Just to let you know that yesterday James Patterson and I wrote to Network Rail and Thames Govia (Great Northern) to request an urgent meeting to discuss the arbitrary closing of the footbridge access which is causing lots of inconvenience to both residents & passengers.
We will keep you updated on any developments!
Rgds,
Liz
I am a resident of Bedford Road (which runs opposite Alexandra Palace mainline station) and I am writing to bring your attention to the increasingly frequent nuisance noise disturbances that residents along this street suffer as a direct result of the enormous rise in evening concerts and other late night events at Alexandra Palace (AP).
When I first moved to the area in December 2006 the Palace was not a major events venue. At the time, I recall there being proposals that the building was going to be turned into a hotel and luxury flats.
So far, I have been extremely disappointed with the response I have received from Haringey Council regarding this complaint. Their viewpoint is that AP must be able to generate revenue and doing so by hosting these concerts and other late-night events was a legitimate activity. Our viewpoint, however, is that this should not be allowed to happen at the expense of local residents, who absolutely do not benefit from the increased late-night activity and associated stress it adds.
In response I have spoken with our local Labour Councillor, Liz McShane, regarding our plight and she seems willing to assist in obtaining a fair outcome for Bedford Road residents. I am also planning on raising this issue with Councillor James Patterson at the weekend.
Ideally we'd like to see a drastic reduction in the number of evening events at the Palace, as it is clear that the infrastructure is just not in place to deal with upwards of 10,000 people. We have made a couple of suggestions for the Palace and await their response. In the meantime, I'd like to get some feedback from neighbours on your experiences of the noise and whether Bedford Road residents can count on our neighbours support in demanding robust change from AP.
On the unusually warm, sunny Thursday last week, I and my partner took advantage of the weather to go walking in Hertfordshire. We really like its low, wooded hills, and this was such a nice walk that we thought other people might be interested too. As on many previous occasions, we took the train north from Ally Pally, and got off at our favourite station, Bayford – a couple of stops beyond the edge of zone 6, and the last stop before Hertford North (takes 25 mins). You step off the train into the countryside, with not a house in sight – ten minutes walk up the road to the left takes you to the picturesque village of Brickendon, with its large village green and good pub, with Broxbourne woods beyond. A shorter walk from the station up the road to the right takes you to Bayford, with its little pond and green (see pic).
We decided to walk from Bayford to Hertford, and get the train back from there (only took a couple of hours). First stop was the garden of the Bakers Arms for lunch (well, there wouldn’t be another on the route we were going!) – perfectly cooked vegetables, and a glass of McMullens sent us on our way in mellow mood.
We carried on down the road to the church, then joined a footpath which took us up into some occasionally fenced fields, and then left us to our own devices (see pdf for details of the route we chose).
Round a field of sunflowers and maize, with a pheasant feeding-enclosure to our right (the blue thing marks it in the pic on the right), we walked down into the valley of the River Lea – which has shrunk to a charming stream by this point.
Then a few yards beyond the river was a bridleway – almost a road – running parallel to it. Phew! It was easy from here on.
The path went round behind a farm marked 'Roxford' on the map (footpath signpost here!), and uphill and away from the river towards the Cole Green way – a former railway track from Welwyn to Hertford. This is like our Parkland Walk, but like many wide footpaths in Hertfordshire, the trees on either side of it meet over your head. Lovely and cool on a really hot day, but on this day we preferred the autumn sunshine, so were quite pleased that it was only a short walk into Hertford, under the huge viaduct taking the current railway line to Hertford North.
Then headed for a welcome cup of tea before getting the train back. The only unattractive part of the walk was the 15mins or so out of Hertford to Hertford North station – but you could get a bus, I guess.
Part of this walk is described in Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire walks, Pathfinder guide 54, compiled by Brian Conduit (walk no. 9).
I will be holding my usual surgery (2nd Saturday of the month) in Alexandra Park Library from 11am to 12pm. Please pop in if you have any issues you would like to discuss with me.
Regards,
Liz
Lots of fun activities and some for a very good cause, just hope we have nice weather for it!
A giant water slide as well as other activities including a silent disco, outdoor cinema, tours of the Palace and more all at our Summer Festival!
If someone mentions the term ‘Priority Habitat’ in relation to London, what springs to mind? Woodland, streams and rivers, heathland, the lower reaches of the Thames – anywhere in London where wildlife flourishes.
But ‘Wasteland’? Whatever is ‘Wasteland’? It’s land, previously developed and then disused. The longer nature has to reclaim it, the greater the biodiversity. The London Biodiversity Partnership (LBP) values Wasteland’s importance as highly as the more obvious examples above, describing it as hosting a ‘remarkable diversity of species’.
Pinkham Way is Wasteland Habitat.
Industrial use there (sewage) ended over 50 years ago, followed, until 1980, by assorted dumping. Nature, left to itself, has transformed the site into a haven for endangered birds, reptiles and invertebrates (especially spiders and beetles), with more than 100 species of wildflowers, grasses, shrubs and some 1500 trees. At this time of year, immense stands of blue-flowered comfrey (too immense actually!) hum with bees, and in the mornings the birdsong is astounding. The vegetation is largely impenetrable in summer, muffling the A406’s racket and helping absorb pollution (among London’s highest). Quite extraordinarily peaceful.
The Pinkham Way Alliance (PWA) has conducted ecological and invertebrate surveys, which have confirmed the site’s status as a Grade 1 Site for Nature Conservation of Borough importance.
Haringey’s advisors commented: ‘ ... undisturbed ... a rare resource for Haringey of high ecological value’.
The owners, North London Waste Authority and Barnet, have forbidden access; thus local residents, who could derive so much enjoyment and interest from being there, or, as many have formally volunteered to do, from helping to manage it, are denied all this. The owners have no present plans for it, and won’t act to enhance it, as public authorities are supposed to do, putting the site in danger of deterioration.
This is already affecting especially a small area of grassland which is the most important on the site, and is a UK Priority Habitat. It’s ideal habitat for ground-dwelling spiders and beetles, and for invertebrates in general. It’s called Open Mosaic, and it’s where the PWA survey was done.
While Pinkham Way’s Borough ecological importance remains a central pillar of PWA argument, its value extends far beyond the borough. As a London Priority Habitat, it has, by definition, a wider significance. PWA has submitted a 5-year management plan to Haringey.
Yet Wasteland sites don’t receive anywhere near the necessary protection. Too often, nature becomes a tiresome invader between periods of use, and habitats which Haringey itself describes as offering 'stunning diversity' disappear under concrete.
To see further images of this beautiful site click here.
A group of gardening neighbours in the lower part of Alexandra Park Road have won first prize in the category ‘Gardens that Make you Smile’ for a Gardening Against the Odds competition in memory of Elspeth Thompson, garden writer for the Telegraph, who supported gardeners she deemed to garden against the odds. Sadly, she took her own life while suffering from severe depression.
The awards were presented at Syon House on Wednesday. Our local gardeners were nominated by Susan Bennett, who wrote the following in support of her nomination:
Walking home from work in many London suburbs, the weary commuter is confronted with wheelie bins clustered in front of houses where once there were gardens with greenery to please the eye and calm the spirit.
Most householders, it seems, are resigned to being ‘GREEN’ by accepting the appearance of hoards of ugly, mainly BLACK, containers outside their homes while striving to create a personal ‘Interior Paradise’, indifferent to the effect their indifference has on the street scene.
How refreshing to discover a group of neighbours, who, since opening their gardens for the National Gardens Scheme, have collaborated to present passers by with imaginative ways to incorporate their wheelie bins into their planting schemes. Some have even garnered metal garbage bins and converted the bland into the blatant, with brash, exciting use of bright annuals and perennials.
Despite having many of their best containers and plants stolen, one owner, not to be defeated, and battling with serious illness, retaliated with imaginative ways to create beauty using everyday objects, unifying the effect by painting them all the same colour, to set off the vibrant flowers and climbers both within and outside their tiny garden. The smile that put on my face has broadened since learning that just as they doggedly overcame the effect of the vandals, their health problems are also in retreat.
You don't have to visit an art gallery or go to the Chelsea Flower Show to enjoy creativity at its best. Just take a walk along this stretch of Alexandra Park Road and, like me, you won't be able to take a step without smiling.
Local gardeners Susan Bennett and Earl Hyde have had their garden selected for inclusion in a new 3-part gardening series on ITV. Their garden is one of 30 selected by gardening guru Alan Titchmarsh out of 600 applicants to showcase Britain's Best Back Gardens. Their 'flight of fancy' garden in St Regis Close is full of colour and quirky objects such as a baroque temple, gothic shed, ornate fireplace and many of Earl and Susan's own ceramic sculptures and pots. Their garden was shown on Britain's Best Back Gardens on ITV Tuesday 20 January at 8pm. Susan and Earl's garden is also open under the National Garden Scheme. It is next open, with teas, on Sunday 3 May 2-6.30pm so put the date in your diary!
- from Lys de Beaumont
