Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
Queens Head
Does anyone know what the brightly lit new business is that has just opened in the Queens Head building? I drove past too astonished to grasp what it is.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Hugh on
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It's all here, Dick.
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Permalink Reply by Dick Harris on
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Hugh, thanks very much for the thread. I read it all yesterday morning and very interesting it was.
The question of whether the building should have remained a pub seems to have had enough of an airing so I don't propose to comment on that aspect. There seem to be some outstanding questions about the effectiveness of the planning system but this is a more general matter that comes up frequently. I do have views about that but I don't intend to air them in the context of the Queen's Head.
On the question of new business, as a general stance I should prefer to welcome the fact that someone has been willing to risk investing money to bring the building back into use (subject of course to this being in conformity with the law).
The fact that the investor is thought to be Turkish does not make this investment any less welcome to me and should perhaps serve to remind us all of Turkey's large and growing importance to the UK and the wider EU (whether or not Turkey eventually joins the EU, which I hope it does).
The reason I asked the question above is because I found the newly installed ground floor frontage a bit of a shock, especially in view of the original style which is still visible for the upper floors. This too, however, is something of a general point which is true of most other buildings south of there along Green Lanes. With notable exceptions such the Salisbury and Disneys, the general appearance of most of the commercial buildings along Green Lanes strikes me as unattractive because of the contrast between the original design and what has been done at street level. Moreover in many cases, the facade of the upper floors is disfigured by badly installed cabling and neglected brickwork, masonry and window frames. The Queens Head could be seen as just more of the same and is conspicuous mainly because the original was rather attractive and offered some scope for a more creative solution. I dare say that I'll get used to it but I think it could have been more interesting.
Many houses in the ladder roads reveal a similar lack of concern for the impact of modernisation and maintenance on their external appearance. I would guess that this is attributable to decisions made by owners rather than by planning officers. It is hard to believe that either the ladder or the parade could ever become a place where its best architectural features are conserved by regulation (Conservation area status? - I don't think so). Nevertheless, I for one would greatly welcome continuous improvement in the appearance of commercial buildings along Green Lanes.
People who share this opinion could perhaps encourage improvement by praising the best cases and highlighting poorer examples. As Raj Patel has shown by his question about restaurants, HoLers notice quite a bit.
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Permalink Reply by John McMullan on
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You forgot the satellite dishes. Sit at the front and the top of a bus (the best spot) coming down from Manor House and the sea of satellite dishes providing TV from home along the left hand side is amazing.
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You might be surprised at who the 'shop workers' are. I found out last week that one venerable British brand with an outlet on our high street is now owned by a Turkish family and the on site 'manager' is the son of the brand's owner. Another restaurant / cafe is owned by the son of a former very senior politician of a Middle Eastern country. I've learned to never make assumptions about shop workers in general and Harringay traders in particular!
Dogtas are looking to expand in the UK and you'll see more branches opening here soon. Their UK head office is currently in the low rise Twenties building next to Turnpike Lane Station (a discreet door next to the cafe just before the station entrance). It could well be that oneo f the guys in the Queen's Head building will lead the business in the UK. You never can tell.
Our Turkish population is quietly becoming increasingly entrepreneurial and successful.
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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I think it looks rather spiffy
Let's hope the conversion of the upper floors is done to the same standard.
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Roger, Point 3 of this post gives hope that at least some of our shop fronts will be heading in the right direcion. As for a nice Spanish restaurant, have you tried La Vina on Wightman?
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Permalink Reply by Richard Woods on
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Late on this - just some memories: The QH was a very successful pub during the 50s and 60s and a splendid Victorian edifice. Of course as the 60s wore on Watneys and other dreadful beer took over but it had earlier served excellent ale (so my old man said). I guess mum was less enthusiastic as it often sent him home somnambulent, ready to snore through her favourite TV prog! Good job too that we only lived three doors up Frobisher! I bought my first pint elsewhere (illegally) but the Queens served me and some mates on what passed in those days for my stag night - I even got home fully dressed! It had been a coaching inn and still had some rooms in the 50s. It served meat and three veg and curly sarnies.
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Permalink Reply by Haringey Cat on
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The furniture store (Dogidan) has been there over a year now.
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