Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Help Harringay Online & Bowes & Bounds Seed a Million Poppies
© Copyright Steve Fareham and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence
Inspired by the Royal British Legion's Centenary Poppy Campaign, Harringay Online & Bowes and Bounds Connected are setting a target to get a million poppies blooming across the borough as a living memorial to the fallen of the Great War from the local community.
The aim is to collect sufficient donations from local people across the borough to buy one million Flanders poppy seeds. Purchased through the Royal British Legion's campaign partners, £1 of every £3.00 pack of 10,000 seeds will go direct to the Royal British Legion.
The seeds will then be packed into convenient community planter envelopes and made available at partner locations around the borough. Anyone can collect seeds for guerrilla or small group planting and we'll also be arranging a few 'Million Poppy' seed sowing events. (Let us know if you'd like one in your area).
When I heard about what the Royal British Legion are doing I felt sure this would work for our area and Liz and Richard seem equally enthusiastic. What do you think? Where should we target in Harringay?
We have a few ducks to get in a row the biggest of which is getting permission from landowners. Liz is coralling some of our local gardening experts and may even base her Spring seed swap around this theme.
After that it's all down to you. Fancy making a donation? The cheapest way is through Harringay Online's Sustainability Account via Paypal. Please be generous. Remember £1.00 in every 3 donated will go straight to the Royal British Legion. The remainder will be used to plant a spectacular living memorial in this centenary year.
Tags for Forum Posts: haringey million poppies
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by 12y0ub6jewdkz on
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Hi Guys - firstly why not get Thompson and Morgan seed producers (or similar) to sponsor the event - Great PR for them too and they will get all their money back via tax write off I presume) Or our local Homebase?
Also the Geurilla Gardeners may be able to source the seed/may already have them - the main guy has an in with Boris - so doors may open.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Thanks Josh. If you fancy doing some digging around and arranging, that would be great.
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Hi everyone
This is my first post on the forum, so let me introduce myself. I'm Fran, live in Hornsey, Friend of Priory Park and guerilla garden under the nom de prune of Comrade Buddleia. (Well, I grow them and then stick them in spaces)
On the basis of a discussion about poppies last week, a friend has alerted me to this thread and it's great to see so much enthusiasm.
Back in September, when I was in the Bruce Castle archives, I was discussing WW1 and discovered that LBH had not at that stage got any commemoration plans in place. So, I went away and thought a bit and suggested to LBH CEO and local councillors that we plant a river of poppies down from Muswell Hill, along Priory Road, down Hornsey High Street and finishing up by the railway bridge - because that's when my area runs out of green bits.
I thought that it would be a good way of involving local groups, schools and the TA and doing something on the overgrown flower beds. I also had a vision of all those low-ish flying planes over Ally Pally seeing a stream of red, but most would be probably be hidden by the trees.
LBH came back to say that they would really like to do it, but across the entire borough and were setting up a working party. I was going to chase up on this next week... as it's getting to the time we need to start work. Poppies should go into disturbed ground, which is why they did so well in the wreckage of the trenches, so we need to start digging - although we seem to be promised a lot more rain.
So... the guy I've been emailing is Lewis.Taylor@haringey.gov.uk. I've sent him the link to this thread, but I'm sure he'd be happy to hear from other people.
I've also suggested to LBH a walking guide through WW1 sites / memorials etc in Haringey - but I haven't shared with LBH my idea of giant poppies projected onto Haringey buildings on the anniversary of the start and on Armistice Day. Not yet, that is
Fran
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Sounds great, Fran. It's good to have the Council alerted, but I shudder when I read of a 'working party'.
I wouldn't want to encourage people to scatter seeds on land without the landowner's permission. So, one way or another the Council would need to be a willing partner. I hope they won't feel the need to control things and that they will get behind this grass roots approach to enable local people to do it for themselves.
I already have a note of support from Lynne Featherstone's office and I hope we'll be hearing from other gros bonnets soon.
I love the projection idea. How about making that an opportunity for local artists? Have you thought about contacting Haringey Arts or Collage at the Chocolate Factory?
What's the best way to ensure that our two initiatives compliment one another without getting tied up in red tape beyond what's necessary. This feels to me like an occasion that should be by the people for the people rather than by the Council for the people. What do you think?
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Hi Hugh
Sorry if I've confused you - by 'working party', I meant that LBH is putting together a project team from various departments to contact groups, manage the process and so on - all on public land... I'm all for everyone joining in, but the scale needs coordination and LBH is in the best position to do that.
I was imagining a strong red streak running through the area, so lining the New river would look fab, but the only bit I know is around the old waterworks development on Hornsey High Street, where the tough grass wouldn't let poppies 'take', without a huge amount of digging.
I haven't thought in any detail about my projection idea - first find your building / surface, as not all are suitable and then see if you can technically project on to it... I presume there's some sort of planning permission involved and then there's the costs - I was just going to throw the concept at LBH and see.
I'm hoping to hear back from Lew about where LBH has got to, but in the meantime, I'm happy to meet up.
Fran
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We're all for everyone joining in too. So hopefully we can get something going in concert with your council controlled approach and our community led one.
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Along the railway line from Gospel Oak through Harringay and beyond would be a fab ribbon of poppies and/or along the new river too
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Both are great suggestions. I'd love to see the New River fringed with poppies. I have a contact in Thames Water from organising the Hidden River Festival Last year, so I'll drop her a note.
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Permalink Reply by gilly on
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I love this idea Fran have you thought about where the seeds are coming from? Are you a member of sustainable Haringey and are you involved with the Freedom Seed Bank?
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Hi Gilly
Glad you like. I hadn't got as far as where the poppy seeds come from... When I suggested it to Haringey's Kober & Co in September I was thinking that they would provide a buying channel.
Last year, I bought wildflower seeds for the public flower bed I look after. This year I aim to sow there red poppies for remembrance, white poppies for peace and purple poppies for all the animals killed - but these I will fund myself because that could be construed as a political statement.
In answer to your other question, no, I'm not involved in sustainable or the FSB
Fran
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Good progress with the Council. We've been invited to a meeting to agree ways forward on the big issues.
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