Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Greenway Twins 21st in 1945 - Euphoria & Relief In Knees-up for Long-Established Harringay Trader Family
Just two weeks after the end of the Second World War the Greenway family of Green Lanes in Harringay had a big knees-up to celebrate the coming of age of the family's twin brother and sister.
The Greenways established themselves as printers at 435 Green Lanes in about 1905.
Advert for Greenways from the 1908 Harringay Ratepayers Magazine
As a printer family, they seem to have really gone to town on the occasion of the twin's 21st. They printed a fancy invitation and a small 'newsletter', presumabably distributed to all guests a few days after the party. (Full versions of both are attached as pdfs)
You can really feel the post-war relief in this record - though the newsletter has a reminder of a close friend still serving in Ceylon. (The same newsletter also gives us a clue about how long-standing the issue of traffic on Green Lanes has been!)
Another reminder of the dark days so recently put behind them appeared just three years before the party, when twin Raymond's older brother Robert was mentioned for his courage in a newspaper article.
The Greenways clearly traded from 435 Green Lanes for at least forty years from c1905 to up till 1945. They probably continued into the Sixties, but I haven't tracked down the exact date they moved on. By 1967 their shop had been taken over by Harringay Photographic Supplies with a rather naughty connection.
Tags for Forum Posts: historical harringay shopkeeper tales
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Greenway 21st|Part 1.pdf, 2.7 MB -
Greenway 21st|Part 2.pdf, 692 KB
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Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Ms on
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I absolutely loved the newspaper clipping, Hugh! There you are, in a rubber dinghy having had to jettison your plane, wounded and facing death, but luckily provisions are dropped to you: not only food, not only cigarettes - but a pack of playing cards! "OK chaps, round of whist or rummy? I'll deal". I can't imagine feeling in the mood for a round of cards in those circumstances, but obviously I'm not made of the right stuff!
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Permalink Reply by Joy Greenway on
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A little correction to the comments on this newspaper article.... the Flying officer RJC Greenway mentioned was not Raymond it was in fact my father, Raymond’s elder brother Robert.....
Sadly the twins that were mentioned, who were the youngest of the 5 Greenway children, Raymond and Vera, have recently died, Raymond last year and Vera this spring.
Which brings that generation of Greenway’s to an end... there are plenty of the following generation around, including me!,
My father Robert J C Greenway took over the printing works and the department store after his father died.
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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Thank you for joining up and taking the time to comment. Thank you also for your comments Joy and thank you for the correction. I read your corrections through to the original post.
I'm sorry to hear the news of the twins. I hope this post is something of a salute from their old manor rather than a troubling reminder.
I never cease to be amazed how people come across articles published on this site. A few years back we had a descendant of the Edward Gray, the eighteenth century builder of Harringay House, join up to comment. I'm always delighted!
If you have any other memorabilia of photos from your family, I would be equally delighted if you felt able to share those.
PS: Were my dates about when the Greenways were in Harringay correct?
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Yes the dates are fairly correct, I don’t have the date in my head when my father sold Green Lanes it must have been somewhere between 1957 and 1960 ish, I was very young at the time! I remember he proudly used to say he retired aged 49 which would make it 1957...
I have more memorabilia but it would take some digging out....!
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I just came across a memory about this shop from elsewhere on the site and am copying it here.
I have fond memories of Greenways, with its creaking floorboards. I used to love looking at the rows of fountain pens, promising myself that one day i would have one, esp. the famous Parker 51 an icon of design where the nib was covered over and streamlined just like Sir Nigel Gresley's famous locomotive- 'Mallard'.
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I have an idea that Greenways stationary shops became for a while in the '60s anyway- Harringay Photographic as I mention elsewhere on this illustrious site. It was certainly a double-fronted shop as I recall.
Just checked GE, & it seems to be a grow your own shop sign known as Mum's it seems.
I expect the Greenways lived above the shop judging from the entrance door to right of shop.
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