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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Does anyone know about the history and recent sale of Hornsey Parish Hall, also named Hornsey National Hall, which is on Hornsey High Street on the same side as The Great Northern Railway Tavern? I've walked passed it many times over the years and even managed to sneak a peek inside when it was being redecorated a couple of years agao but have never found any background information on it as far as history or recent use goes. Anyone know anything? 

Photo: Julian Osley / Hornsey National Hall, 31 Hornsey High Street, London. N8 / CC BY-SA 2.0

Tags for Forum Posts: hornsey parish hall/national hall

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How horribly sad that our local planning office seem to be so lacking in responsibility of our heritage and listed buildings. I'll have to take a wander down and see what the changes are. Hopefully not as bad as it sounds. 

My dad was caretaker at the hall from 1944 to 1954. At that time, the hall was a hub of activity for the Parish of St Mary. There were Scouts, Cubs, Guides, Brownies, Sunday school, Mothers Union, Whist Drives, jumble sales  and social functions.

Besides all this, the hall served St Mary's School opposite the building, providing school dinners, cooked in the ground floor kitchen and gym classes, using equipment stored in the large hall.

As kids, we had the run of the place, and were the envy of the few friends who were allowed to come and play there. Mother always complained the place was damp and we left in 1954.

Did your dad keep a journal, or did any photos survive?

We never took photos of the hall. The only documentation I have is a copy of a Parish booklet with a brief history and a listing of all the church officials.

I also have a copy of the Hornsey Journal featuring Constance Hutt  who was a cubmistress and a Sunday School teacher at the hall

I'd be interested to see brief history and the Journal article if you have time to take a couple of snaps. I came across it a mention of it in a late nineteenth century newspaper. Apparently it became the new home for the Middlesex 3rd when the Crouch End Drill Hall was sold - see page 9 of the pdf attached to underneath this post. Then stayed there intil 1897 when they moved just up the road, past the old Rectory, to the recently purchased and newly coverted The Elms which became the home

PS: Here are a couple of photos of the National Hall. The first is from about 1900, twelve years after it was first built. The second is from about 1914. 

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