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Every street in Palmers Green

Part of Arthur Sykes Palmers Green streetscape
Part of Arthur Sykes Palmers Green streetscape

What do you love in Palmers Green? Are there buildings, monuments, or spaces that you think are worthy of recognition, either because of their value in their own right or historical or social associations? Now’s your chance to have your say.

Over the next few weeks a team of local volunteers will be tramping every street in Palmers Green – and Enfield as a whole – to take a look at it’s the streets to suggest what buildings, monuments and other items should be included in the next edition of Enfield Council’s Local List.

The project is being led by Enfield Council working in tandem with the Enfield Society and Urban Vision, and volunteers have been trained up and allocated specific sections of the borough. The aim is to look beyond those buildings which already have formal listed status via English Heritage and produce a longer list of things which, though perhaps not as nationally significant, are still of local importance.

IMG_0018Buildings and other items can be proposed on the basis of age, rarity, historical association, archaeological interest, architectural quality, landmark status, group value (or example a collection of buildings together), urban design quality, designed landscape, social and community value, aesthetic merit or literary or creative association.

The volunteers for central Palmers Green are

• Andy Barker and Fran Carman of Fox Lane and District Resident’s Association (looking at the area west of the railway line including the Lakes Estate) contact andybarker47@virginmedia.com
• Sue Beard of Palmers Green Jewel in the North (looking at East of the railway line, including central Palmers Green on Green Lanes and the triangle of roads inside the boundaries of Hedge Lane and the North Circular Road) contact palmersgreenn13@btinternet.com; and

Palmers Green's bus station, which began life as a roller rink
Palmers Green’s bus station, which began life as a roller rink

We’re keen to hear your ideas, particularly if you think that there are gems you know something about and that could potentially be missed. I will be posting about some of the suggestions we will be putting forward as part of the project – and if you would like to volunteer to write any of the submissions, perhaps about a place you care about in particular that you think should be listed, we will bite your hand off…!

Just in case you are curious, local buildings and other features which have already been listed in the past Enfield as being of special architectural or historical interest include

• Appleby Court 128 Old Park Alderman’s Hill built by J B Franklin in an arts and crafts style, although the original features seem to have been lost as early as the 1930s. It is now flats
• 397 Green Lanes, the former site of Grouts, now Skate Attack. The frontage may be original dating from 1913.
• 84 and 86 Hoppers Road.

Sadly, the often fondly remembered Pilgrims Rest restaurant, made up of two C18th cottages, and previously on the list, was lost to developers in the 1990s.

If you are wondering what holds the higher, Grade 2 listed, status in Palmers Green, here is the list

• Parish Church of St John the Evangelist Palmers Green, including the Parish Room
• Broomfield House, Broomfield Park, walls around Broomfield Park on Broomfield Lane
• Menlow Lodge and the former Minchendon Lower school, Fox Lane
• Truro House including some parts of the wall and gate piers
• National Westminster Bank, Green Lanes/Lodge Drive.

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Growing up in Hedge Lane in the 40s and 50s

Increasingly often I log in to find something wonderful is posted on the comments section on the website or on the facebook page.

One such recent post was from Carole Benson nee Rabbie who with her Mum, Dad and brother Harold lived in Hedge Lane from 1939 to 1961. These are her memories from the time.

It was a nice place to live growing up in the 40s, 50s and 60s — very neat, “waspy”, middle class, leafy, suburban neighborhood of well-kept front and back gardens, pretty, well maintained parks, lovely old growth trees, an allotment where you could get a very very small bit of land to grow your own vegetables.

Tatum park near the Cambridge Roundabout that had a playground with swings, two slides, and a roundabout and “the field”, a block away from my house — both on Hedge Lane. Broomfield Park on Alderman’s Hill Southgate was magnificent. Our annual school sports day took place there.

Copyright unattributed
Copyright unattributed

The United Dairies and Express dairies delivered our milk (choice of pasteurized, sterilized or Jersey with cream at the top) to our doorstep year round on weekdays, and later bread and eggs. Got free milk each day in school plus artificial orange juice and Radio Malt for our vitamins. We were healthy considering.Walked 20 minutes from my house on corner of Connaught Gardens, to Hazelwood Lane Infants and Primary School — and later on took the bus from the corner on Green Lanes to Glendale Grammar in Wood Green.

During the war, the council gave us concrete and corrugated iron and helped us to make an Anderson bomb shelter in our back garden. It was creepy, smelly, musty, full of spiders and mice and terrifying to sleep in it as a child so my mother took me (my brother wasn’t born till after the war as Daddy was posted to Aldershot and other barracks around the country and was away for 5 years, with hardly any leaves) to family in Edgeware and other relatives much of the time when the bombing was bad. (No homes were bombed near mine but there were some direct hits to factories in the neighborhood.) our garden lawn was never the same after they dug up the shelter. The concrete was left behind and we couldn’t afford to get a digger in to remove it.

There was a prisoner of war internment camp nearby (i don’t remember exactly where) and the prisoners could be seen doing road repairs and manual labour. One family facing us were Italians and were met with suspicion and were ostracized by most of the fearful neighbors.

Food and everything such as shoes, clothes, linens, were on ration and very scarce. Sainsbury’s for cheese and bacon, sliced from slabs and a butcher with cheap cuts, including rabbit, a decent baker with great doughnuts and a Fishmonger frequently sold out so you had to be in the queue when they opened to be sure to get your supplies. (When you had enough coupons or money.)

Nice department store near The Triangle, Evans & Davies”. a drapery shop near Fox Lane, with a wire to convey invoices and money across the ceiling in a pod to the cashier’s kiosk) and Etam’s, i remember, for stockings and undies.

Hardly anyone had a car. Petrol was scarce. Everywhere was walking uphill and downhill. The family doctor Seifert whose home and office were next door was the only person i knew personally who had a car.

The local policemen were nice to kids, i recall. I don’t remember hearing about any crime in our neighborhood growing up.

We were required to take in lodgers in our spare room for the war effort. We had a nice refugee Jewish family (the father was a psychiatrist who was obliged to work as an orderly in a local mental hospital) from Czechoslovakia for a year or so and a after that a Welsh schoolteacher who took me with her to school when i was 3 so i learned to read at that age. We were lucky. Keeping warm was a challenge in the winter. Coal was on ration and virtually unobtainable, wood was impossible to get so we used coke which was cheap and inefficient. One hot bath a week in a freezing bathroom had to suffice.

After the war when my Dad came home from fighting for King and Country, my Dad drove his own London taxi, so we could go to Westcliff or Brighton for the day and have peppermint rock and prawns, cockles and mussels and jellied eels and fish and chips when the weather was nice. We were lucky.

Loved the three movie houses in Palmers Green. There were 2 near The Triangle –the Palmadium was the big one. There was another one The Capitol, in Winchmore Hill where i took my younger brother Harold to see The Ten Commandments. Mummy preferred American musicals to British movies but i loved them all. Went nearly every Thursday, rain or shine. Sat in the one and nines if we were flush.

Remember fabulous Victory Party on Huxley Place (where some of my relatives lived) and other celebrations in Palmers Green. Tea and buttered toasted tea cakes in Lyon’s tea shop on the Triangle with Wall’s ice-cream wrapped in paper in a cone was next to heaven. Of course, going up West to Lyon’s Corner House at Marble Arch for a knicker-bocker glory really was heaven.

Don’t remember much about going to pubs as i was too young. Remember sitting outside with a lemonade while the grown up Mums chain smoked and chugged a port and lemon.

If you remember Carol, she’d love to hear from you – especially her friend Valerie Rowe (born Knight).

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Art and Culture Community Palmers Green Shops Southgate

Southgate Photographic Society’s Blockbuster

This week sees Southgate Photographic Society’s 73rd annual exhibition – and this year it’s a blockbuster, or certainly at the old Blockbuster’s in Southgate Circus. TfL has kindly lent the space until 17 June.

Why not go along and look – or join the Society for its new season of activities in September. For more information visit http://www.southgatephoto.org.uk/

Blochbusters SPS

 

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Market N13, the place for Father’s Day fun!

20150517_123013Market N13, Palmers Green’s relaunched Sunday market is celebrating 3 months trading, by providing a fun venue for kids and Dads (and everyone else!) to enjoy Father’s Day together.  Come along for your regular Sunday shopping and join in with the festivities.

The aim is to share local talent, to say a huge ‘thank you’ to all those who have supported the market up to now, to invite others to get involved, but above all to have family focused activities, laughter and maybe a little bit of silliness on this special day for Fathers.

  • ‘open mic’ competition – bring your favourite Dad jokes
  • learn to juggle
  • make a father’s day gift with Carla from Hang out the Bunting
  • listen to the Storyteller and bring a favourite story to share
  • wear your favourite silly hat
  • have your face painted by ZaraZoo

20150607_123059All this plus live music  AND all the market’s regular traders selling good fresh foods and handmade crafts.

Check the facebook events page for updated information and the day’s programme.

WANTED

HELP!   – Market N13 is  always looking for volunteer helpers. Do get in touch at facebook.com/MarketN13  or speak with  Annita at the kiosk café on Platform 1, any weekday morning.

JARS! – empty glass jars with screw top lids wanted for jam and chutney based activity later in the year.

Date: Sunday 21st June 2015.    Venue: Palmers Green station car park.    Time: 10am – 3pm

brockmans veg cropped

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Art and Culture Community Green Palmers Green History Palmers Green Planning and open spaces Shops Uncategorized

Is it all over for the Green Dragon?

News is coming through this morning that Enfield Council has turned down an application for the Green Dragon pub in Winchmore Hill to be registered as an Asset of Community Value.

The pub closed a few months ago and the lease was put up for sale. Since then, a bargain shop has opened in part of the building.

There has been a Green Dragon on or near the site for nearly 300 years, and following the closure an online petition was set up on the website 38 degrees, attracting nearly 5000 signatures from local people.  Apparently the owner of the site has told the Council that they will be putting forward a full retail and residential application in due course. It’s a frustrating outcome – is it the end for the Green Dragon, and are any of our landmarks safe from developers?

An application for The Fox to be registered as an Asset of Community was submitted to Enfield Council a few weeks ago. Will it fare any better? To read more about the application click here 

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Art and Culture Community Palmers Green Planning and open spaces Shops Uncategorized

Palmers Green’s new mouthwatering Sundays

IMG_0052Palmers Green’s new market opened on Mothering Sunday and is now running from 10-3 every week.

Last week’s launch event included fantastic stalls heaving with bread, cakes, cheeses, pies, garden plants, fish and crafts, plus an opportunity for free Italian classes! My apologies for clearing the plants stall out of ErysimuIMG_0055m Bowles Mauve, very reasonably priced at £3! And the impressively rustic bloomer, sausage rolls and pasties we took home for lunch were delicious.

The  market has been revived by the statioIMG_0053n kiosk’s Annita Coreia (as if she didnt have enough to do baking and serving coffee and snacks to us from 6 every morning).

If this is the kind of thing you want in Palmers Green, and you love great food and good value products, Palmers Greeners, you know what you have to do. See you Sunday.

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