Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Death for McBridge? Have your say
Those of you who've been around on the site for a while might remember our McBridge campaign and poll.
It seems that the original advertising deal is coming to an end and the Council is seeking your views on what next.
The email below is from neighbourhood manager, Dasos Maliotis to HoL and the local residents' groups.
The Green Lanes Strategy Group (GLSG) will soon be considering updating the current banners on the Green Lanes Bridge in Harringay. It was previously agreed by the GLSG that advertising spaces would be made available using the two small banners on both sides of the bridge to generate an annual income in order to be able to provide regular maintenance of the surrounding area of the bridge and to ensure that the banners are updated and kept free of graffiti. It was also agreed that local businesses would be given priority to use the advertising spaces available; the only take up at that time was from McDonalds. The contract with McDonalds is now coming to an end in September 2010. There are now sufficient funds generated through the advertisement to upgrade the banners and replace the small ones to their original display identifying the two wards. However in doing this, GLSG is mindful that no further advertising space will be made available and therefore, no further income will be generated to continue the future up keep of the surrounding area of the bridge and that of the banners.
In view of this, and before any final decisions are taken by the Green Lanes Strategy Group, community representatives on the GLSG are asked to consult with their respective community groups for their views regarding:
1. the possibility of continuing to use the bridge banners for advertising / sponsorship purposes from local businesses.
OR
2. to revert back to the original banners without any advertisements
The GLSG is due to meet in September and I look forward to receiving your comments by no later than the week beginning 30 August.
I replied to Dasos with the following email:
There's probably no need to guess what my response will be. But what do you think?
1. Advertising / No advertising?
2. If the banners are being upgraded what options should we consider? This is the gateway to our area. Let's make sure we have a say this time.
Should we do a short survey on this?
It seems that the original advertising deal is coming to an end and the Council is seeking your views on what next.
The email below is from neighbourhood manager, Dasos Maliotis to HoL and the local residents' groups.
The Green Lanes Strategy Group (GLSG) will soon be considering updating the current banners on the Green Lanes Bridge in Harringay. It was previously agreed by the GLSG that advertising spaces would be made available using the two small banners on both sides of the bridge to generate an annual income in order to be able to provide regular maintenance of the surrounding area of the bridge and to ensure that the banners are updated and kept free of graffiti. It was also agreed that local businesses would be given priority to use the advertising spaces available; the only take up at that time was from McDonalds. The contract with McDonalds is now coming to an end in September 2010. There are now sufficient funds generated through the advertisement to upgrade the banners and replace the small ones to their original display identifying the two wards. However in doing this, GLSG is mindful that no further advertising space will be made available and therefore, no further income will be generated to continue the future up keep of the surrounding area of the bridge and that of the banners.
In view of this, and before any final decisions are taken by the Green Lanes Strategy Group, community representatives on the GLSG are asked to consult with their respective community groups for their views regarding:
1. the possibility of continuing to use the bridge banners for advertising / sponsorship purposes from local businesses.
OR
2. to revert back to the original banners without any advertisements
The GLSG is due to meet in September and I look forward to receiving your comments by no later than the week beginning 30 August.
I replied to Dasos with the following email:
Thanks Dasos. You say that there's a opportunity "to upgrade the banners and replace the small ones to their original display". This sound to me like it creates a number of options and a great opportunity for the wider community to be involved in designing the gateway to Harringay. Can you clarify; are you planning to replace what' s there completely? If so, is there any reason you wouldn't invite residents' views on a new design?
There's probably no need to guess what my response will be. But what do you think?
1. Advertising / No advertising?
2. If the banners are being upgraded what options should we consider? This is the gateway to our area. Let's make sure we have a say this time.
Should we do a short survey on this?
Tags for Forum Posts: harringay bridge, mcbridge
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by james walsh on
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The bridge should be decorated by a commissioned local artist/s in a seminal iconic style reflecting Harringays position on Londons cultural landscape and the work should be free from commercial constraint that advertisers would insist upon. (could someone please translate this into 'ornary speak' for us ?)
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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There is already discussion going on by people about preserving the identity of the separate wards on the bridge, i.e. Harringay ward to the west and St Ann's ward to the east.
Up till around 1980, the whole neighbourhood was just Harringay. For reasons best known to itself the Council has since encouraged separate identities between the wards. Why? What does that achieve? Surely this is a time for unity in what was conceived, and until recently was seen as, a neighbourhood. Why encourage separate identities?
The current sign welcomes you to Green Lanes, informs you that there's St Ann's ward to the east and Harringay ward to the west, but there's no clue that you're entering Harringay. Please can someone explain to me why the Council wants to do away with the identity of an historic neighbourhood.
Let me leave the last word to the author of a 1920's guide book:
One thing I like about Harringay, and that is the example in local patriotism that it sets to other suburbs. Half of it belongs to Tottenham, the other half to Hornsey, the boundary line intersecting a dozen short roads of villas. But do you think the inhabitants of those villas will rank themselves with those of Tottenham or Hornsey? Not likely. They are of Harringay. The guide-book was right: it is a suburb with a distinct individuality of its own.
Proud of its lineage, proud of its appearance in thirteenth-century records, it declines to surrender its identity to those who claim lordship over it. Before Tottenham and Hornsey were, Harringay was so often mentioned in ancient documents as to receive the honour of being spelt in six different ways - sure proof of importance. Indeed, the name Hornsey came into currency only through a corruption of Haringhea and Haringey; and it is therefore fit that the stout fellows of Harringay should defend the style and identity of their venerable village from the encroachments of that modern upstart Hornsey.
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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This simple thing, which costs so little and means so much was not an election promise we were able to elicit from the lib dems or labour. The trouble is that most of my neighbours don't think it matters. They need to think a bit more. It obviously matters a lot considering how reluctant politicians are to do it. Cui bono?
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I could not find the photo that I'm sure I saw on here of it but Camden Town's railway bridge got a lovely makeover a while back. I suppose simply Harringay would be too simple...
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Permalink Reply by jack63kids on
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Those are great photos - trying to work out which my favourites, but can definitely say that none of the recent ones - ugly! The ad is bad, but the Council message is boring and not at all eye-catching. Bit of colour or some interesting fonts might at least have helped.
I expect this has all been said before and not being constructive, so I'll leave it at that.
I didn't see any of when it was a more colourful moral design, showing the type of goods sold on Green Lanes. I know it didn't last long, due to materials chipping and washing off, but wonder if anyone has any photos, it was certainly much prettier and more relevant.
Something like that would 'advertise' generally without having a bunch of ugly logos. I'm sure there are local artists and/or graphic designers who could a much better job. It doesn't have to be expensive, though I guess that the revenue from advertising goes to more than making the signs.
Is the problem that local businesses don't want to contribute at all? Or that they don't want a specific ad for their business?
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John - Great photo of Camden Bridge but this simply does not work for our Harringay Green Lanes Station bridge because access is very easy from either side and above for the graffiti taggers etc ? all you have to do is stand on the steels accessed along the railway line, lean over and spray - just walk up the station and look? - This access needs to be designed out before spending a lot of money on a long term painted solution which costs a lot of money by the way?
This was what was the problem before. I campaigned for many years through the FPP ( Finsbury Park Partnership SRB) to get funds for the bridge -+ The original bid for the SRB to the Government included designing out the access issues - my word they were exciting times back in 1999 / 2000 because I thought we had solved this problem then. It didn’t happen don’t ask why but not enough focus on the fringes of the bid and the focus was more the Finsbury Park Station Bridges? It aint Cheap?
This is why as an interchangeable option was produced before the close of FPP and we used some of the last underspend of the FPP money to come up with a solution which is what we have today Banners, so if someone graffiti the banner / bridge /vandalise cut burn etc they can be easily replaced.
Long-term option of course would be to paint the bridge in a suitable design once the access issue is designed out?
All these lovely photos of painted bridges are all high-sided steel plate walls, which means no access for graffiti taggers.
For me we need revenue to keep the bridge maintained due to the vandalism and graffiti but I don’t want direct advertising, which is what we have now with the Mc Donalds Drive through banner – Note on our St Ann’s Side not Harringay Ward side
So my option vote is
1B Sponsorship from local business backing and supporting our area
No sponsorship means no maintenance to me
Andy GRA
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Good point Andy. Given that the bridge isn't a flat surface to paint onto, the Camden solution wouldn't be right anyway.
Banners could look great - they can print anything you want onto them and no need for safeguarding the bridge at great expense.
I'd hate the McD's so much less if the main banner was vibrant and was relevant to the area. Then that would catch the eye, and you'd hardly notice an advert next to it. If it's the way of the world and things will only happen with sponsorship or advertising then so be it - as long as it's a much, much better design and not wall to wall capitalism.
Used to live in Warwick Gardens - still care when I come 'home' to visit.
Jack(ie)
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So, correct me if I'm wrong, someone needs this bridge in working order to get their trains across it. Working order does not involve something attractive and free of graffiti.
Should we not be campaigning as hard as we can for the removal of this eyesore? If we don't like it and it costs us money to maintain it, surely we're better off without it?
That line is mostly just for nuclear waste now anyway.
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