Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Finsbury Park's in Harringay Ward, but it doesn't feel like it..........
Well, look, it's just that the whole park's in our ward, supposedly in our manor, on our patch, but what do we get by way of entry access? A little gateway right on the edge of the borough boundary on Green Lanes.
I suppose it's because the north eastern part of the park is separated from the rest by the new river and that part is used as a baseball pitch.
Call me an old loon, do, but I think we'd feel much more like the park was in our manor if we had a Harringay entrance. I've often said that it's a shame that we have no major public space in Harringay. So, having grumbled to myself about how there ought to be a Harrringay Gate, I thought about that baseball bit of the park on the corner of Endymion. I don't want the guys to lose their pitch, but it could easly be resited and then we could create a public space for Harringay in that corner........maybe a nice little bridge over the river - now much of it's open to the public anyway, there's no need to keep it fenced off any more.
So, am I just a loon or does this idea appeal to anyone else?
Tags for Forum Posts: cricket pitch, finsbury park, harringay boundaries, new river, town square for harringay
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Hugh
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I've just reread what I wrote 18 years ago. I'd quite forgotten that I'd originally floated the idea of relocating the baseball field. Perhaps never a good idea and in the light of what I've learned since writing it, not a good idea today.
Reading through the discussion, you'll see that i invited Coach Neil (from the baseballers) to join in. He commented on the thread to defend the baseball field. As a result of that contribution and subsequent discussion, I backed off the idea of relocation and switched to the small corner option - which is the sort of change one might expect from a constructive discussion where people are open to others' views. (Sadly Coach Neil moved on many years ago and left the site, taking his comments with him.)
A "grand entrance" is what I believe was built when the park was first opened. It would be great to have that reinstated, but I accept that its time is now past and that's not what I'm now proposing.
I still support the idea of a negotiation with the baseball organisation to release a small corner of their pitch as a town square / town park for Harringay. It's not the 200 yard walk up Endymion that puts me off the Endymion Road entrance: it's about it's about having an identified part of the park that fulfils the role - just using a part of the rather anonymous park doesn't do it. Of course. like the rest of the park it would have to be open to everybody, but being accessible only from the town centre, would put it symbolically at the heart of the community and I hope make it more likely to be used by Harringay locals and make it feel available for local community events.
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Permalink Reply by Eddy
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Are Thier any pictures of the grand entrance in this corner of the park ? It's hard to imagine.
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Not that I'm aware of, I only just last year rediscovered what was apparently a forgotten gate. It's not mentioned in any of the other texts or books about the park's development. The plans showing them of which I have reproduced a part give it the same cartographic value as the other three main gates. So, my assumption was that it was of a similar size.
I gave the link to my post about this and other aspects of the park/Endymion Road in my comment a few days ago.
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