If you are in Palmers Green for Open Studios weekend, why not make some time to pop along to the Hazelwood Schools Animal Fair for animal themed festive fun, face painting, a few bargains and an ice cream? I do hope that there really will be meercats!
An exciting new venue has been announced for this weekend’s Open Studios and Art Trail. The building, on Southgate Circus and formerly occupied by Blockbusters, is part of Charles Holden’s station complex built in the 1930s, and is set to provide a stunning showcase for the weekend.
Open Studios connects a love of the area with a love of the creative arts, says organiser Dan Maier.
“Our aim is to connect the public with creatives in the area and show the sheer quality and variety of work which is going on on our doorsteps and in our community. At the same time, we want to show the potential of our high streets, and the way in which art and local creativity could act as a regenerator.
We only have one weekend a year, but we hope the effects will reach far beyond and encourage people to support local businesses – not just those who work in arts and crafts and local workshops, but all kinds of local businesses – cafes, shops, galleries and a range of other venues.”
Over the last two weeks the team has been working with shops and businesses in the area to create window displays, with stunning results – worth a wander round Palmers Green, Southgate and Winchmore Hill in itself to explore. This year, thanks to an Arts Council grant, the weekend also includes a number of free workshops, alongside the opportunity to view work by over 30 artists, designers and crafts people, and a chance to buy from them direct. Why not download the guide to plan your weekend?
Meanwhile, as we write, the Open Studios team are completing work on a special installation at the new venue in Southgate, focusing on their mission to make our high streets more vibrant and stop the rot of empty shops. Handover of keys was yesterday morning, and the installation needs to be ready by 10.30 on Saturday. It’s a tough call, but you know that somehow they will do it, and what’s more, that it will be amazing.
The Wave is a modern German take on an incident that took place in 1967, at the Cubberley High School in Palo Alto, California. World History teacher Ron Jones was asked about the Holocaust by a student “Could it happen here?”.
Jones came up with an unusual answer. He decided to have a two week experiment in dictatorship. His idea was to explain fascism to his class through a game, nothing more. He never intended what resulted, where his class would be turned into a Fascist environment – where students gave up their freedom for the prospect of being superior to their neighbours.
A terrifying and fascinating film, the Wave is the next film to be shown as part of Talkies’ First Thursdays season at the Dugdale Centre. There still a few tickets left for this Thursday’s showing at 7.30, but hurry. – book now
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HbsHatqKqc[/youtube]
David Hebden lives in New Zealand now, but is keen to find out more about the history of his family in the area. Can you help ?
I was born in 1941 at Lyndhurst Road Wood Green. One of my uncles Jim Hebden was Gardner/ caretaker in the late 1940s early 1950s. In 1952 at the age of 11my family moved to New Zealand.
I can remember many visits to [Broomfield Park] to visit my uncle and his family. I have memories of the house they lived in which was within the park and of a sundial.
Do you have any photos of the house he would have lived in or photos of the park at that time?
A few days ago Richard McKeever of Bowes and Bounds Connected posted a wonderful story about Spyros Andrea, the kinky cobbler of Myddleton Road, who cobbled for Paul Raymond’s Revue Bar, Joan Collins, Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren. I highly commend it to you – click here. Richard warns that some of the information in the article comes from some ‘specialist’ parts of the internet, so he has not included links to sources!
The Grovelands Park centenary celebrations continue this bank holiday weekend with three walks lead by City of London guide and storyteller Joe Studman (Jaywalks) in association with the Southgate District Civic Trust.
The weekend kicks off on Saturday with a spooky foray into the Dark Side of Winchmore Hill, including stories of old railway workers, black dogs and sinister doings in the woods. Meet at Winchmore Hill Station at 8.30.
On Sunday, Joe will be regaling fellow walkers with some nuggets from the history of Palmers Green including Billy Biscuit of Cullands Grove (the alleged coiner of the phrase ‘readin, riting and rithmatic’), John Donnithorne Taylor’s one man green belt policy, and Palmers Green’s links with the Spencer family of Cannonbury Tower including a touching story of kindness from Elizabeth 1. The walk starts at 2.30 from Palmers Green Station.
Joe’s final walk of the weekend tells the story of Southgate, including its gradual emergence from two villages, and some of the characters who have lived there and shaped its history – the owner of the first motorcar in Southgate, the lawyer who played with matches and got burnt, and the Walkers and how they shaped the area. Meet at Southgate Tube at 2.30 on Bank Holiday Monday.
Tickets are £5 – visit the Jaywalks site for further information, or just turn up on the day.
A highly entertaining way of spending the Bank Holiday.