Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Promoting our Harringay Schools' Summer Fairs

I've just returned from North Harringay School's enjoyable and quite lively Summer Fair. I knew it was on today, partly because I have a young Falkland Road niece in the Infants there, partly from one or two tastefully produced Winkworth sponsored boards up here on the South Ladder, partly from one or two responses to an earlier discussion about much less tasteful Hane boards for last Saturday's Summer Fair at SHIS. (Yes, the Martyn Gerrard board on Mattison Road for Sts Peter's & Gilda's SF next Saturday is just as tasteless though not as yellow.)

But the twenty-five events in HOL's EVENTS for today and tomorrow (spread across Haringey, Hampstead Heath and even City of London) do not include NHS Summer Fair. WHY NOT?

I've just checked for 'NHS Summer Fair' in the Discussion Forum. Of the first 10 posts to appear, 6 are by OAE re Hane's boards for SHIS SF; 1 is by OAE for NHS SF 2010; 3 others relate to NHS SF for 2009 & 2010.

So I checked the Forum for 'North Harringay School Summer Fair'. Of the first 5 posts to appear, 3 are for the 2010 NHS SF; 1 is from 2009; 1 relates to 'Finding Primary School Places' - a totally different and more 'my-child-centered discussion'.

Seems to me that this is the time and this is the place to carry on some useful discussion on how to advertise our schools' Summer Fairs profitably, ethically, tastefully - and, more generally, how the schools themselves, HOL and others should promote what the schools do, and how the community (both school and wider community) should contribute to the support of our local schools (and I hope we're including Chestnuts and St Marys of Hermitage Rd there) in an ongoing way, not just haphazardly every June.

If, as they say in some parts of the developing world, 'it takes a whole village to rear a child', shouldn't our local schools expect that to apply to a 'whole Harringay', a 'whole HOL', a 'whole Ladder & Gardens' and (especially) a 'whole Main Street of community-reliant Traders'. There will come a time soon when our self-interested Estate Agents will just get fed-up with being picked off by one school or another for a Grand or £1200 and decide the game isn't worth the candle. To his credit, Steve Hatch of Castles has hinted at a better way several times.

Tags for Forum Posts: crouch end, harringay schools, promoting school summer fairs, supporting local schools

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Permalink Reply by David Schmitz on June 28, 2011 at 15:06

I suppose that publicising the event on HoL is such an obviously good idea that everyone thought that someone else would be doing it. Anyway, we'll know better for next time.

By the way, OAE is absolutely right. These events are lively and enjoyable and ideal for getting the community together.

And we do a Pimms stall which can show Muswell Hill a thing or two!

David Schmitz

Liberal Democrat Councillor for Harringay Ward

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Permalink Reply by Angela on June 28, 2011 at 19:30

David, afaik this is the first time that the Summer Fair wasn't advertised on here since HoL's inception. When you only have a few people doing the majority of organising such a big event, it's inevitable that something will get overlooked.

I'm not convinced though that an events listing on here would have greatly increased attendance though tbh. A number of our neighbours came along, as you know . And they heard about it either through word of mouth or by seeing the dreaded Estated Agent boards! (not to mention the fab banner which was made by a certain Mrs Birdytoo).

But you are right - NHP does mean Pimm's stall!!!

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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on June 28, 2011 at 20:29

Whereas MHP means £10K just on the summer fair...

These fairs are just not. I think the council should make all PTAs in the borough pool a percentage of their revenue for sharing out equally amongst all the schools. Of course that would just become a new system for the wealthy and well organised to game.

PS My humblest apologies for getting the name of North Harringay Primary school wrong. It's infuriating when someone gets the name of something you care about wrong.

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Permalink Reply by Hugh on June 29, 2011 at 13:19

From the Journal - Crouch End school smashes summer fair record raising £7,200

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Permalink Reply by Old-Age-Emporium(OAE) on June 29, 2011 at 13:58

Well that raises the bar.

Oh yes, that's what's needed - a full bar licence to supplement David's Pimms stall. Why didn't anyone think of it?

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Permalink Reply by Old-Age-Emporium(OAE) on June 29, 2011 at 16:58

OTOH, think what Rokesly might have made if they'd had their friendly local Lap Dancing Club to sponsor them. Why weren't they more farsighted?

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Permalink Reply by matt on June 29, 2011 at 16:58

Posting what a school in wealthier Crouch End has raised contributes what exactly to this discussion?

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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on June 29, 2011 at 20:23

Matt, the fairs are unfair. I can understand you don't like the fact that Harringay parents send their children to school locally and don't contribute on the same scale as parents on the other side of the tracks but this is a fact and it needs to be addressed. Having a school fair just exacerbates already significant funding gaps in eastern Haringey's schools.

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Permalink Reply by Angela on June 29, 2011 at 20:46

I think it's a case of can't rather than don't really.

And at the end of the day, imo, school fairs are more about having a good time and pulling the school community/the wider community together than about raising funds.

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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on June 29, 2011 at 21:00

I agree with both your points (the first only partially) but mine still stands. There is a family that drop off at South Harringay in their Bentley... I didn't see them at the fair.