Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!
The Hell that is Wood Green
Yesterday, I had the misfortune to find myself in the shopping mall. Walking out the big automatic doors and into the crowd of Star Wars pub extras who were smoking, spitting and squabbling on the footpath I witnessed what for me sums up the whole carbuncle on the arse of Haringey that is Wood Green High Road. One of the characters stormed through the crowd with his status dog in tow. I was reflecting on the fact that ‘status’ dogs don't seem to work (as the people who have them only ever seem to be what everyone else in society would consider low status). Everything suddenly went quiet except the ever present sirens. The status dog had stopped and released its copious bowels all over the footpath. It was like turning on the light in an HMO; the cockroaches screamed and scattered. The dog owner laughed and walked on. It was probably one of the most disgusting things I have seen or smelt in London. Eventually the crowd returned and watched the next horde trample the mess up and down the road. There was no-one to turn to, no-one to clean up and more importantly no-one with the authority to challenge and/or shoot the dog owner. Things just returned to normal.
The whole experience made me think how the council, local police and traders believe that we're all animals if they are happy for us to have to deal with this every time we go to the High Road. It's easy enough for me to hop on a bus and head off to Crouch End or Islington or even Enfield to shop but if you're older or disabled and have trouble getting around or not enough money for the bus it must be pretty grim to face it every day. Imagine how the standard little old lady dreads heading out into the crowds, litter, phlegm, smoke and anti-social behaviour of Wood Green every morning to get the milk.
Short of manning water cannons at each end of the High Road and employing some mercenaries with batons to control the crowds, I don’t know what can be done. Are there any clever ‘nudges’ or interventions that could improve Wood Green? Is it a matter of tarting the place up and hoping that the crowds respect their new surroundings? Is it signage to remind, and in many instances educate, people that spitting, littering and barging into other people is just not the done thing? Or do we just give up, bulldoze the lot and install a waterhole in the middle and let the law of the jungle and the status dog owners prevail?
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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"Different people have different views. But bad manners are universal."
Really, Phil? Google something like "Are bad manners universal?" But you don't need Google as you know the answer already. You've travelled further (and perhaps more often?) round the world than me and you know how much you don't know about the manners in different societies you've visited.
Any good guidebook will alert you to the ways you can irritate your hosts. And if you're lucky you have local friends who advised: "Phil you do/ don't do that here."
Some "bad behaviour" is unintentional. Like who you shake hands with and who you don't. Or how firmly. This shades into ignorance or insensitivity.
Sometimes it's a power-play. An aggressive dog probably comes into that category. Or a group of young football supporters walking along chanting: "Everyone hates us - we don't care".
In a way not too different from badly behaved medieval apprentices? Or 1970s Margate?
"The best sight [in those days] was a load of skinheads walking down the road," says Scott, now a father and roadworker. "At that age, you would start to put fear into people and enjoy it when people got out the way." Margate skinheads, mods and rockers.
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Permalink Reply by Abi on
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Well, as a caffeine addict who felt (genuine) buyers' remorse when I discovered there were no coffee shops serving up anything better than a 'frothy coffee' in my new area (Blend has solved this now though it's still a bit of a trek), I can relate to the first part. HOWEVER - they'd be wrong if they live in Wood Green, because it has a perfectly decent branch of the lesser-spotted Coffee Republic in the middle of the high street! No reason to complain there...
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Permalink Reply by Liz on
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In defence of Wood Green:
15 Reasons why it's not even close to the first circle of hell
The Big Green Bookshop - nuff said. Except to remind you that they brought a literary festival to an urban centre not known for its 'culture' and frequently attract star turns. Did you know Kristin Hersh played a gig there?
Cheap gardening stuff at Lidl
Karamel at the Choc Factory - fine lunchtime venue and good art exhibitions. Events include jazz, free films run by a lovely lady
Mosaica (to be honest as good as Jamie Oliver's place and I've eaten at both)
That Tiger shop in The Mall where all the party bag presents live
The Marketplace at the back of the Mall - like the Asian street markets I once frequented and a good place for haberdashery and I'm told a good Greek deli and Algerian food, and just to wander.
Ducketts Common - more lovely as the years pass. Join the Friends
Look at the Montague Burton Building as you pass
Read anything by Albert Pinching about Wood Green and its history (order from BGBS here)
The Shepard Fairey and the work of the Turnpike Lane Art Group
Wood Green Civic Centre (Modernism in Metroland)
Shopping City continues to fascinate architects
Noel Park Estate- a beautiful attempt to build decent housing for the artisan classes in a more philanthropic if no less class-ridden age.
Wilkinsons - the greatest store that ever travelled south
Parkside Malvern RA
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Permalink Reply by John D on
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All very nice Liz, but nothing to do with the people we have to share our streets with.
Today I watched as a man dragged stuff out of the clothes depository bin at Turnpike Lane Station.
I thought he was probably not supposed to do that but it was OK with me if he could re-use or sell the items. But he walked off with the things he wanted and left the discards on the pavement
making no attempt to return them to the bin.
It's people like this who make Wood Green the shithole that it is and no amount of Big Green Bookshops will make up for having to share space with them.
( for what it's worth - he wasn't East European )
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Permalink Reply by Seema Chandwani on
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i love this!! x
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Permalink Reply by Racheal Leigh on
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And the beautifully refurbished TRAID charity shop....!
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I always pay £5 for a pint of Gastro in my local pub. Isn't that the correct price?
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