomes a memory.
0:27:31 > 0:27:38The great news here on a Monday night for these revellers
0:27:38 > 0:27:42is that their memories can once again can truly become real moments.
0:27:42 > 0:27:49That looked like a cracking evening.
0:27:49 > 0:27:55That's just about it for tonight's Inside Out.
0:27:55 > 0:27:57Before we go, here's what's coming up on next show.
0:27:57 > 0:28:00We meet the former city worker on a mission to get rid
0:28:00 > 0:28:01of London's plastic waste.
0:28:01 > 0:28:03In just one hour, I filled up both nets.
0:28:03 > 0:28:05There are many more plastic on the canal,
0:28:05 > 0:28:06but you can't collect everything.
0:28:06 > 0:28:11Why the price of antique furniture has come crashing down.
0:28:11 > 0:28:14This is a typical example of Victorian.
0:28:14 > 0:28:19About ten years ago, I think we would have
0:28:19 > 0:28:24got £4-600 for this.
0:28:24 > 0:28:25Today it in the auction at £30-50.
0:28:25 > 0:28:28And 75 years on, we remember the victims of the Bethnal Green
0:28:28 > 0:28:31Green tube disaster.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33I heard people screaming and calling for the mothers,
0:28:33 > 0:28:35We couldn't get out.
0:28:35 > 0:28:37I couldn't get out.
0:28:37 > 0:28:38It was terrible.
0:28:38 > 0:28:41At the time, it was terrible.
0:28:43 > 0:28:47That's it for tonight's Inside Out, don't forget tonight's
0:28:47 > 0:28:49programme will be on iPlayer, just head to our website.
0:28:58 > 0:28:59See you next week.