Harringay online

Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

Festival Day - Perfect Day !!

 

Sunshine & 18 degrees max today. Stalls: 116. More food. More live music. Two stages. Kids crafts. Open 12 noon - 6pm.

 

9 months in the planning.

 

The people making it happen and street scene 8am Sunday 18th Sept 2011 (click on images for detail if you want);

 

[ NOTE: Now other post festival chat & photos being added as well ]

 

Rob Chau; event organiser (Harringay Traders)

 

Shef Mehmet; event organiser (Harringay Traders)

 

Andy Newman; event organiser (Garden Residents Assoc or GRA)

 

Local police

 

Veolia cleaners

 

' V ' = volunteer (ie. no pay!) Some are council employees

 

Volunteers

 

Rob Chau's sister, helping out (with list of 116 stalls). Rob's wife and son were also helping out this morning.

 

Local resident (of 35 years!) Pemberton Rd

 

Looking North (outside Railway Fields)

 

Salisbury stage; programme of events

 

Old Ale Emporium stage; programme of events

 

 

There's a 'green' angle to this year's festival (as well as food and music). Hand prints from local school children. School choir singing Salisbury stage later.

 

 

Tags for Forum Posts: Festival, Harringay

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Permalink Reply by Maddy on September 22, 2011 at 21:39
Ah now that made me feel weirdly nostalgic - how unexpectedly fun it was and that in a way it felt more local than the recent one. In the first festival it felt there wasn't enough variety of food, but on Sunday there was almost too much, and quite a bit of it not local at all - lovely paella from Jamon Jamon, for example, but I had lunch from the same stall on Southwark bridge the previous weekend. Perhaps we need to make sure it doesn't just morph into another anonymous London foodie festival.
Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on September 23, 2011 at 2:06

We too stayed local with Hala. But I was tempted by the paella.

And thanks to Maddy we know it's from Jamon, Jamon. Their website says they're in Portobello Road. As well as at various festivals.

The website, incidentally, offers a model for local businesses on ways to establish and expand a loyal customer base. It has information about the company. And useless but interesting facts - e.g. the pans are a metre in diameter. More practical is their recipe for seafood paella with chicken and veggie recipes promised.

I expect the Festival organisers will ponder how far it should be mainly a showcase for local businesses. But surely the best of Green Lanes has nothing to worry about!

Harringay Green Lanes Festival 2011 - Spanish Paella

Permalink Reply by Liz on September 23, 2011 at 16:45

I'm not sure we'll be easily able to recapture that initial excitement from 2 years ago of seeing Green Lanes car-free for the first time, as we become more used to it, although the planning that goes into closing the road is one of the biggest headaches of putting it on and takes up a lot of time. TFL are not the easiest folk to work with :) I have to say the view from my stage of thousands of people occupying the space where cars usually reign still gave me a buzz.

Two years ago, the organisers pulled together a festival in 5 weeks. Many of the traders refused to take part, some of them still refused this time around, although most came on board. Shef had his work cut out persuading some of them that they should be part of something that was outside their doors and would attract thousands. However, the festival must pay for itself. So stalls must be sold. Local traders are encouraged to take part and it was good to see that many of them put on a show this time, but if they don't take all the stalls, and others from beyond the immediate area are prepared to, then it would be madness to say no.  Sponsorship and funding pots have to be found to pay for everything from the stages (supplied by the pubs) to the policing to insurance. Boris put his hand in his pocket this time, although sadly he didn't make it to see how Harringay spent his money. 

Andy also put an enormous amount of time finding street entertainers and getting kids activities going on a bigger scale. The secondary theme this time  was "green", last time it was history hence the Edwardian cyclists. He must chase pots of money to do these things, so as to keep the price of kids activities free or low cost.  

Most of the changes that you saw were in response to feedback from two years ago. You can refresh your memory as to the criticisms people had at the time here. I saw to it that all constructive suggestions were passed on from that thread,  and I believe that the organisers took on board and implemented a lot of the ideas. 

I don't believe that it will become 'anonymous'. All the major stuff from stewarding to managing stages to fringe events was done by volunteers and enormous goodwill is shown by everyone from council staff, to traders to residents, not forgetting SNT in pulling together a community festival. The bands were mainly local and played for free. Even stuck behind a stage, I was 'visited' by friends and neighbours for a chat. There was a brilliant vibe from the crowd and the Salisbury drinkers.  The rows of massed parents beaming with pride, many of whom I recognised, as their kids sang their song were a reminder of how this was still very much a local festival, but we are also showcasing ourselves to London and given the negative publicity this part of the world had over the Summer, it is also very satisfying that we can deliver something that shows Harringay (and Haringey) at its best.

 

Permalink Reply by John D on September 23, 2011 at 8:25

I don't know if the idea for a Harringay Festival originated with HOL, but I certainly remember attending a planning meeting with Dazos (?)  in the Salisbury. Later, we were a bit miffed to find that the idea had been taken over by the Traders Association and that it was to be a food fair: I think our idea was for more diversity reflecting the wider face of the Harringay community but the TA certainly did a good job then, as they did this year.

The trouble is, for me at least, if you belong to the Food is Fuel Tendency and can't tell the difference between a paella and a pasty, a linear restaurant is not that interesting.

A bit of self-promotion :-) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wR-sFGIAruY

 

 

Permalink Reply by Hugh on September 23, 2011 at 8:40
John, I think the original idea was Shefik Mehmet's. He'd been promoting the idea for some years and couldn't get the support needed from the Council. It then got suggested independently on HOL and the idea got a lot of support on the website. A couple of months later a festival was being discussed by the Council. So I like to think that local residents played their part in getting the thing off the ground along with traders. What does seem clear is that it was in particular the energy of Rob Chau and Andy Newman that ensured the thing happened. And I'm sure they'd say they couldn't have done it without the input of so many others.
Permalink Reply by John D on September 23, 2011 at 8:50
Ah OK :-) Stand corrected
Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on October 2, 2011 at 15:22
Just seen a set of 50 Festival photos on Flickr - this time by Vickskin. People in twos and threes, and some really nice individual portraits.
Permalink Reply by matt on October 2, 2011 at 17:24
Excellent. Well worth a flickr through.
mJPermalink Reply by mJ on September 23, 2011 at 9:51

Love the pics! I wonder if anyone has any of To The Moon?

 

If you e njoyed TTM's set at 2pm on the Old Ale Stage (hic!) then please join To The Moon Corps. at www.facebook.com/cometothemoon *salutes*

MelissaPermalink Reply by Melissa on September 23, 2011 at 10:15
The children's activities - bags, mini-beasts, flowers, mad bikes ... were so good and varied that we hardly had time for the food!  Having said that managed a falafel, a delicious cake from the Chestnuts stall and a fruit kebab with chocolate sauce from the GRA stall .. so hardly starved.  Top highlight was Bruce Airhead outside Disneys - so good we saw him twice.  A fantastic day - needed to be in 3 places at once to take it all in.   Thank you so much to all the people who made it happen.
Permalink Reply by Andy Newman on September 23, 2011 at 20:49
Some more
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Permalink Reply by Andy Newman on September 23, 2011 at 20:46

Thanks Matt for starting this.

I just wanted to share some of my photos I hope they work ok and add my thanks to everyone involved - it was very hard work as you all know - but so rewarding when you find that some 18,000 people came to our local high street to break bread, celebrate and dance together.

 

People will always find fault in what ever you do, but as part of the organising committee compromise is the name of the game - but with good idea's things happen from 1200 children being involved in the flags from our 4 local schools- to crazy street entertainment with Bruce Airhead.

see

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Zyt611WMtM&feature=related

 

The festival has to evolve but with the festival firmly focussed on food you can always work from that, its up to the traders of Green Lanes to take part or miss out ? It aint that often stuff like this happens in a life time ?  

 

Andy GRA ( Organising Committee)

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