I love Harringay because...

when I wanted to start a family, I could buy a slightly knocked about a bit old house with a patch of garden to call my own and a little bit of history and put a smile back on its lovely old face without having to win the lottery.

of my neighbours, who hail from many places, who welcomed me warmly and made me feel at home.

when I'm hungry, it's a cooks paradise around here with good quality meat and game from Baldwins,  all manner of fruit and veg, and the possibilty of buying ingredients/spices for all types of cooking (Indian/chinese/north African/ Italian/Polish/Russian/Turkish etc.) Add to that buying my desserts from the French patisserie or Halepi, my bread from Yasar or Danube and my 80% chocolate from the Russian provision shop to go with my coffee and I am in foodie heaven. Or if I'm feeling idle and don't want to cook, I can pick up some (cheap) delicious Turkish stews and rice or a whole roast chicken and a tube of Harissa from the north African butchers.

if I want to eat out, I'm sure of a wonderful welcome at Bianca, a decent omelette and a latte from Cafe Lemon, or a nice Sunday lunch at the Salisbury. I can indulge my love of oriental food at China City or (babysitter required) Mr E can put his glad rags on and take me out to the Garden Ladder for some Modern British food. I can walk the kids to a friendly Spanish style welcome at La Vina or fill them full of delicious goodies at the Anteplier juice bar.

if I arrive back in Harringay after a night out, I feel safe because the shops are open, people are on the streets and the three lovely bars/pubs are, I know, full of good gentle people enjoying a beer or three.

my children are Londoners, although we are not, and they have the chance to go to a neighbourhood school in a beautiful old Victorian building and be cared for by professional and hardworking staff. They will mix with children from every walk of life and will learn that other viewpoints and cultures exist and that there are parents who care enough to give up their time to make the space green for them or raise money for the little extras.

when I want to take them to out to experience their heritage as citizens of one of the greatest cities on earth, I can take a bus to Trafalgar square for 90p or a train to Ally Pally or tube to the wonderful free museums of London all from the end of my road.

when we want to play, we can walk or ride to wonderful green parks, restored through the efforts of people who said 'no I will not tolerate our green spaces being neglected' and have given them back to the children of Harringay.

when I look up I see beautiful old facades and wonderful detailing on buildings that give me a sense of history.

it has a website where there is a free and fair exchange of views between people who care about where they live and who are willing to get off their behinds and work for change, and through which I have met some great new neighbours to go to the pub with.

when I smile at people here, they smile back...

All this in my backyard.