Artfully compiled by the Society’s Kevin O Neill, the film ‘Remembering Palmers Green’ brings together stills of Palmers Green from Enfield Local Studies Archive and recent shots taken in exactly the same spot by members of the society. Old merges into new with stunning, and occasionally heartbreaking, results. If only we could go back and walk these streets as they were. Thanks to this fantastic film, it almost feels as if you can.
If the film sets off memories, a reminder about the Palmers Green oral history project. We would love to hear from you; your story is yours only, and no one else can tell it.
Do you remember the Black and White Café? Have afternoon tea in Evans and Davies? Buy your undies in Grout’s, or your butter hewn from a big slab in Sainsbury’s?
Those were some of the memories and stories shared by local residents at a special event hosted by the Ruth Winston Centre in conjunction with Talkies Community Cinema a couple of weeks ago as part of the Palmers Green Festival celebrations.
The aim was to look at what Palmers Green was like 50 years or more ago, and the way in which Palmers Green, and our feelings about it, have changed. Once with a reputation for being rather snobby and high falutin’, Palmers Green is now busier than many of its neighbours, excitingly multicultural, and, in the words of Ralph Hutchings, one of the introductory speakers, ‘definitely on the up’ – a far cry from the 60s when ‘you couldn’t get a decent kebab!’.
The event has now given birth to a new oral history project.
“We have yet to agree a title, but the emphasis will be firmly on ‘now’ as well as ‘then’”, says former Hazelwood teacher Jenny Bourke who is coordinating the project team, which includes Palmers Green Jewel in the North. “The aim is to talk to as wide a range of people as possible, of all ages and from all parts of the community”.
Here are just a few of the many topics the team would love to know more about
Do you remember your first impressions of Palmers Green? How has it changed?
Can you help us piece together more of the story of Truro House?
Do you recall a gymkhana being held in Broomfield Park?
Did you have any notable, famous or infamous neighbours or stories about your own street?
“If you took part in the event, the team will be back in touch soon, “says Jenny. “But we’ll also be asking for more people to come forward with their local memories later in the year – we hope as many people as possible will want to be involved.”
But you don’t have to wait until then. If you are a Palmers Greener, old or new, we would love to hear your stories about Palmers Green, whether it be from of 1963 or something that happened just last week.
“We are keen to hear from everyone, but as we are looking in particular at the last 50 years, it would be great to hear from some people who were actually born in 1963!”
A website will be set up in the New Year, but in the meantime you can contact the project group by emailing palmersgreenn13@btinternet.com.
Guest writer Tony Ourris tells the story of Palmers Green’s long lost department store …
In 1920, Mr D.C. Exton Evans and Mr W Cook Davies, opened up a department store in Palmers Green which was called Evans and Davies.
Evans and Davies originally traded in a smaller shop a few doors away which opened in 1911 and due to its success they decided to build a brand new building for their store. The building, at 305 – 311 Green Lanes, stood out with its grand 1920’s splendour including a large central arched window over the top two floors and its impressive façade which would immediately greet you as you came down Green Lanes.
Palmers Greeners search for a bargain in 1967’s sale (image Enfield Local Studies)
The store had 27 departments over three floors which you could use the passenger lift to go between. The two Welsh friends already had two other shops in Leyton which they had opened in 1907 and with this latest expansion in Palmers Green they decided to open a department store that was in the style of those already established in the West End. Their concept worked and was a roaring success which set a standard that many other enterprises in the area aspired to and benefited from.
The shops founders died in 1934 (Mr Davies) and 1938 (Mr Evans) but the department store continued to trade as a thriving business under the same name for many more years, even during the difficult years of World War II and the post war period.
The shop was famed for having an overhead wire system to settle the bills for purchasers. The sales assistant would place the account and the cash into a cup that was attached to the overhead wire system. The assistant would then pull a handle which would send the cup into the cashier’s office. The cup, containing the change and the receipt, would then be returned by the cashier’s office to the assistant in a similar way.
In 1956 during renovations to the store, the overhead wire system was removed and the shop fronts were changed.
As years went by, trade started to dwindle for the store as people’s shopping habits changed mainly due to the increase in popularity of indoor shopping centres with parking. The store struggled to survive. The Co-Operative took over the store but this did not help matters and Evans and Davies finally closed down in 1980. During the early and mid-1980’s the building started to deteriorate due to very little maintenance being done. The store was used by various market stalls but not to a great success. In 1987 the building was renovated and the ground floor was split into two stores occupied by Cullens supermarket and Multiyork Furniture. Cullens did not survive long and tenants in the shop have since included Moben Kitchens and currently Starbucks. The upper floors are currently occupied as council offices. The building has also been renamed as Triangle House.
Last month’s Open Studios and Art Trail weekend, and the recent opening of the Space Art Gallery have more than proved that Palmers Green, Southgate and Winchmore Hill are experiencing something of an upsurge in the creative arts. But though it can be a wonderful way to earn a living, the day to day life of a creative can sometimes be a solitary existence.
That’s all starting to change with the emergence of Creative Exchange, a new collective supporting designers, craftspeople and artists in the area. Though many members are based locally, the collective welcomes members from further afield.
“The aim is to create a mutually supportive group for sole practitioners, with meetings, special interest talks and social gatherings to help creatives grow their network and put them in touch with other local businesses and services, ” says organiser Dan Maier.
Member Lorna Doyan agrees: “being part of Creative Exchange gives local artists a life line, where we can share knowledge and experience and network with fellow creatives. I have been so impressed with the talent, I’m proud to part of this bourgeoning creative community.”
Creative Exchange currently runs two events a year, the Open Studios and Art Trail event, and, new for November, the Designer Craft & Art Fair. Scheduled for 17 November, the venue is the Grade II listed St Monica’s Parish Centre, and early bird bookings are currently being taken until the end of the month.
The idea for a fair has grown organically from the Open Studios and Arts Trail event, explains Dan. “We are determined to put Southgate, Palmers Green and Winchmore Hill on the map as a destination for high quality design, craft and art. The demand for us to host another show of work was so high from visitors that we decided to run a second event.”
The Creative Exchange is not just about artists however, but about exploring the possibilities and opportunities that art and creativity can bring to an area as a force for regeneration. Just a few days before the Open Studios and Art Trail, the collective were given a stunning opportunity – to create a pop up exhibition in the Grade II listed TFL building vacated by Blockbusters a few months ago.
Helen Lee, a watercolour artist from Muswell Hill who organised the Creative Exchange pop-up exhibition at 5 days’ notice, said “our members jumped at the opportunity to show in such a prestigious building in a great location … Blockbusters had been another eyesore on the high street for months and we feel we’ve contributed to the landscape by staging our work there and giving locals something more interesting to look at en route to the tube and shops. It is an opportunity for us to show the wider public what we do and make a positive impact in the community.” Indeed, local traders commented on the increased footfall and sense of buzz during Open Studios weekend.
A display of local artists work, put together for last weekend’s Southgate Festival, and most of it for sale, is currently on show at the former Blockbusters building during July and August.
For more information about Creative Exchange, and early bird deals to join the Exchange or to exhibit at the Fair in November, email info@openstudios.uk.com or visit Open Studios and Creative Exchange on Facebook. Early bird offers are available until 31 July.
Research by the Federation of Small Businesses has found that every time you spend £1 at a local independent retailer, more than half – 50 to 70p – recirculates back into the local economy. But when you spend a pound online, only 5p trickles back. Presumably the big supermarkets are somewhere in between – what they pay staff often stays local even if the profits don’t.
We still have some great independent shops in Palmers Green – cafes and restaurants, card shops, hardware retailers, picture framers, fashion and electronics, and several grocers. But as the old cliche goes, use it or lose it. Further north, parts of Enfield’s central shopping area are showing serious signs of distress; meanwhile, Winchmore Hill Broadway lost its only bank a few months ago.
What are we going to do about it? Shouldnt we be making sure that it doesn’t happen here? Run by the National Skills Academy for Retail, today is Independents’ Day. The aim is to encourage everyone to buy at least one item from a local independent retailer and celebrate diversity on the high street.
There are few a few shopping hours left today, and a lot of our shops, cafes and restaurants are open late. Why not give it a go?
And tell us – what’s your favourite PG shop or business ? – and why?
It was a month of highs and lows, and not only in the temperature.
The success story of the month surely goes to the Palmers Greenery team, who learned that they have the go-ahead to create a new community café in Broomfield Park. There has been a huge amount of work to get this far, and its great to see their efforts being rewarded and a new community amenity to look forward to. Further down south, we also heard that regeneration of Ally Pally was to be one of 6 major projects across the UK to receive Heritage Lottery Fund support.
At the Grovelands Festival – image Colin Younger
The Grovelands Park Centenary Celebrations will surely be talked about for years to come – the biggest gathering I have seen in all my time in the area, and full of colour, fun and a great musical line up, including the legendary Tornados of Telstar fame. Many thanks to Colin Younger for his photos of the day, which adorn this round-up.
Finally, the sad saga of the Poundland Bansky seems to have been concluded with its private sale at an auction in London, at which it fetched over three quarters of a million pounds. That’s 750,000 times the price of any article purchasable in Poundland. The mural is being taken to join a private collection of Banksy’s work in the USA – though Banksy is reported to have said that once a work is removed from its location its no longer a Banksy.
There is plenty to look forward to in June, starting this weekend with the Palmers Green Shopping Festival, our annual celebration of all that Palmers Green has to offer. Unlike many areas, we still have a reasonably thriving high street, with new businesses coming in, but like everywhere, the high street is at risk, and the shape of what it has to offer could change radically if we don’t support our local traders. Hazelwood Road will be closed on Saturday to host a day of entertainment, including the wonderful SOUP ukulele orchestra, local singers and Greek Dancing from Hazelwood School. There will be street performers, stalls, ice cream and a bouncy castle, and shops all over Palmers Green will be running activities and promotions.
Devonshire Road has long taken the lead in showing what can be done with a little bit of community spirit. Residents are currently exploring setting up a monthly ‘play in the street’ day, and this weekend they have come up with the fabulous idea of a draw on the pavement day. They also have a great Facebook page– come on the rest of Palmers Green, keep up! While you are out and about, why not also pop in to the St John’s Church Flower festival including work by local children, all centred around the theme All Things Bright and Beautiful.
Saturday 6 July 12-4 Walker School summer fete – celebrating the school’s diamond jubilee
Saturday 6 July North London Symphony Orchestra http://www.nlso.org.uk/Concerts.htm play Berlioz, Brahms, Elgar at the United Reformed Church, Fox Lane
Tuesday 16 JulyAround the Corner Cinema present F W Murnau’s The Last Laugh as part of the Mimetic Festival
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