I've just shelled out on a wonderful new book. It is called Eric Lyons and Span.

It's all about Eric Lyons and Span.

I'm pretty sure you've never heard about Lyons, or never heard about Span, but these guys changed the world.
Lyons was an English architect who specialised in building homes, places for people to live. Not skyscarpers for banks. Not airport terminals for airlines.

But homes, places for people to live.

Lyons worked in an age (one that is still with us) where the architect either worked on local housing (often with too small a budget) or on large private housing.

The kinds of houses most of us live in are far far removed from what an architect would wish to do.

Lyons and Span were different. Together they built places for people to live in. Communities.

Landscaping was important. Design was vital.

They only built 6,000 homes.

We were lucky enough to live in one.

After six years of living in London and never tlaking to neighbours etc we moved in 2002 to The Hall, a Span development of flats and houses from 1956/57.

The houses were light and airy, large windows, we had communal gardens. Cars were parked away from the houses. People had to walk around and met one another.

Our estate was owned and managed by us.

It worked. In a year living there we met so many wonderful people. We made friends.

Good design matters.

Check out span-kent.co.uk to find out more.

Sure Lyons has never built anything that we all travel to visit and marvel at. But he has built 6,000 homes.

And for anyone lucky enough to live in one of his homes. He has changed the world.