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?
This weekend is going to be a scorcher and there are plenty of opportunities for summer fun.
“Nope, I’m not doing that. Not even for charity!” says respected PG resident*
The St John’s Church Summer Fete is back on Saturday, and promises the return of teddy bear absailing.
Apart from that, the theme is ‘vintage’, based on fetes of the 1940’s and 1950’s, including bric-a-brac, clothes, cake, gifts, raffle, plants, composting, and lots of games including bottle tombola and hunt for silver in the sand. There will also be entertainment in the church, strawberries and cream, BBQ and Pimm’s. The Fete runs from 12-4pm with David Burrowes MP opening the festivities. I do hope that he will be bringing his teddy.
Over at Walker School on Southgate Green the theme of this year’s annual Walkerbout is also the 1950’s – specifically, rock n roll. There will be more Pimm’s, by which time you might be tiddly enough to think you have seen a pink Cadillac and local residents jiving. And there will be plenty more games, food and stalls. Why not see if you can get along to both?
For those in search of art and culture, there are a range of other events on Saturday, in what must be the busiest weekend of the year.
The Principal Theatre Company presents The Comedy of Errors as part of its open air Shakespeare season at the Old Ashmoleans Rugby Club, the Bourne: Comedy of Errors
Sadly, its the last opening night at Space Art Gallery before it moves to new premises. The final show will be by Conrad Mecheski, about whom more soon.
The North London Symphony Orchestra http://www.nlso.org.uk/Concerts.htm plays Berlioz, Brahms, Elgar at the United Reformed Church, Fox Lane
* I am perfectly aware that a panda is not a bear, so please dont write in!
The Woodland Trust is offering community organisations who want to green their area the opportunity to apply for free saplings.
The Trust has 4000 packs to give away, in three sizes (30, 103 and 420 saplings) and in various themes (hedge, copse, wildlife, wild harvest, year-round colour, future firewood and wetland). Any group can apply, and applications are open until 13 September, with a view to delivery in November. A particular aim is to help bees by encouraging groups to plan species which are beneficial through their nectar or pollen.
The nature of the group or project is completely open provided that there is a genuine interest in helping wildlife; it can be creating a faith, or inter-faith, green space; planting for remembrance, creating a community garden or allotment; or simply to enhance a local area.
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
There is a rare opportunity to travel the tube in style in July, when a 1938 Art Deco train will travel the whole of the Piccadilly Line from Cockfosters to Edgware as part of London Underground’s 150th anniversary celebrations.
The train is nearly as old as the Piccadilly line itself – Southgate Station celebrated its 80th birthday earlier this year
The red LU liveried train will leave Cockfosters at 5.26 pm and the whole trip will take 90 minutes or so. Tickets are £20 and can be booked here.
