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Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Does anybody have any memories of the Campsbourne area of Hornsey, in the 1950s and 60s?

The area has changed so much (as I suppose much of London has). I was born in the mid fifties at 104 Myddleton Rd. The house was demolished later that decade, as part of a complete regeneration of the area. It was approximately where the Honeymead flats are now and was close to Cross Lane (Campsfield Road now). In the late fifties we were given a brand new flat in Boyton Close, at No 7 Elgar Block. I recall that my mum was thrilled to bits with her new home.

We moved into 80 Beechwood Rd in the early sixties, as the family grew. The house had a bath in the kitchen, that was covered in a purpose made worktop. They were all modernised in the mid sixties, with the fitting of a proper bathroom and toilet (so we were able to say goodbye to the outside loo!)

Does anyone recall the shops around there? The Nightingale Pub with off licence to the front. Tookies the newsagent and sweet shop, Swinyards the greengrocer next to it. On the corner of Hawthorn Rd was the Co Op, Carters (sweet shop again), a Barbers and best of all, a wool shop, that had the most amazing smell inside.

I would love to hear from anyone that recalls this area.

Mike Allder

Tags for Forum Posts: beauty in the borough, campsbourne estate

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I have had a email from Film London referencing the on-line posting Of Beauty In The Borough. It speaks for itself as I reproduce it below:-

'Sorry for the late reply! You have done an absolutely amazing job for us! I could not believe the amount of people who have watched (nearly 10,000) and commented on the film - it's been simply wonderful response and I am hugely grateful to you. And yes, indeed a prime objective is certainly being met (on quite a large scale!).

After such a success I'd love to get more films of the borough online, but obviously that requires discussions with copyright holders and, of course, more time. I'll endeavour to do my best and hope that if we do get more do online in the near future, you and the Haringey online forum will be interested again in sharing and watching and, perhaps, getting involved in the cataloguing aspects of these films, so we can build up more information and memories about them''.

Well done to Harringay Online and my own family and friends. No doubt with such an interest, and the most welcome posted comments, many will enjoy being involved no matter on what scale if it happens in the future.

Maintaining the interest in 'Campsbourne', I have managed to get some copies of photos from Hornsey Historical Society and reproduce them with their permission. They show the aftermath of some basement flooding, possibly in Campsbourne road, and although they have catalogued them as 1948/9, the 1953 Ford Prefect in the 'crowd' scene says otherwise. It is definitely not Boyton and, I did not think it Campsbourne, which only leaves Myddleton.  Do you recognise anyone in the picture or what road?

Hello John

Thank you so much for posting this link. I think the wet fish shop was my great grandfather's. See my reply to Mike's post above for more info. This is the closest I've got to seeing what the old family shop looked like. Just to be clear is this the shop entrance marked in red? Or is it the shop to the far left of the still?

Any info gratefully received. Having a better idea of what the shop looked like will certainly help me find a better photo of it if not the business postcard I know existed.

Thank again for post the link, a fascinating little film. 

Dear Mark,

You have the right shop. The other on the corner of Pembroke was a sweet shop although the whole frontage was in Boyton..

I do not recall a glass front to 'your' shop. I believe it had metal roller shutters behind which was the standard 'marble' display slab. I cannot remember on which side was the entrance but you did go into the shop to another counter at which I recall standing. Strange since I have a clearer picture of the  wet fish in the High Road with eel trays outside.

Definitely a George Sewell lived there and was a carrying on the trade of a fishmonger at the same premise as read from the 1911 census.

Glad you got something out of your posting.

Regards John

Thank you John

Now you've pinpointed the sweet shop for my I can see on the map exactly where the shop was.

I think it must have been Uncle George running the shop when the film was made, as my great grandfather had passed away in 49. 

Many thanks

Mark

Hi Mike, I was born in 1957 in Myddleton road and at 18 months old I moved into no 2 Elgar block. I loved my childhood around there. We used to play over the allotments and I was regularly playing football on the green behind my flat. I remember going newting in the pools at the bottom of the palace. I remember going to swinyards green grocers for my mum with the one armed man trying to weigh up the potatoes. My memory isn't what it was but I remember your name. My teacher at campsbourne was miss Nagy for three years which delighted me because she was lovely. The headmaster was Mr Unsworth and Miss Welch was still there who scared me slightly.
We used to have a secret house in campsbourne road which was derelict but had running water.

Steve Knox

Hi Steve

Are you still a singer in a rock and roll band?

If my memory serves me well when you left Campsbourne, you went to St Davids, do you still hear from Gregory, Killingrey, etc or people such as Wayne Page, Tommy Webb, The Barrets, Haynes etc.

Does anyone remember Red and Green square?

I'm afraid I don't have contact with anyone from those days but I know Steve Gregory's brother who was in the year above me in st David's. He is a driving instructor, something I have done for the last 36 years. I left the band after a few years and only started writing songs for my new band about 10 years ago,where I still do lead singing,guitar,piano and sometimes drum. We have stuff on you tube. I remember you Steve But its all a little hazy as I don't have anyone to reminisce with. I believe you were in campsbourne and,if my memory serves me correctly, didn't you deliberately arrange a mock fight with Wayne Page to deliberately get thrown out of class. Happy days! If thus wasn't you them please forgive me.

Steve

Yes I went to campsbourne then Bishopswood.

Think you may be getting me mixed up with Stephen Hill or Wallace.

Do you remember Kevin Edwards from both Campsbourne and St Davis's as I still hear and see him or a regular basis. Have also been contacted by Panos Louizou.

I lived on  the other side of Nightingale Lane North View Road.

Dear Stephen,

I was wondering since you have picked up on the conversation above if you had viewed the photos I posted above, read my posting 16 May or watched the film 'Beauty in the Borough'.

Any suggestions re photos would be welcome.

Regards John Cunningham

Hi John

My gut feeling is the houses look like ones that were in Boyton Road which backed onto Campsbourne Infants  and Junior school, Also trying to work out what the single decker bus route that was seen going up Muswell Hill.

Dear Stephen,

Thanks for the input.

It is, or they are, a 212's.  Route 111 from 1914, 212 from 1934 and W7 from 1969. Single deck buses were used until the railway bridge was strengthened in 1960. I can only assume the film was taken during or just after that transition.

By the way I lived in Boyton and do not remember any basement properties on both sides and, those that backed onto the school were too high up the slope for flooding. I do remember cleaning silver cutlery, for 'bob a job' in a house just several doors up from Eastfield and that did not have a basement. However memories do play tricks.

Regards John

Sorry Steve. Now you mention it it may have been Stephen Wallace I was thinking of, but , as I have stated, my memory is rubbish from the early years and I am sorry if I have tarnished your name lol.
I saw Panos many years ago and he was a fireman at the time.
Was the red square the large red tarmaced area near the back of my block Elgar?
Do you remember Glen, who always wore a tank top and would run everywhere pretending he was a police car?

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