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Community

Still hope for The Woodman

Curtains were closed at The Woodman this afternoon, while local residents continued to campaign to persuade owner Marston’s brewery to reconsider closure.

We understand that the pub officially closed last weekend, but has been open a couple of evenings since to run down stock.

Campaigners on the pub’s Facebook page  have blamed the closure  on Marston’s anti competitive business practices –  in which landlords are encouraged to invest and become increasingly indebted to the brewery – combined with high rents and beer tariffs for the beer which landlords are obliged to buy from the brewery and the effects of the current economic climate.

A petition was launched on Sunday when publican of the Queen’s Head, Sue Ritchie posted news of the pub’s closure on the Love your Doorstep Facebook group – the second recent closure in the area. Love your Doorstep went into action and set up the petition. Over 200 people have signed in the first week  – and over 80 Palmers Greeners have already clicked on the story on this site in the last few days. We have also contacted David Burrowes MP and local residents associations in the hope that they will offer support.

This week the Enfield Gazette contacted a spokesman from Marstons who stated that they had been working with the tenants for some time to resolve issues with the business but these had yet to reach successful resolution. However, they continued to ‘hope that we can reach a resolution with the tenants of The Woodman.’

Local residents are being encouraged to write directly to Ralph Finlay, Chief Executive at Marstons.  (Marstons website states that it is ‘at the heart of thriving communities across the UK’ ). 

Meanwhile, if you haven’t signed the petition, please do it now, and tell your friends and neighbours. There is a link on the right hand sidebar of this site.

 

Categories
Art and Culture Palmers Green Southgate Uncategorized

More about Warren

Raith Avenue Southgate – childhool home of Warren Mitchell

Following last week’s article on Warren Mitchell (Improbably famous in Palmers Green # 2 Alf Garnett),  we have managed to piece together a little more information on Mitchell’s childhood and schooldays in the area.

Though born in Stoke Newington, Mitchell grew up in Southgate. The family moved to Raith Avenue sometime in the 1930s, presumably into a newly built home – all the houses on the north side of the road date from then.

Mitchell reminisced about his schooldays at Bowes School and Southgate Country School in an article about inspirational teachers in the Times Higher Educational Supplement in 2008

My teachers were all marvelous. But the one I remember with great affection was a tyrant called Mr Sinden. When we went into his class aged nine or 10 he said to us: “You’ll all be taking the scholarship exam next June and you will all pass; I have never had a failure. Heaven help any one of you here who jeopardises my record.”

He then hounded us for the whole year, the net result being that we all passed the scholarship exam. I realised that the man loved us and intended that we should have a good start in life.

He repeated the story to Jonathan Sale of the Independent in Feb 2000 and went on to recount  memories of Southgate County School in Fox Lane.

I enjoyed my time at Southgate County School. The Blitz was on; it was exciting and there was not too much bombing around us…I was a pretty naughty boy. They used to say “you’ll never get anywhere” and then I would come top. This upset staff. The headmaster once said he was unable to congratulate me as he should do in the case of someone who came first because of …and then there was an asterisk referring to my 31 detentions that term.”

Thank you to Richard McKeever of Bowes and Bounds Green Connected and Joe Studman for the additional information and links. 

 

 

 

 

Categories
Art and Culture Community History Southgate

Win a ticket to Southgate’s secrets!

Another picture of Joe!

Local tour guide and storyteller Joe Studman will be leading the latest in his walking tours of the area on Sunday 19 August.  Entitled Welds, Walkers and Watering Holes, the walk starts at 2.30 at Southgate Underground station – further information from Joe at www.jaywalks.co.uk.

Joe has kindly given Palmers Green Jewel in the North two tickets to give away. To enter, all you need to do is tell me where the weather vane which once stood on the Weld Chapel is now located. As usual, the answer is somewhere on this website.

Answers to palmersgreenn13@btinternet.comby 12 noon Friday 10 August please. The winners will be the first two correct answers randomly picked from the proverbial hat.

Categories
Community History Palmers Green Planning and open spaces Uncategorized

We must save the Woodman!

The Woodman – under threat

The excellent Woodman pub on Bourne Hill is under threat  of closure from Marston’s breweries.

The Woodman is the oldest pub in Palmers Green and one of the last remnants of a more rural age in the area. The building dates from 1727 and ale has been sold at the Woodman for nearly 150 years.

The pub still retains its old world atmosphere, has a cheery welcome from a committed staff and does delicious food – the generous Sunday lunches are particularly recommended. In winter, there are cosy fires. In summer you can sit out in the shady garden under the trees.

Enfield community group Love your doorstep have set up a petition to show the community’s displeasure  at the threat to a local community pub. Please sign  – and make sure you go the Woodman soon.

http://www.petitiononline.co.uk/petition/save-the-woodman-pub/4556

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Uncategorized

Getting in the festival spirit

Have you got 2 September in your diary?

Palmers Green Festival is little more than a month away, and looks set to be the biggest event yet. Featuring over 60 stalls, 20 bands and a range of events, the festival will include Community Games to celebrate the Olympic year, 7 hours of non-stop salsa and kizomba with lessons from current UK Champions, and the UK’s tallest climbing wall. All park features will be open, including the Community Orchard, Conservatory, Boating Lake, Boat Club and Crazy Golf.

The organizing committee are now looking for volunteers to help assist in the run up to the event and to help out on the day. Volunteers will be insured, and may even become the proud owner of a coveted Community Games T shirt. Tasks include seeing vehicles into the site, erecting gazebos and manning one of the Festival stalls, and the volunteer timetable is likely to be based on two hour slots. Every little helps – if you can offer some time to help make this a day to remember, please contact info@palmersgreenunited.co.uk

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Uncategorized

Walking History

A parade of attentive local residents wound their

Joe Studman telling tales from Palmers Green’s history

way through the streets of Palmers Green and Broomfield Park last Sunday, in the company of Jaywalks tourguide Joe Studman.

Joe regaled his audience (including our two competition winners Patricia and Suzie) with high living tales of 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.  As is traditional for any gathering of Palmers Green residents, we lamented the sorry recent fate of Broomfield House, and the similar slow decay of Truro House.

If you have got the walking bug, there are more opportunities to pound the local streets in August.

On Sunday 19 August, Joe sets out for Southgate to lead a walking tour entitled Welds, Walkers and Watering Holes. The walk starts at 2.30 at Southgate Underground station. Further information from Joe at www.jaywalks.co.uk

On 26 August, you can learn more about Bizarre Bowes Park, on a walking tour by Peter Berthoud of the highly recommended Discovering London website. Peter will be leading a small, intrepid group to encounter Ovi the dinosaur, an odd collection of eagles, and to see London’s most interesting underpants, as well as taking in a local hostelry. The walk starts at 11 from Bounds Green tube and lasts about three hours. You can book on Peter’s website  and also find out more about other walks he runs in London.