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 Albert Ross on
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Here here!
People who say things like " there doesnt seem to be anywhere to get a decent latte or artisan loaf" can bog off to Couch End
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Permalink Reply by Alan Stanton on
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Couch End is full, James.
This morning the United Crouchie Residents Action Party announced its election candidates and demanded independence. Later today armed with hard-baked ciabatta rolls and latte cannon it plans to erect striped border poles.
President Putin has called for calm.
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Its full of something
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Permalink Reply by Milda Rami on
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Oh people of HoL, please make up your minds! Half of this forum are moaning about rising property prices and gentrification while the other half whines about the above.
Personally, Wood Green High Street is not my favourite place to be but it’s very convenient for some last minute shopping, banks, massive Boots, opticians, etc.
But then I’m also in the Lets-Gentrify-Haringey camp! More gents, less status dogs.
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Permalink Reply by Michael Anderson on
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I loathe the place and detest every moment I have to spend there. I don't know if it's built on a plague pit or something but it has an atmosphere of aggression and "what the f**k are you looking at" attitude. The shops are by and large either useless or seem to stock rubbish other branches wouldn't touch with a barge pole (yes, you M&S and Matalan outlets). If it wasn't for the odd place like Tiger and Wilko I would happily never set foot in the area again. Bulldoze the place to the ground and start again please!
By the way, I really do think there is something physically wrong with the place. The demographic of the shoppers is very similar to those who use Green Lanes but they seem to lose all trace of humanity the minute they get off the bus in N22.
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Permalink Reply by Lauren on
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The shops are rubbish - agree about the chains - that M&S is like something out of 1983 USSR. Tried to get a plain black suit skirt in Wood Green but even the big shops are full of rubbish. I haven't even bothered with TK Maxx as I think all their shops are like that anyway so the Wood Green one can only be worse than normal. On the other hand, if you are after a pair of leopard print leggings you should have no trouble whatsoever.
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Permalink Reply by Protheroe O'Shea on
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The Wood Green one is one of the best. They sell All Saints clothes. The others don't. Get there before 10am and you avoid the pick pockets.
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Now that IS my idea of hell! Rummaging around racks of unsellable-last-season clothing in Wood Green
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Permalink Reply by Jamie To on
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I totally agree Michael. I even get aggression and "what the f**k are you looking at" attitude from people passing. I walked outside my house just to throw my rubbish in the bin only for one passer by to ask me: hat the f**k are you looking at? I was only throwing my rubbish out and minding my own business, obviously I have to look where I am going. On another occasion, I had just returned from the shops in my car for a gang of about 10 girls saying "what about her and looking at me and snarling". Is this what we have to endure every time I come out of my house? It is crazy.
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Permalink Reply by Philip on
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Nobody on this post is actually saying anything thats not true. Wood Green is an awful dump. Over the decades I have witnessed millions being spent without any real change. There are only a few good shops there. Rayners tropicals is now gone. I only ever shop in Wilkinsons, the Chinese shop in Market Hall, Lidl, Maplins and the cheapo fruit and veg stalls plus fish barrow. The library is dreary but plans are being looked at to open it up. The two muliplex cinemas are depressing and whoever thought it would be a good idea to plonk bus shelters in the middle of the pavements facing INWARDS wants a good kicking. The other extremes are Muswell Hill and Crouch End, which are quite lovely but are now so pricey that they have become sterile and dull. Now middle class people are being priced out of those areas and moving towards the quite decent housing stock east of the Borough. This has both positive and negative aspects. One the one hand, many younger couples are actively trying to build communities rather than just co-exist among the smorgasbord of ethnic diversity. (and HOL is full of them!) They are also more articulate and able to access the 'system' so can help improve the neighbourhoods. (I have often had to contact the Council after weeks of going past someone's house with rubbish on the street and thought 'why don't OTHER people get on the case) These are the 'other people' . On the other hand some expect the area to change to their values so don't like youth hanging around or unsightly street people making them uncomfortable. We use to call them 'snobs'. In an area of such diversity and quite considerable social need, there are going to be problems like puking 'Tyson' and owner but its so much better than even ten years ago that we really should be grateful.
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Fascinating.
Anyone fancy posting some equally frank, telling-it-like-it-is, warts 'n' all descriptions of how people see Highgate, Crouch End and Muswell Hill?
"O wad some Pow'r the giftie gie us
To see oursels as ithers see us!"
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