And yet part of the reason for their renaissance is the fact that the classic image of a local authority block - as a magnet for crime and vandalism - is becoming outdated.Rather than pay huge sums to demolish and replace half-empty blocks, local authorities are spending a fraction of that money on improving security and, increasingly, buildings are linked up to 24-hour computer centres. Concierges are armed with computer logs, videos and phone links. The upshot is that more and more blocks are becoming desirable as places to live, not just look at. "It is not exactly the Manhattan phenomenon," says Dr Brian McGrail of the Open University, who has researched high- rise flats, "but it has changed these places from ghettos to respectable places."Jonathan, an architect, lives on the 17th floor of a tower block in Kennington, South London, with his girlfriend, Sue, a barrister "I've lived here for 16 years," he says. Bennett writes back to the Vice-Chancellor saying that "if the university thinks it's appropriate to take Rupert Murdoch's money perhaps they ought to approach Saddam Hussein to found a chair in Peace Studies."Bennett has good reason to dislike Murdoch, as his address at the memorial service for the broadcaster Russell Harty made plain. "Ever since the establishment of the Rupert Murdoch Chair in Language and Communication," he writes in his diary, "I've felt disaffected with the university."If anyone at Oxford had read Bennett's best-selling collection of articles and diaries, Writing Home, they wouldn't have been surprised.

Rather than sipping warm beer on the village green, in our New Jerusalem we are all going to be drinking chardonnay sur la terrasse. I wouldn't for a moment doubt Lord Rogers's commitment to urban living. He had planned his resignation for a long time and, but for unforeseen events, intended to go slightly sooner than he did.Mr Blair is unlikely to do a MacDonald, or a Wilson for that matter. "I was worried about my player who was down injured and I was holding the ball when I was barged from behind," Strachan said.In truth, his claims of innocence were thoroughly disingenuous. The little Scot's feud with the fourth official over his persistent coaching outside the designated technical area had set the tone for rising tension between the two benches. "I've never punched anyone, never kicked anyone in my career, now I'm getting a ferocious reputation for stepping a yard outside my box," he said. "I hope my children don't copy my terrible example."The brawl marred an otherwise absorbing encounter, much more physical than Chelsea had anticipated.

Without Michael Duberry and Marcel Desailly, Chelsea had to reshuffle their central defence, bringing in Bernard Lambourde to partner Leboeuf. But it did not take long for the largely untried pairing to suffer from the lightning striking of Darren Huckerby. Eleven goals in their last two games, six of them to Huckerby, had advertised Coventry's confidence, but with five strung across the midfield and Huckerby on his own up front, Strachan had clearly set his side out for an afternoon of cat and mouse. An early goal was part of the perfect blueprint and, in the 10th minute, one of simple construction and inevitable execution silenced Stamford Bridge.In his usual quiet and efficient way, Gary McAllister had already established a hold on midfield. But Chelsea made the mistake of giving the Coventry captain time and space to pick out an exquisite pass to Huckerby.

The ball caught Chelsea's defence momentarily square and the hottest striker in the league needed little further invention to burst through before lobbing the ball gently over Ed De Goey and into the net. If there was a sense of deja vu in the Chelsea camp, it was not misplaced. Last season, Chelsea had lost in the opening match of the season at Coventry, and then suffered a severe fright at home before winning the return encounter.The sight of the City slickers seems to incense Coventry and but for two clear misses by Stephen Froggatt towards the end of the first half, the visitors could have doubled their lead. Huckerby, a constant threat throughout, once again turned Leboeuf before dinking a cross to the far post Froggatt's header sneaked past the upright. Moments later, after a delightful one-two with McAllister, Froggatt rounded De Goey only to ram his left-foot shot against the woodwork Strachan was inconsolable. Even more so, on the stroke of half-time, as Leboeuf was given a free passage through the outskirts of the Coventry defence and accepted the invitation to thump a 25-yard shot past Magnus Hedman. The Frenchman had scored his first goal for the club against the same opponents.That, the Chelsea fans believed, was that.

Yet it was Coventry who continued to play the more intricate and purposeful football and Chelsea, with Dennis Wise and Gianluca Vialli particularly profligate, struggled to find any rhythm.But, for all Chelsea's possession, Coventry always looked the more likely winners. Whether the events on the touchline distracted them is open to question. Strachan might reflect when he has cooled down that the four minutes of injury time added on by the fourth official had been largely due to his antics.As the final seconds ticked away, Di Matteo drove a loose ball high into the Coventry net to send Chelsea on their way to a sunshine break in Tenerife as Premier League leaders.. CHUBBY CHANDLER Players' manager HE IS now a better player than when he won the Masters. He rode on the crest of a wave for his first nine months as a pro.