Highbury Community Association May 2015 COMMUNITY NEWS

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indefinitely postponed. When Wells Terrace finally closes, this is All change at likely to cause much disruption, as people navigate through the bus Park: a mixed blessing? stations, and along Road to get to the other entrances on Seven Sisters Road and Station Place. What happens on Arsenal match days and when 30,000 people come to events at the Park - now that Haringey Council is allowing 15 days of events each year (trebling the previously- agreed allocation), and given that the station is the fourth busiest outside zone one? Other concerns centred on the two 21-storey towers for student accommodation, approved by Council in 2010, despite its own planning policy stating that station and transport interchange no more than 10 storeys are allowed outside the central zone. By DIANE BURRIDGE Section 4.3.2 of the Draft Finsbury Park Development Framework A s r e p o r t e d i n t h e l a s t Supplementary Planning Document Community News (Feb 2015), states that tall buildings in this area Finsbury Park is undergoing are no longer supported under massive changes: from the recently current policy. But hasn’t the completed Park Theatre and John precedent been set, people Jones Arts Centre, to the planned queried? City North twin towers, which will There was also discussion about c o n t a i n 4 7 5 b e d r o o m s f o r what councils can do regarding University of the Arts students. John Jones Arts Centre derelict buildings – which at This £220 million City North present is little. Councillor Richard development will include a further Surely, except for the twin Greening, Chair of the three 355 new homes, a cinema, fitness towers, these are all positive b o r o u g h s ’ F i n s b u r y P a r k club, and retail spaces for shops developments? And so, why Regeneration Board, called for and cafes. The station will get step were many of the participants powers of compulsory purchase of free access, a new Wells Terrace expressing concerns? derelict property, such as for the ticket office and Thameslink abandoned George Robey Pub on services by 2019. First, tentative plans by Rowans Seven Sisters Road, now a massive At a conference in February Bowling Alley to develop their site eye sore in the area. 2015, organised by the Finsbury from three floors to about 11 Encouragingly, participants Park Trust, 200 people came floors, taking some of the urged that a cross-borough t o g e t h e r t o d i s c u s s t h e parkland, were queried. How can Neighbourhood Forum and a developments, wanting to improve Haringey Council consider losing Finsbury Park Station Users’ Group and protect their area. While some any precious parkland? Once you be set up. The Users’ Group has may welcome rapid growth, it was start nibbling away at parkland, already met several times as a sub- also clear that management is what next? group of the Finsbury Park Trust, needed to ensure that Second, the closure of the Wells and the HCA is an active member retains its parks, heritage and Terrace entrance to the station, of this. Anyone interested in being human scale - reasons why the City due to take place from April 2015 a m e m b e r, p l e a s e c o n t a c t is so popular in the first place. to October 2017, has been [email protected]

Issue 91 highburycommunity.org 1 Highbury Community Association May 2015 Farewell and thank you to Lorie Karlin The HCA committee before retiring and going and editor would like to freelance, so we could thank Lorie Karlin for her not have had a more w o n d e r f u l w o r k e x p e r i e n c e d a n d designing and laying out p ro f e s s i o n a l p e r s o n the newsletter. offering her services to C o m b i n i n g h e r the HCA. p ro f e s s i o n a l i s m a n d She also served on the creativity, she has been Committee of the HCA r e s p o n s i b l e f o r t h e for some years as well as publication's attractive producing the newsletter and lively layout since for us. We wish her all the 2009, and we are sorry to best for the future. see her go. I n h e r p l a c e , w e L o r i e p r o d u c e d welcome Will Parkes, I s l i n g t o n C o u n c i l ’s HCA committee member leaflets, booklets and with responsibility for the flyers for many years website and social media.

Calling all budding editors! The current editor of T h e re a d e r s h i p i s HCA News is moving on around 1000 members. in the summer and so we The time commitment to need a new editor. Could the role of editor is not this be you? Do you have vast, but being organised an eye for an interesting is an advantage! This is story or interview; fantastic opportunity are you motivated to for anybody with make the community writing or editorial the best that it can ambitions to gain be? Then you may j o u r n a l i s m a n d be ideally suited to editorial experience, the job! and build essential It is an unpaid, skills to add to your v o l u n t a r y r o l e CV. producing five issues a If you are interested in year filled with local taking up the position content. Articles are and would like to hear p r o v i d e d b y b o t h more from the present committee members and editor Lucy, or to ask any other HCA members who questions please email have felt the urge to take [email protected] or to their laptops and get in touch via Twitter - typewriters. @HighburyCA

HCA visit to new Arsenal Sports Centre Arsenal in the evening in May. If you C o m m u n i t y would like to join the are offering v i s i t , p l e a s e e m a i l HCA members [email protected]. a free tour of t h e n e w The first 20 people to Sports Centre express an interest will be in Queensland Road. We included, and family and hope to arrange for an friends are also welcome.

Issue 91 highburycommunity.org 2 Highbury Community Association May 2015 HCA annual general meeting round up By TOM RUBENS

The Highbury Community Association held its 2015 Annual General Meeting and Party on Saturday, 18 April, at Christ Church. The Chair, David Fenton, began the meeting by welcoming members and reporting on the main local developments in which HCA has been actively involved. These included: participation in the work of the Finsbury Park Regeneration Project and the Finsbury Park Trust; consideration of the local impact of events in Finsbury Park, especially the concerts; keeping track of further developments in connection with The HCA AGM took place at Christ Church, Highbury the Arsenal Project to build a student block of flats; engagement w i t h t h e H i g h b u r y W e s t o p e n i n g , ( a n d s o m e t i m e s countries. It also opposes the Partnership, and with issues alarming), details about the current privatisation of both prisons and connected with the repair of the state of the penal system in the Probation Service, and Christ Church spire, the new 263 England and Wales. The League criticises the steep deterioration in bus route, and the enforcement of re g a rd s t h e c u r re n t p r i s o n prison conditions largely resulting the 20-mile per hour speed limit. p o p u l a t i o n o f 8 5 , 0 0 0 a s from the Government’s budget The Accounts were accepted, unnecessarily high; the figure is cuts. As regards our local prison, and the Management Committee higher than in other European , Andrew indicated that re-elected. there have been staff cuts Our keynote speaker, Thanks to the local businesses who contributed of 42%, and that drug- Andrew Nielson, of the prizes for the raffle and auction, which raised over taking and violence are Howard League for Penal £300 for the Howard League for Penal Reform: widespread. Such was the R e f o r m , g a v e a n impact of the information illuminating account of the The Master Cobbler; Woodland Hardware; To Be he provided that, later in League’s history and work Established; Kobkun Thai Therapy; Five Boys’ the evening, the 40-odd since its creation in 1921, Health Store; Seasons and Blossoms; Gathering members attending the which included leading on Moss; Sunday Café, ; San Daniele del meeting raised £300 from the successful campaign Fruili; Arsenal in the Community; Holisitic Hair and a raffle and auction, to be t o a b o l i s h c a p i t a l Beauty; Prawn on the Lawn; Park Theatre; Meek donated to the League for p u n i s h m e n t . H e a l s o and Wild; and Derek Whitehead. furtherance of its work. presented a range of eye- Continued on page 4

Issue 91 highburycommunity.org 3 Highbury Community Association May 2015 Out and about in 29 May Deadline f o r e n t r i e s . HCA AGM round up Highbury... Islington in Bloom i s t h e l o c a l Continued from page 3 15 - 23 May Xhibit 2015 at John h o r t i c u l t u r a l As well as Andrew, we had two Jones Project Space, N4. The competition run other invited speakers: Tony annual exhibition showcases by Islington Gardeners and Miller and Simon Prothero. Tony current students of University of Islington Council. updated us on the re-building of the Arts London. Expect diversity: the Roundhouse Community there are no themes or constraints, 29 May – 13 June Centre in Ronald’s Road, and on and students studying in any H o l l o w a y A r t s other developments connected discipline can enter. This year F e s t i v a l . T h e with the Centre. Simon informed p a r t i c i p a n t s i n c l u d e theme is Spirit of us of the repair work on the spire p h o t o g r a p h e r s , p a i n t e r s , the Sixties and at Christ Church; and on the plan printmakers, sculptors, special building on the to establish a Heritage Centre designers, and more. Free. success of last year’s vibrant which will reflect the history of programme, the 2015 events line the general Highbury community. 17 May The Big up includes art exhibitions, picnics Issues raised in the Question Swish is a clothes and tea parties, film screenings, and Discussion session included: swap. If you have book readings, art workshops, 1) Air quality: it was pointed clothes (in good songwriter competition, carnival out that despite an Air Quality c o n d i t i o n , n o parade… and more. Mostly free. Report from Islington Council in socks or underwear), accessories For details visit their website Spring 2014 and continued or shoes that you don't wear, but hollowayartsfestival.co.uk recording of pollution levels, it is you think someone else might love, not clear how the Council is you can exchange them for tokens 1 3 & 1 4 J u n e seeking to reduce them. to get something you like. Castle O p e n G a r d e n 2) Bus congestion by the Climbing Centre, Green Lanes, N4. Squares Weekend. Clocktower in Highbury Grove: it Free, 11:30-3:30pm. 224 hidden and was agreed to request that bus little-known gardens to the public services which terminate at this 18 May Transition across London, including local site continue to Finsbury Park. Highbury’s Green gems: Arvon Road Allotment 3) Conversion of commercial o n t h e S c re e n Group, Highbury Stadium Square, properties into private housing: p r e s e n t s t h e Olden Community Garden, & owing to the recent relaxation of a w a r d - w i n n i n g Pooles Park Primary School. planning laws, this process can documentary ‘Into The Gyre’, Weekend tickets cost £10 in by-pass the obligation to gain w h i c h f o l l o w s a advance and cover entry to all planning permission, and reduces pioneering expedition to study participating gardens. For details the opportunity to create social plastic pollution in the North visit opensquares.org housing. It was agreed that the Atlantic Ocean. *Free. Nanna’s HCA will monitor the situation. Café and Pantry, 176 St Paul’s 30 June Highbury East Ward 4) Traffic restrictions along Road. Doors open 6:30pm, film Partnership meeting, everyone in Drayton Park: it was agreed that starts at 7pm. the local community is welcome to these restrictions, to reduce * Donations to cover screening attend. 7–9pm. Highbury Crescent traffic levels, should be re- rights welcome. Suite, 71 Ronald’s Road, N5 1XA. introduced.

Issue 91 highburycommunity.org 4 Highbury Community Association May 2015 Protecting nature in city communities By SARAH POTTER N a t u r e , w i t h m a p s a v a i l a b l e t o a s s i s t D a v i d G o o d e ’ s planners to take remedial fascinating and admirable a c t i o n . T h e b r i d g e book on Nature in Towns constructed over the and Cities (Collins, 2014) railway line to extend charts the development p e o p l e ’s a c c e s s t o of the new and significant G i l l e s p i e P a r k i n national movement which Highbury is cited by The Parkland Walk runs between emerged to conserve Goode as an example of Finsbury Park and urban habitats for nature such remedial action. from the 1980s. Gillespie Park was one u n d e r t h e e a v e s o f sites of local importance An early and important of the pioneering new modern structures. These o n l y , a n d t h a t victory for this movement n a t u r e r e s e r v e s bricks were included in Biodiversity Offsets could was the opening of the developed as a result of the new blocks of flats at be difficult to implement Parkland Walk in 1982 t h e u r b a n n a t u r e the Emirates Stadium in in towns and cities. along a disused railway conservation movement Highbury. Development in East line between Finsbury of the 1980s. In spite of all these London is also absorbing P a r k a n d A l e x a n d r a David Goode also developments, Goode brownfield sites which P a l a c e , w h i c h w a s provides fascinating warns that the National are ecologically valuable. secured when a local documentation of urban P l a n n i n g P o l i c y Communities will need to association campaigned h a b i t a t s w h i c h a r e Framework of 2012 could p l a y t h e i r p a r t i n for the site’s value to survivors from the past make it difficult for local preserving urban nature nature conservation and rather than recently authorities to protect in the future. o v e r r o d e p l a n s f o r preserved or created. housing. London is particularly In 1983, an even more w e l l p r o v i d e d w i t h Timebank Cafe in Gillespie Park significant Inquiry took historic woodlands, a p l a c e i n t o t h e third of which date from Open Sundays 11am to 5pm , a 1 6 0 0 , a n d a re t h u s site on the overground deemed ancient. ✦Delicious freshly baked cakes line to Richmond, which Woods are passes through Highbury. part of the Bishop of ✦Homemade soups and snacks The case for retaining the London’s very extensive site as a nature reserve Park, dating ✦Waffles and homemade jam was argued at a Public f ro m t h e t h i r t e e n t h ✦Bookings for kids’ parties welcome Inquiry by local people in century, and survived as opposition to plans for c o p p i c e d w o o d l a n d warehouses. providing London with Islington Ecology Centre This was the first time timber. It was preserved that the importance of by community action in 191 Drayton Park, Highbury N5 nature for the community the nineteenth century. a n d e d u c a t i o n w a s Species which either r e c o g n i s e d i n t h e colonise or have their planning process. Many main home in towns and urban habitats for nature cities are discussed here, a r e o f m u c h m o r e not only the familiar gulls, significance for their parakeets and geese, but value to the community a l s o t h e c o l o n i s i n g than for the rarity of the peregrine falcons and species found there, so sparrow hawks, and the this was a turning point. b l a c k re d s t a r t s a n d Under the current swifts, which are wholly L o n d o n P l a n , a r e a s urban. Swift numbers lacking access within one have recently started to kilometre to a high decline, and swift bricks quality wildlife site are are now incorporated referred to as Areas of i n t o b u i l d i n g s t o Deficiency in Access to encourage them to nest

Issue 91 highburycommunity.org 5 Highbury Community Association May 2015 HCA seeks treasurer John Egan, who has been our treasurer since 2010, has told the c o m m i t t e e that he wishes t o s t a n d down at the end of 2015, although he is happy to stay on the committee. The HCA will be looking to fill this role and would like to hear HCA News | Issue 91 | May 2015 f r o m a n y m e m b e r w h o i s © HCA 2015 | Editor: Lucy Bradley | Printed and published by the HCA interested in taking on this responsibility, which requires knowledge of basic book-keeping Education in Highbury - back and how to use simple spread sheets. to the beginning... If you are interested, or you would like to discuss it further, By SARAH POTTER c o n t a c t J o h n b y e m a i l : [email protected] The origins of public education in Highbury can be traced back to the Highbury Vale schools, The Highbury Community founded by a committee of Association (HCA) represents benevolent women who in 1834 o v e r 9 0 0 r e s i d e n t s a n d raised over £300 to build a businesses on all aspects of combined schoolroom and chapel. living and working in Highbury, The school opened in 1836 with and Finsbury 102 children, just off what was then the year the present school takes Park. Blackstock Lane, named after the to be its founding date. M e m b e r s h i p i s f r e e . blackthorn growing on both sides, The first of the new local board Members receive bi-monthly and sometimes known as Gypsy schools in the area, providing a newsletters like this one. New Lane, after the local encampment. n o n - d e n o m i n a t i o n a l p u b l i c members will receive the The school bordered on a small education, was established in newsletter by email (unless you dairy farm called Cream Hill, at the Gillespie Road in 1879, followed by don’t have email). end of what is now Conewood the Jack Ashley school in 1887, and To join or talk to us about Road. Jacqueline Hall’s The the Ambler Road School in 1898. anything Highbury-related, visit History of the Highbury Vale This expansion reflected rapid our website, or email Schools 1834-1939, a short population growth in what had [email protected] pamphlet, records that in 1841 the been an unbuilt-up area stretching T h e H C A c a n a l s o b e population of Highbury Vale was to Finsbury Park. contacted on Facebook and 1624, living in 271 houses, forming By the end of the nineteenth Twitter. a s e p a r a t e a n d p o p u l o u s century, children from St John’s The opinions expressed in settlement. were using facilities at the local Highbury Community News are When Christ Church in Highbury board schools for practical classes, not necessarily those of the was built in 1848, the boys’ and but numbers at the school had HCA and/or its committee girls’ schools in Highbury Vale been affected by the abolition of members. seem to have been attached to it, fees at board schools in 1891. St and then rebuilt in 1864, which is John’s provided free education for Please let us know if you boys and girls from 1905, in an era move, so we can keep our when it was common for children membership list up to date. to be kept away from school in winter because they had no boots. At this time, St John’s was lecturer in the Montessori and known for drawing and swimming, Dalton methods, and the infant but a high point was reached in the school became a showcase for its interwar period, according to teaching. Jacqueline Hall, when the head of Thanks are due to the London St. John’s, Highbury Vale the infants’ school, Miss May Allen, Metropolitan Archives for access to was a recognised expert and this information. Issue 91 highburycommunity.org 6