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Make a Difference and help change Wood Green High Street

I don't think that I have ever disguised my dislike of Wood Green High Street and it’s never ending pound shops, takeaways and betting shops - Tottenham High Road is almost identical. So fed up of sitting and moaning about it, this weekend I decided to take some action.

Many of you will be aware of the current discussions taking place about rejuvenating Britain’s High Streets with Mary Portas even being appointed government advisor to look into how we encourage more independent retailers back into the high St and we revive this great institution.

Yesterday I had a great conversation with Mary Portas and also the lovely chaps at the Big Green Book shop and with the Karamela cafe on Coburg Road to see if we thought there would be interest locally in creating something exciting on our High St.

This could be anything from helping independent retailers to set up shop in Wood Green and in Tottenham, to ask Landlords to let empty shops be used for pop up shops and to charge a nominal rent for them, to encourage more of a 'scene' in Wood Green and in Tottenham, we have some great things already going on at the Big Green Bookshop and at Karamela and at the Chocolate Factory and yet no-one really talks about them.

I am also keen to work with some of the bigger stores already located in the High St to get them to put their hands in their pockets and help us clear up the High St by donating plants etc to create a garden in the sky to rival Crouch End and the new Roof Garden project taking place in Dalston

I am not talking about gentrification here or turning Wood Green into the next Crouch End just about the community coming together and taking ownership of its High Street and the local area and making it a better place for everyone to visit. 

I am sure that everyone has a lot of great ideas and if you would like to get involved I will be setting up a community working group it really doesn’t matter what your talent is if you feel that you have something to contribute I would love to hear from you. Karamela have very kindly agreed to host a get together. This is going to be a huge task but if we work together we can make change happen.

Thanks

Tammy

Tags for Forum Posts: festivals, wood green

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by John D on June 9, 2011 at 17:27
Thanks. I was afraid that was what it would be. In the past, we've had plenty of these fly-by-night shops that open with lurid cardboard signage, sell tacky seconds and disappear owing rent. Is that really what we want for Wood Green ?
Permalink Reply by Tammy Palmer on June 9, 2011 at 17:31

thats totally not a pop up shop John I know the type of thing your are talking about but thats not what we are trying to do here - normally its crafts people with very nicely decorated spaces on a very small budget so for example it might be one of the artists from the chocolate factory, it could be a pop up tea shop , it could be a pop up garden centre or homeware store - there was a receently really sucessful pop up shop on Stoke Newington High st called House of hackney selling a great range of homewares at reasonable prices that the owner makes at home but cant afford to rent permenent space.

 

Permalink Reply by John D on June 9, 2011 at 17:45
OK Tamara - reassured thank you :-)
Permalink Reply by Tammy Palmer on June 9, 2011 at 17:47

phew - dont worry I do understand where you were coming from! I promise that isnt going to happen - well not while I still live here.

I am going to speak to the guys at the big green bookshop and stocking art supplies as I think there might be a good demand for it

Permalink Reply by Hugh on June 9, 2011 at 18:00
John, don't you remember this set of discussions we had a couple of years ago?
Permalink Reply by Tammy Palmer on June 9, 2011 at 18:05
brilliant that this has already been discussed - did anything ever come of it
Permalink Reply by Old-Age-Emporium(OAE) on June 9, 2011 at 20:01
Tamara, as the Good Book says, nihil novi sub sole Holi.
Permalink Reply by John D on June 9, 2011 at 18:10
@ Hugh Err - no :-)
Permalink Reply by Hugh on June 9, 2011 at 18:24

John, OK, I don't read everything either.

Tammy, not directly, but I seem to remember that Matt Cooke, who then had 'cabinet' responsibility in the Council, was a great supporter and he led some sort of initiative........was it in Crouch End?

Now he's another one with lots of energy and a decent attitude. I'm sure he'd be worth getting in touch with. You're probably as likely to get him through Twitter as anywhere else. But you can also mail him at matt.cooke@haringey.gov.uk. He's a councillor for Bounds Green ward and I think he's now active on Bowes and Bounds Connected (that got set up as part of the Neighbourhoods Connect  project).

Permalink Reply by Tammy Palmer on June 9, 2011 at 20:11
OAE I fully agree that's why I am hoping to engage with as many members of the community as possible to try and make sure there is something for everyone.
Permalink Reply by Rachella on June 10, 2011 at 0:42

Hi Tammy -

 

I'm a fellow Wood Greenie --  @NoelParkN22. We are starting a farmers' market at Noel Park School and have a few other projects going in Noel Park so this fits in really well with what we're trying to do. I'd like to help, just let me know what I can do.

 

BTW - bravo on talking to Mary Portas. It's somthing I thought about doing but didn't get around to.

 

 

 

Permalink Reply by Tammy Palmer on June 10, 2011 at 10:02

Wow Rachella

that sounds fantastic! good on you guys, I know you have been doing so much work in Noel Park.

Do you fancy meeting up for coffee and we can have a chat - it sounds like we all need to help each other promote these wonderful things :)

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