Unit 16, 17, 18.
MillMead
Business Centre, MillMead Road,
Tottenham
Hale, London, N17 9QU.
That's the
address of Bally Studios. Tottenham Hale. As opposed to
Tottenham. Not Tottenham Green, or Tottenham High Road. Tottenham
Hale. Sometimes people ask, "why is it called Tottenham Hale,
as opposed to Tottenham?"
Well, for
a start, it was not really my choice. When I took over the business
in 2005, that was the address. I did not really question the "Hale"
part, I just accepted that it was part of the address. However, it
is an important distinction, and it says a lot about the area in
general. Tottenham Hale is very different to Tottenham: Tottenham as
a whole is an incredibly varied area. In fact, it is pretty
pointless asking "what is it like in Tottenham?" You may
as well say, "what is it like living in North London?" Or
"how do you find living in Haringey?"
Haringey
is quite possibly the UK's most varied council borough. There was a
show a few years ago with Kirsty and Phil from “Location, Location
Location”, and they said it was the most varied in Britain, and I'd
be inclined to believe them. In recent years, Haringey Council has
been famous for a few things. If I am being honest, not all of them
are good. The "Baby P"scandal happened in Tottenham, and
it was the shooting in Tottenham of Mark Duggan that sparked the
nationwide riots that happened in August 2011. The Broadwater riots
were also in Tottenham in 1985. However, Haringey is also home to
some of the finest parts of London. Highgate and Muswell Hill are in
Haringey, and a three-bedroom flat in either of them will set you
back at least £500,000, (unless you get a fixer upper) You can also
get a three-bedroom flat in Tottenham for £165,000, despite them
being in the same borough. Haringey straddles both ends of the social
and financial spectrum, and Tottenham is also an area that has a feel
of a collection of smaller areas, all banded under the same name. A
5 minute walk can take you through 3 of the areas, some of
them are that close. Some are better than others. I've lived and
worked here for 8 years, so I have a pretty good understanding of
the area. And it is this huge variation in the different areas that
makes it so intersting. For every mention in the newspapers that
Tottenham will get for the London riots, there are also hidden gems,
such as Bruce Castle....
which is
in Tottenham! As is the All Hallows Church, which dates back to the
12th century
Yep, also
in Tottenham. I always think that Tottenham can be best summed up
by the fact that on the high road, just before you get to a one-way
system, right next to the Kwik-Fit and new affordable homes that are
being built, and directly opposite the Chinese takeaway and 3
separate hairdressers is a monument that dates back to 1600, slap
bang in the middle of the road! And I mean literally, the cars and
buses have to drive around it....
See, Tottenham can be funny like that. The vast majority of my time living and working in Tottenham, I look back on with a fondness that actually shocks most people.
“Where
do you live? “
“Tottenham”
“Oh God,
really? Wow, what's it like?”
Yeah, I've
had that conversation a few times. Hence this blog post. Despite
that impression, I've lived here quite happily. I used to live up in
Foyle Road, Northumberland Park, Tottenham, in a fantastic Victorian
property with great features, big back garden, and great bus links,
before moving to Bream Close, Tottenham Hale, which was a few minutes
walk to the station, and next to the Walthamstow fisheries
So here is
a little guide to all of the different parts that make up Tottenham.
Some of these boundaries I have drawn are unofficial, but are
recognised by many people who live in Tottenham. Also, it is just
my personal opinion about the areas, so do not be surprised if anyone
else disagrees with me. However, they are all honest accounts of a
part of London that I hold very dear to my heart. They are also very
honest. I have had to point out the bad parts as well as the good
parts. The only point in the blog post is to inform people honestly
about the area. If I were to cover up the worst parts of the are,
then it would be misleading. In fact, some of the best aspects of
the area are actually in some of the least desirable areas. As I
said, Tottenham is funny like that.
In coming weeks, on Monday of every week, we will be loking at each of the different parts of Tottenham, which are:
1.) Tottenham Hale
2.) Northumberland Park
3.) Bruce Grove
4.) White Hart Lane
5.) Seven Sisters
6.) South Tottenham
7.) Black Boy Lane/St Ann's
8.) Bruce Castle/Lordship Lane
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