Summary of key events in the Tolmers saga with some links to photos and documents (in new tabs). Anything missing? Please contact us.

1957		Tolmers Square Tenant Association (TSTA) formed.
1959		Developers submit planning application for a twenty-two-storey office tower on the south side of Tolmers Square. TSTA launches anti-office campaign.
1960		London County Council (LCC) rejects planning application for office development.  LCC starts preparing plans for a comprehensive housing development.
1962		Stock Conversion, a property company headed by Joe Levy, starts buying land in the Tolmers area.   TSTA campaigns to support people displaced by the nearby Euston Centre development.
1963		LCC starts trying to demolish ‘unfit’ houses in the area.
1965		Reorganisation of London government. LCC replaced by the Greater London Council (GLC), and the Borough of St Pancras amalgamated into the Borough of Camden.  Central Government refuses to give Camden Council permission to buy land or to build offices.
1966		Camden Council starts negotiations with Stock Conversion to purchase land in the area and provide support for office development.
1967		Camden Council continues LCC policy of demolishing ‘unfit’ housing
1968		Camden Council submits Compulsory Purchase Order (CPO) for a small area of housing.
1970		Central Government rejects Camden’s CPO.  Camden Council starts negotiations with Stock Conversion for the whole Tolmers area.
1971		The beginning of opposition from some Labour councillors to a deal involving office development.
1972		Tolmers Square becomes prominent in the press as a property development hotspot. Tolmer Cinema in the centre of Tolmers Square closed (Mar). See Tolmer Cinema collection.  Squatters occupy empty house in Euston Street. See Frances Holliss profile
1973		Tolmer Cinema demolished (May). See Tolmer Cinema collection. Bartlett students from University College London survey the area (May) See The Bartlett factor story Camden Council approves the ‘Levy Deal’ (May) Rival Claudius Offer (masterminded by journalists Christopher Booker & Bennie Gray) presented to Camden Council (June)  Tolmers Village Association formed (Aug) See leaflet Squatters start moving into empty property in Tolmers Square and surrounding streets (Sep) See stories by Doug Smith, Pedro George and Michael Fitzpatrick. See Community House collection. Stop the Levy deal campaign launched (Sep). See Stop the Levy Deal flyer.  Camden Council rejects the Levy Deal (Oct)  Occupied house owned by Stock Conversion collapses in Hampstead Road (Oct). See collapse collection.
1974		Jumble sale in 142 Drummond Street (Feb). See Jumble sale collection TVA mounts exhibition to involve local people in the area’s future (18-23 Feb). See Exhibition collection  Vacant land in Drummond Street occupied for a community garden (Apr). See community garden collection.  Camden makes a CPO on a few buildings (Apr)  TVA publishes campaign pamphlet (Jun). See Tolmers Destroyed. Fencing around former cinema site taken down  First Tolmers carnival (29 Jun). See Carnival 1974 collection.  Stock Conversion discloses new plans to develop without the Council (Sep).  Camden decides to submit a CPO for all of Stock Conversion’s property (Oct). Bonfire party on community garden (Nov). See Community garden collection.
1975		Squatters summonsed by Stock Conversion (Mar)   Anti eviction campaign by squatters (Apr) See Organising collection. High Court action by developer to evict squatters fails (25 Apr) See Marching to court collection. See The legal battle story. Locally made film Tolmers: Beginning or end? shown on BBC2 (May). Watch film. Camden Council buys land from developer (Jun) Second Tolmers carnival (28 Jun). See 1975 Carnival collection. Camden Council applies for an Office Development Permit for 300,000 square feet (Jul) Bonfire party on community garden (Nov). See Community garden collection. Banquet in 142 Drummond Street (13 Dec). See Banquet collection.
1976		Camden Council approves new scheme: a mix of rehabilitation and new build, housing and offices (Apr) Third Tolmers carnival (26 Jun). See 1976 carnival collection. Publication of The Battle for Tolmers Square by Routledge (Oct). See book listing. Closure of the Lord Palmerston pub (Oct). See Pubs collection. Temporary landscaping in Tolmers Square by Camden Council.
1977		Fourth Tolmers carnival (25 Jun). See 1977 Carnival collection.
1978		Tolmers People’s Plan published by the Tolmers Village Action Group but ignored by Camden Council (Jun). See Tolmers People’s Plan. Fifth Tolmers carnival (1 Jul). See 1978 Carnival collection. Attempts to negotiate saving the Square fail.
1979		Eviction of south side of Tolmers Square and all remaining other squats in the area (4 May). See Evictions collection. Last Tolmers carnival (5 May). See 1979 Carnival collection. Wake for Tolmers Square (26 Aug). See Wake collection. Eviction of north side of Tolmers Square (27 Aug). See Evictions collection.  Demolition of Tolmers Square. See Destruction collection.
1982		Formal opening ceremony for the new Tolmers development hosted by local MP Frank Dobson. See Camden press release.
2010		Tolmers photos and posters included in the Goodbye London exhibition in Berlin and Dresden. See After collection.
2011		Publication of Tolmers in Colour. See book listing.
2018		Plans for HS2 rail project show Euston Station expanding into the Tolmers area. See Tolmers today collection.
2019		Further demolition starts in the area due to HS2 high speed rail project terminating at Euston. See Tolmers today page.
2021		Launch of the Tolmers Village Forum and tolmers.net. See tolmers.net news
2025		Tolmers in the 1970s featured in Unearthed exhibition at the British Library. See After collection.  Reunion party at 180 North Gower Street (Nov). See tolmers.net news.
2026		Camden Council consults on a new plan for Euston. Campaign launched to save (the new) office block and (the new) Tolmers Square from demolition. See Tolmers today page.