Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Finsbury Park's in Harringay Ward, but it doesn't feel like it..........
.......(yes, I am it again).
Well, look, it's just that the whole park's in our ward, supposedly in our manor, on our patch, but what do we get by way of entry access? A little gateway right on the edge of the borough boundary on Green Lanes.
I suppose it's because the north eastern part of the park is separated from the rest by the new river and that part is used as a baseball pitch.
Call me an old loon, do, but I think we'd feel much more like the park was in our manor if we had a Harringay entrance. I've often said that it's a shame that we have no major public space in Harringay. So, having grumbled to myself about how there ought to be a Harrringay Gate, I thought about that baseball bit of the park on the corner of Endymion. I don't want the guys to lose their pitch, but it could easly be resited and then we could create a public space for Harringay in that corner........maybe a nice little bridge over the river - now much of it's open to the public anyway, there's no need to keep it fenced off any more.
So, am I just a loon or does this idea appeal to anyone else?
Well, look, it's just that the whole park's in our ward, supposedly in our manor, on our patch, but what do we get by way of entry access? A little gateway right on the edge of the borough boundary on Green Lanes.
I suppose it's because the north eastern part of the park is separated from the rest by the new river and that part is used as a baseball pitch.
Call me an old loon, do, but I think we'd feel much more like the park was in our manor if we had a Harringay entrance. I've often said that it's a shame that we have no major public space in Harringay. So, having grumbled to myself about how there ought to be a Harrringay Gate, I thought about that baseball bit of the park on the corner of Endymion. I don't want the guys to lose their pitch, but it could easly be resited and then we could create a public space for Harringay in that corner........maybe a nice little bridge over the river - now much of it's open to the public anyway, there's no need to keep it fenced off any more.
So, am I just a loon or does this idea appeal to anyone else?
Tags for Forum Posts: cricket pitch, finsbury park, harringay boundaries, new river, town square for harringay
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Liz on
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There is another entrance in Endymion Road, also small and inconspicuous I admit.
I don't know that the softball pitch could be resited that easily, not much flat open ground in Finsbury park that is big enough and I wouldn't want to see the team lose their facilities. (I have to declare an extremely tenuous connection here to the team as the two sons of a friend both play for it and one of them has played twice for England.)
The area is underused and misused and perhaps that needs to be addressed (how about the return of the cricket pitch and the forming of the HOL eleven perhaps) but I don't think it can go anywhere else. The two existing gates in our ward could, of course, be given a bit more 'glamour' with proper iron gates, some decent signage that indicates Harringay Gate, perhaps the Endymion one could be moved so that it opens into the American Gardens and that area given a bit more traffic and prominence rather than being simply a dog exercising area. There is a rather funky children's play area there as well which perhaps coupled with one of those booth like kiosks that they have in central parks like St James, flogging fair trade tea etc. could bring the Harringay side to life. How about that, Mr old Loon?
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Surely there's plenty of flat ground up by the tennis courts (Are they still there?)
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The tennis courts are still there and have been refurbished (and are very nice).The ground by the Oxford Road entrance is very boggy and not that wide, the basketball area is too small No, I don't think that there is enough flat suitable ground for bat and ball style games. ( I am thinking about it very hard and I feel like I know that park like the back of my proverbial hand :) ).
Not keen on the American gardens idea then?
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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Bugger, I wasted my idea for £10K on stupid bike sheds when I could have had them playing cricket in Finsbury park and making people think twice about risking a broken window in their escape from Sainsbury's on a sunny saturday afternoon.
I don't know why the fence is there, or the one around Duckett's common...
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Permalink Reply by Madeline on
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No, you're not a loon. It is, as you say, all in Haringey including the impressive gates on Seven Sisters Rd and Manor House. But one set of gates faces Hackney and the other is half and half. For Haringey residents there are only small pedestrian gates for access. Here, where I live, we have a pedestrian bridge over the railway as our nearest entrance. One parent with a twin pushchair takes up the whole walkway. The Endymion gates are our only large set of gates and these are primarily for vehicle access. Indeed, they even moved them wider to accommodate larger vehicles. I loved the way they explained it was to prevent damage from vehicles and not to allow large lorries to navigate the entrance.
A bridge over the river. Now that would be nice. We could play Pooh sticks there.
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Permalink Reply by Anette on
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Nope, you're not a loon, you have a good point, I've just never thought about it before.
The idea of a gate for Harringay is good, and I agree with Liz, a kiosk or a cafe at "our" end of the park to bring it to life and attract more people is a good one. We could have web site picnics there!
As for Pooh sticks, love it. :)
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Permalink Reply by StephenBln on
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I think there are historical reasons why the gates were so arranged. The park was always owned and managed by the LCC, later GLC and lay within the Borough of Hornsey. It was really intended for the use of "LCC Londoners" and not those living within Middlesex. The corner of the park onto Green Lanes, Endymion Rd was really "the backside" of the park bordering as it does onto Tottenham... and god forbid "those people" wanting to use the park.
The Park was only taken over by Haringey after Madame Thatcher decided to abolish the GLC and sell off all its assets, giving away the bits that costed money to maintain to the Boroughs.
I'll add a couple of images later today..
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Being hit by a cricketball was the reason? What? I've played in a game in Hampshire many years ago where some poor little old lady was hit right in the face by a cricket ball that bounced off the road and into the tables outside the pub. Luckily the man who hit her was a dentist. We Londoners are too soft, honestly.
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Thanks for this info Anne. I am glad that I am not alone in thinking more could be done with the American Garden. It is a frustatingly under used bit of the park. The play area is good but kind of isolated and it would be good to encourage some more activity round there.
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