Seven Sisters Road, Finsbury Park, circa 1910

Comment by Poly Evangelou on June 15, 2012 at 21:49

I find this such a mesmorising and fascinating picture; the way it has captured in a moment the bustle and life of this bygone era . Wow! Wow! Wow! Makes me feel a part of the picture!

I never expected, such a high volume of people in the streets as the population would have been less then. I suppose with so few cars and transport people had to walk.  How wonderful to see empty roads!

Thanks for this picture Hugh.  Will look through rest of album over time.

Comment by Hugh on June 15, 2012 at 22:01

Glad you like it. The population change of London may be a lot smaller than you think - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demography_of_London#section_1

Comment by StephenBln on June 15, 2012 at 22:06

Poly.. this subject has been brought up  before somewhere.

The amount of people standing about is due to Finsbury Park then being the terminus of the Piccadilly Railway to Hammersmith, as well as the Great Northern & City Railway to Moorgate. Passengers travelling in the direction of Palmers Green or Edmonton via Tottenham had to change here. It was also the boundary between London & Middlesex. LCC trams terminated here with the Middlesex  MET trams terminating further along (see background tram) until 1912. There was also a LCC tram depot on the left. (building with flag). The congestion became so bad in the 1920s that the Tottenham, Edmonton and Wood Green councils actively 'encouraged' the governement to commence the construction of what became the Piccadilly Line, as a way of decreasing unemployment.  The extension eventually opened in 1932.

Comment by Poly Evangelou on June 16, 2012 at 21:05

Thanks Hugh, I see  the demography of london particualary from 1901 to 2001 not a great difference. Initially quite surprised regarding Inner London where population almost decreased by a half, although thinking about it quite understandable as a few factors probably played a role in this decrease.

Thanks for clarifying this Stephen, interesting history and information. 

Comment by StephenBln on June 16, 2012 at 21:37

Interesting to read Hugh thanks..

And after many commonwealth countries & Ireland. Germany comes top as country of Birth for Londoners, before France & New Zealand.  I wonder why? Well actually I know why.. because we are very, very close cousins!

Comment by Poly Evangelou on June 18, 2012 at 11:52

further ineresting info Stephen. Knew England had closeness re royals etc sounds like Londers are closer cousins! 

Comment by Roy aka Smiffy on May 2, 2014 at 16:05

Nice postcard Hugh.
To the left of Pyke’s Cinematograph Theatre are the vast and ornate premises of S. Cohen & Co. the tobacconists who sold a vast range of loose tobacco, cigars, cigarettes and pipes. The shop fittings were superb, ornate glass and much mahogany and brass shop furniture, a wonder-world for a kid like me. My dad often bought his tin of ‘Skipper’ pipe tobacco there. On the counter there was a brass gas fitting with a flame, to ‘light-up’ a cigar or cigarette.
At the rear there was a barber-shop, also very ornate with cut glass mirrors and many bottles of potions and lotions. Now and then my dad would take me there for a haircut. Being a little-'un and the chairs not being adjustable the barber would put a plank of wood across the arm-rests and up I’d hop. Men in those 1944-9 post-war days would go there for a good close cut-throat razor shave, followed by hot towels wrapped around the face - with just the nose showing, all very amusing to me! Then they would have a soothing lotion applied, or rather slapped on. It was real pampering and for me such fun to watch.

The other function the barber performed that I couldn’t fathom was singeing. This was done with a lighted taper, applied briefly to the ends of the hair. Dad said it had some beneficial effect, but I now can’t remember what it was.

‘Pazzis Restaurant’ is to the right of the cinema. Post war was an Express Dairy café.
A superb article on the History Today website about Pietro Pazzi can be found at

http://www.historytoday.com/peter-barber/pietro-pazzi
He also operated the original and wonderful wooden tea house that once stood by the pond in Finsbury Park. I remember fondly the succulent one (old) penny glasses of ‘Tizer’ and ice-cream wafers I had there.
Pietro is buried as Peter Pazzi in Highgate Cemetery.

Comment by Hugh on May 2, 2014 at 19:36

What wonderful little nuggets of local history - and a great link. Thanks Roy.

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