Harringay online

Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Well, maybe, maybe not, but I think many of us kinda love the old sod. I may have been shown to be a bit of historical romantic for hankering after the name Harringay Park for the Ladder, but what's happening to our area/ town's name?

The sign on the bridge at Green Lanes, Harringay station used to welcome people to Harringay (I seem to remember). Now people are welcomed to Green Lanes. Small wrtitng on the margins offers the names Harringay & St Ann's.

Whilst it may not be make or break, I believe that symbols like this do have a particular importance in supporting or working against community building. It's almost as if the sense of Harringay is being diluted.

I, for one, would like this changed so that the Harringay identity is reinforced. I'm not sure why it was done this way and am trying to find out. Was it perhaps a desire to avoid confusion with the borough name or a particular group's voice being set above all residents. Should we have been consulted about the sign?

Haringey Council's website has this to say:

New Green Lanes gateway celebrated
Wednesday 20 December 2006

Local residents, traders and councillors came together with local MP David Lammy and GLA member Joanne McCartney to celebrate an extensive facelift for the 'new-look' railway bridge in Green Lanes.

The Green Lanes Bridge is the landmark gateway to the area. Improvements include new lighting and landscaping of embankments and the approach to the Green Lanes station, new litter bins, a "deep clean", graffiti removal, "pigeon-proofing" and changing the layout to deter graffiti in the future.

The bridge has also been "branded" to welcome visitors and residents alike, in four local community languages, and the project completed with new trees and hanging baskets.

Said Cllr Nilgun Canver, Chair of the Green Lanes Strategy Group and Executive Member for Crime and Community Safety:

"The transformation has been dramatic - making the area around the bridge cleaner, safer and a fantastic welcome gateway to the area. I would like to thank everyone involved for all their hard work and commitment".

David Lammy MP said:

"This is a fantastic example of the Council working together with local businesses and residents to improve their community and make their area a safer and better place to live".

The project was spearheaded by local Green Lanes Strategy Group, bringing together traders, residents and local agencies, and Haringey's Neighbourhood Management Service. It was completed in six months, with £100,000 funding from single regeneration budget programmes plus contributions from Haringey Council and Wildemore Properties, the developers of the adjoining Arena site.


See any mention of Harringay? Feel you were "brought together" by it? It was done in your name.

And it's not just the Council's site doing this. Look, for example, at the London Tourism site. All areas of Haringey that are mentioned are referred to by name with the exception of Harringay, which is just called Green Lanes.

Tags for Forum Posts: council, glsg, harringay bridge, harringay name, identity, sign, visual character

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I think it may well ruffle feathers since they're so proud of their damned banner. So any application would need to couched in terms of building on their brilliant idea.
Well, if you read the press release, it makes much of the "improvements" of which the banner is only one thing, so you could say that as a temporary measure it was a good solution, but now the time has come to create a lasting expression of civic pride in the area which reflects the history and culture of Harringay (so no to big fruit and veg murals) and then use the cash to pick up Penny's idea of a local artist(s) completing the work. Penny/Anette/Anybody, I can drop a form round if you want to give it a go.
Precisement.
Liz, I can try, but have never done this before. Hold my hand over a glass of wine in the Garden Ladder? Penny, you come along too!
A local artist is a really good idea, and as that boring banner is essentially incorrect, it should be changed.
Go for it girls. It sounds fantastic. (I wonder if there's any scope to go for matched funding from the likes of Wildmoor, Sainsburys or even the local traders. It always helps politicians look more kindly on matters.)
okay, let's do it.
see you tonight then?
yes, will be in Garden Ladder from 8 if any other bridge enthusiasts want to join us.
Anette and I have submitted a bid for money to MTD to commission local artists to provide a series of banners that reflect Harringay's cultural and historical heritage and make that bridge a welcoming and exciting gateway to our area. Bridge enthusiasts we can but try...

Liz! I realise this was 6 years ago but wondered if there has been any kind of progress on the bridge? I didn't jump in then as I was flat out on a mega arts project for several years but have now more time. Would love to know if the bridge features in the general improvements which are going on?

Here are the key threads about Harringay Bridge, You should find the answer to your question in my post "It's bye bye bridge banner........"

Crumbs I'd forgotten I'd even done this! 

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