Even somewhere as inauspicious as the Beckton Alp, a toxic 19th century spoil heap, is redolent with value for the people who use it.

Despite the only way in being a hole illegally made in the fence, the alp is a vibrant social space used by a diverse range of people for the kinds of adventure we just don’t have anymore.

During three months residency in a portacabin at the base of the alp we observed and documented use and evidence of use, both human and otherwise.

In 50 days of actual presence on site, over 300 people were observed.







The paradox of this “bad” landscape as also a place of the sublime and of adventure was tested during the residency by hosting social encounters. One of these encounters was an invitation to lunch below the summit extended to the scaffolders from the yard at the base of the alp. Both tested scenarios and observed use formed a brief to return the alp as a fully accessible, social, bioremediated landscape, but one that retains the intrinsic qualities that make it so beguiling.

The concept for bioremediation is to treat the surface rainwater as both a source of pleasure and potential poison and by making visible a treatment system so reference the hidden marsh landscape now sealed away beneath the surface. 

The design will separate the surface water from the leachate, rills and pools with reed beds as green sponges will cleanse the less toxic surface run off, and will keep it as far as possible from penetrating the reinstated clay capping.  

That water which does penetrate the cap will percolate through the toxins and as leachate will be collected at the base in an enclosed chamber, the “bad” water will be pumped up using renewable energy to be let down again through an enclosed serial system to filter out the toxins.   

The proposal is for a hybrid landscape of remediation and the sublime, for adventure and for the knowledge of risk.  The form this landscape may take is evidenced through the natural and cultural history collection of the alp. This collection is based the Enlightenment tradition of knowledge through observation and comprises of artifacts and “specimens” entirely constructed from material found on site. The Collection is cultural evidence of the value of the intrinsic paradox of the alp.

The collection was made in collaboration with local individuals and organizations, the Beckon adult education art class made landscape paintings, the director of the local undertakers narrated a roll call of loss, the Over 50s book club donated memories and a botanical illustrator made drawings of constructed species.


Date: Thursday 21.02.08
Time: 10.00-17.30
Weather: Overcast, cold, very windy. Starts raining at 16.45
Methodology:
soil and ground observations on alp.  work on sample in laboratory
 
Tools used:
none 
Samples to laboratory: 
1 x cd titled "bhangra beats 2002" with the following contents (spelling as on track listing):
50 cent- 21 questions (accapella).mp3
50 cent- candy shop (instrumental).mp3
50 cent- get rich or die tryin'-21 questions.mp3
50 cent- the massacre-hate it or love it(remix) feat g.mp3
50 cent- wangsta (instrumental).mp3
50 cent and g unit feat joe- sickamore- watch me do me is.mp3
50 cent feat olivia and marques houston.mp3
50 cent feat young buck- dj whoo kid king of new york.wma
50 pence- chris moyles-she's dyslexic.mp3
50 pence- get rich or claim benefit-in da pub.mp3
abhijeet, alka yagnik- raaz- tum agar amne.mp3
accapella- eminem unreleased-superman.mp3
accapella-notorious big-biggie.mp3
accapella- the game and 50 cent.mp3
adnam sami- lucky-no time for love.mp3
atif aslam- zeher- woh lamhe (remix).mp3
baby bash feat akon- baby i'm back (cds).mp3
baby bash ft akon- i'm back 2.mp3
bad azz 2 pac-ghetto star.mp3
baddiel and skinner- three lions (footballs coming home).mp3
bally sagoo feat rishi rich- naiyon dil lagda (remix).mp3
bases25gramos - 25grsinconcert-track09.mp3
beanie man- everyone falls in love sometime.mp3
beanie man feat chevelle- dancehall queen (mix).mp3
beyonce feat missy elliot, free and mc lyte- fighting temptation.mp3
bhagge re mann.mp3
big l 2pac and jay z- bad boys 4 life.mp3
bollywood riddim-beenie man- my neck my back.mp3
bounty killa- lean back riddim remix.mp3
bounty killer- reggae gold 2002- killa is ah killa (mix).mp3
bounty killer- reggae gold 2002- killa is ah killa (mix 2).mp3
bounty killer feat c franklyn- dancehall queen. mp3
brandy and monica- never say never- the boy is mine.mp3
fya feat ward 21 and taz- ride da riddims (summer select - to).mp3
game- big t and doc present instrumen- hate it or love it ft.mp3
game- big t and doc present instrumen- hate it or love it f2.mp3
game- instrumentals- this is how we do (instrumental).mp3
gogo- backyard band- everyone falls in love.mp3
gubi sandhu- sold my soul (desibeats net).mp3
gubi sandhu ft lightening mc and gi jatt- urban flavas 2 rd8.mp3
jay-z feat nas, eve and 2pac- murderer- remixes by damur- any.mp3
jon b with 2pac- cool relax- are you still down.mp3
juggy d- billo.mp3
kaal- kaal- tauba- tauba.mp3
kaal- taubatauba.mp3
kami k ft hunterz- the streets of bollywood- the streets o.mp3
khiza- djbanger@coolgoose.com munim545@hotmail.com- dheera.mp3
kumar sanu and alka yagnik- vijaypath- raah mein unse mulaka.mp3
kumar sanu, sadhana sargam- jurm- jab koi baat bigad jay m .mp3
l'il mo- 21 questions riddim- 21 answers (21 questions rem).mp3
lets enjoy- dhol wajda.mp3
lil kim feat twista- thug love- (promo cd)- thug love (dirt.mp3
lil zayne- none tonight.mp3
lucky-lucky- no time for love- jaan meri ja rah sanam.mp3
main hoon naa- main hoon na- chand mera dil.mp3
mario- turning point- how could you.mp3
mark morrison- horny.mp3
maxi priest- drop leaf riddim- (promo cd).mp3
michael jackson- history- they don't care about us.mp3
mohammad rafi- hum kisise kum nahi- chand mera dil.mp3
nas- street's disciple- just a moment feat quan.mp3
nelly- da derrrty versions the reinvention- ride wit me rem.mp3
old school reggae- old school reggae mix.mp3
outkast-roses vls- roses (instrumental).mp3
outandish- bread and barrels of water- peelo.mp3
p diddy feat faith evans- no way out- i'll be missin you.wma
p-money-feat akon-rewa crew de vu-keep on callin-rewacrew.mp3
paap-paap- man ki lagan.mp3
panjabi mc- everyone falls in love (remix).mp3
phir milenge-bollywood 2- yaad hai.mp3
puff daddy f r kelly- forever- satisfy you.mp3
punjabivirsa com- rishi rich- play back 2- o yaara dil la.mp3
raaz- music- nadeem shravan lyrics- sameer- tum agar saa.mp3
raghav- punjabi hit squad desi beats vol 1- teri baaton.mp3
rajesh patil- baby doll (hot one's)- ghar jayegi.mp3
rayza- http www ocremix org- street fighter 2 guile(rah.mp3
rdb- ambersariya-mac-g-.mp3
rdb- danger 3- nakharay valiay.mp3
rdb-sounds of the north- balle balle- house mix(bhangra.mp3
rdb- sounds of the north- balle balle.mp3
rdb- three-02-dil mera.mp3
rdb- title- din raat.mp3
rdb-urban flavas 2 - dil kush kardhay.mp3
rdb (ranjit mani)- desi beats vol 1- disc 2- put sardaran.mp3
reggae hip hop ragga mix av8.mp3
remix- everyone falls in love remix.mp3
rishi rich- bombay mix- ini kamoze.mp3
rishi rich and veronica metha-voices-  mil gayi zindagi (r and b.mp3
rishi rich and veronica metha- voices- tere nal pyar (bhangr.mp3
rishi rich and veronica metha-voices tum ho meri sanson me. mp3
rishi rich and veronica metha- voiceswho can luv! (r and b mix.mp3
rishi rich ft juggy d- lajwaab 3- track 06.mp3
rishi rich ft sukhshinder shinda- bhangra- sohnyie(remix).mp3
rishi rich ft veronica and jay sean- one night (dil mera remi.mp3
rishi_rich_sounu nigham feat juggy d- balle balle (soundtrack.mp3
robert miles- children (dreams version).mp3
and the following porn files:
porn- pamela anderson and tommy lee- young violet has sex do.mpg
porn- chloe jones public anal sex- in the park- in the park.mpg
porn movie-anal sex rough sex- veron.mpg
and the following music video file:
music video 2pac- 2pac- tupac hit em up uncensored.mpg
and the following applications:
keygen.exe
atomix-atomix virtual dj 2 00 + crack + sample +sk.exe
1 x blue matter for testing
1 x tin of snails
2 x irish lotto slips: numbers 8, 12 ,44 £20.00 stake and numbers 28, 29, 34 £20.00 stake
1 x spoon
Human occupation off alp site:
15.00 man with dog and purpose noted the other day cycles past from the south east to south west with dog.
Human occupation on alp site:
12.05 solitary man stretching on summit.  Photographs towards West Ham.  He notices he is being watched and leaves instantly via ramp.
12.10 two girls appear over crest of summit, crouch down for a while and then photograph each other.  exit via ramp at 12.30
13.00 lone man working out: boxing, lunging and stretching
13.20 same work out man sprints up from ramp to summit
15.35 man with small dog on lead ascends to summit from wooden platform entrance
Non human occupation on site: 
three girls on horses, trotting around the alp boundary from south to west.
Ambient sounds: 
as before.
11.00 ice cream van
11.30 digging/roadworks
Ambient smells: 
13.00 sewage
Remarks:
no new rubbish at concrete plateau, rubbish layout from previous day disrupted by wind.
tissue at summit.
first signs of spring are noted and recorded (see images) contrast from the public west  side of the alp where daffodils are in bloom to the stark pussy willow on the east side.
blue chemical matter noted on the face leading up to the viewing platform.
Occupation images:
Inventory images:
none recorded
Samples to laboratory images:
Selected found audio:

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