Collection of vivid memories of greyhound racing at Harringay, 1927 - 1987

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Permalink Reply by StephenBln on August 8, 2010 at 21:24

An uncle of mine who was a tailor during the day, worked two evenings a week at the Stadium from the 1950s until it closed. He was a judge from from the 1960s until the end.
Still alive, he lived on Warwick Gardens until being bombed out. He now lives at Chingford.

Permalink Reply by Hugh on August 8, 2010 at 22:45

Guess he'd probably know some of the folk Whitmarsg refers to then.

Permalink Reply by Hugh on August 9, 2010 at 0:57

Found using the search feature - top right of the screen.

Permalink Reply by Meryl O'Neal on August 10, 2010 at 13:28

Thanks for a very interesting story! I grew up in Stanhope Gardens during the 40s and 50s and could hear the roar of the crowd on "greyhound nights". My dad died when I was just 3 months, but Mum said he loved a bet on the dogs every week. The lady next door, Kitty Spears, worked there for years. The streets on greyhound nights were full of cars in the 60s, everyone complaining nowhere to park their own cars.

Permalink Reply by The Black Lark on August 10, 2010 at 18:17

I used to go occasionally I guess in the early 80's - not as a serious betting person, but more for the extraordinary place it was. Cold nights, turnstiles, floodlights, bursts of excitement, the unfathomable language of the bookies. Can't remember what we used to eat, but something. There was a 8 or 9 year old boy that used to sneak in regularly, and always try giving us tips on the dogs - usually something to do with the size of the dog's hips (?), before getting off home to his mum.
I think the loss of the dog track is partly why I refuse to shop in Sainsbury's more than once a year. We should organise a dog race in Sainsburys one day.

Permalink Reply by The Black Lark on August 10, 2010 at 18:18

For the record, what year did it close?

Permalink Reply by hob on August 10, 2010 at 19:33

The last greyhound meeting was on 25th of September 1987.

Permalink Reply by RuthE on August 10, 2010 at 19:57

When I first moved to Harringay, about 15 years ago, my Grandad was the only person in my family that had heard of the area. He said when he was a teenager him and friend used to regularly cycle from Camberwell to Harringay for a day at the stadium.