Woodberry Down Memories

Comment by Joanna Bornat on June 25, 2021 at 8:19

<Woodberry Down Memories> was produced with a group of pensioners who were amongst the first tenants of the estate. I was then working for the ILEA and led the group with Grace Harris of Hackney Taskforce. We recorded the group and the book came out of those sessions. The book was published in 1988. All the transcripts are in Hackney Archives. Social workers based in Chatterton House were running a very successful Pensioners Project and had been looking for an activity which brought older people together. It was a tremendous experience working with the group who were keen to share their life stories, coming as they did from the East End and other parts of London, the Punjab and East Africa.

Comment by patrick byrne on June 25, 2021 at 11:43

Thanks for the memories. I lived in Hermitage Road and often visited school friends living in Woodberry Down. It was my only experience of social housing locally and I was impressed by the standard of construction and how residents cared for their properties.

I intend to look up that publication on Hackney Archives and relive some of the childhood memories.

Local History groups are a powerful local resource and Harringay Online continues to provide a wonderful blend of topical issues and references to the heritage of the area.

Comment by Roy aka Smiffy on June 30, 2021 at 12:23

It’s an excellent publication. I was lucky to purchase a copy when it came out.
Brings back many memories, especially as much of the contribution was by David Coster, a childhood friend who lived a few doors down from us in Woodberry Grove.

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