Blog

• Memories of the High Road at Bruce Castle Museum March 27, 2018 - Have you ever ridden a ‘jigger’? Ever been scrumping? Gone swimming in the Moselle? A new exhibition at Bruce Castle Museum explores just these kinds of shared experiences about Tottenham. Based on interviews with residents past and present, Memories of the High Road traces the contours of community life in Tottenham over the last 90 … Continue reading Memories of the High Road at Bruce Castle Museum →
• Hands-on History at Bruce Castle Museum February 7, 2018 - High Street Heritage: hands-on history at Bruce Castle Museum Bruce Castle Museum is now offering extended ‘High Street Heritage Days’ as part of its education programme following a successful pilot scheme in 2017. Through object handling, role play, and art and design pupils can explore the heritage they see every day and learn about the … Continue reading Hands-on History at Bruce Castle Museum →
• Our Trip to Bruce Castle January 11, 2018 -   Trainees Mark and Charlie visited Bruce Castle Museum, to see a different side of the heritage industry. Here they describe their first impressions of the Museum, and what they discovered there. Charlie The first thing I noticed upon arrival was the round tower next to Bruce Castle. I found out that this may have … Continue reading Our Trip to Bruce Castle →
• Trainees learn to restore Haringey’s buildings November 24, 2017 - Architects, bricklayers, curators, labourers, tour guides and everything in between – the heritage industry encompasses a rich variety of roles and career opportunities for young people today. Two local lads have been learning just what it takes to work on exciting heritage projects in Haringey. Mark and Charlie were recruited as trainees by the North … Continue reading Trainees learn to restore Haringey’s buildings →
• Shopfront restoration in full swing October 4, 2017 - Work continues apace on North Tottenham Townscape Heritage Initiative with scaffolding up at two sites on the High Road.   Cuttle Construction (external link), along with the architectural firm Survey & Design (external link), are undertaking specialist repairs and restorations to a dozen buildings, some of which are Grade II listed, returning them to their … Continue reading Shopfront restoration in full swing →
• Who was Bobby Buckle? September 12, 2017 - How much do you know about Spurs history? Do you know who founded the club or who its first captain was? Who was the club's first Treasurer? Secretary? Director? Who scored its first recorded goal? Fortunately there is one easy answer to all these questions: Bobby Buckle. Yes, Bobby Buckle was not just one of the … Continue reading Who was Bobby Buckle? →
• Young people learn from Tottenham’s built heritage August 17, 2017 - We recently supported MOLA (external link) in delivering a Built Heritage Youth Engagement Programme which aims to reach out to disadvantaged young people in Haringey. MOLA worked in partnership with Haringey Council Youth Justice Service to offer 10 young people the chance to participate in a two week programme of tours, talks, workshops, site visits and … Continue reading Young people learn from Tottenham’s built heritage →
• Oral History Project at Woodside High August 7, 2017 - Tottenham Then and Now: Oral History Project at Woodside High, White Hart Lane This summer term students in Year 9 were involved in an exciting Oral History pilot project.  Students who were intending to do History GCSE met with local older residents to explore Tottenham then and now linking to the historical theme of Change … Continue reading Oral History Project at Woodside High →
• A Walk through Spurs’ Secret History July 19, 2017 - The following is an extract from the Spurs' Secret History Tour, a fascinating walk through Tottenham Hotspur Football Club's proud 135-year history. For enquiries, or to book this walk, please contact Martin Burrows of Antwerp Arms Association – email: mab.prospect@tiscali.co.uk The Spurs' Secret History Walk was originally written by Julie Welsh and Rob White, and adapted by … Continue reading A Walk through Spurs’ Secret History →
• Tottenham High Road: a short film July 4, 2017 - Last March, Media students from Haringey Sixth Form, working with filmmakers from Chocolate Films (external link) and their course leader Colin Johnson, storyboarded, shot and edited a short video about Tottenham High Road (or at least the northern end of it!) and the diversity of the communities that live, work and play there.   The film … Continue reading Tottenham High Road: a short film →
• Local School Children create Heritage Banners June 29, 2017 - Heritage Banners created by local school children are flying high above the High Road as the first set of conservation works begins on The Bricklayers Arms. Lara and Zoe ran a series of workshops with local students from Harris Primary Coleraine Park and Risley Avenue Primary that explored Victorian typography: stencilling and monoprinting words and phrases … Continue reading Local School Children create Heritage Banners →
• Behind the scenes at Percy House and Warmington House May 31, 2017 - Heritage Champions donned hard hats, steel-tipped boots and high-vis vests and stepped inside Percy House and Warmington House for tours of their ongoing renovation by Tottenham Hotspur Foundation. Percy House, 796 High Road N17     First, we had a sneak peak at Percy House. This Grade II* listed Georgian building is being restored by … Continue reading Behind the scenes at Percy House and Warmington House →
• THI restoration works to begin May 9, 2017 - Exciting news for North Tottenham’s High Road! Twenty eight historic buildings and shopfronts will be restored to their former glory with the start of the Townscape Heritage Initiative’s (THI) restoration work next month. As part of the £2.3m project, Heritage Lottery Fund in partnership with Haringey Council are offering an 85% works grant to businesses, … Continue reading THI restoration works to begin →
• Tottenham Walks April 27, 2017 - A local Heritage Champion and her partner have been uncovering the hidden histories of our area for a new book of guided walks. Tottenham Walks by Mareeni Raymond and Edward Richards features four walks which they have developed highlighting some of their favourite places and facts. Anyone can enjoy the walks which take in many … Continue reading Tottenham Walks →
• Heritage Champions learn to Guide April 11, 2017 - You may have been on a guided walk or tour before – but what about leading one? Our Heritage Champions have been learning how to do just that in their latest training session. Over the course of three days, Champions discovered what makes a good guide and the features of a entertaining and informative walk. Alongside practical tips and … Continue reading Heritage Champions learn to Guide →
• The Streets Have Traveller’s Tales April 6, 2017 - Have you ever wondered what the streets would say, if they could talk? Have you ever for a moment stopped being part of the hustle and bustle and explored the area that you live in, with a new set of eyes, like a tourist visiting for the first time? What would you notice, see, feel … Continue reading The Streets Have Traveller’s Tales →
• Students film the High Road March 30, 2017 - North Tottenham Townscape Heritage Initiative is commissioning Chocolate Films (external link) to create a short video with BTEC media students from Haringey Sixth Form. The film will tell the story of the High Road and the community it sustains. It will draw on three interviews with local people from different backgrounds to discover their thoughts on the social and built heritage … Continue reading Students film the High Road →
• Luke Howard (1772 – 1864), Namer of Clouds March 21, 2017 - All over the world, people talk about the weather. It not only affects all our daily lives but also colours our different languages. Through phrases and metaphors, we connect the weather with our moods and emotions, good fortune or bad luck or the description of personalities. For some perhaps there is ‘a cloud on the … Continue reading Luke Howard (1772 – 1864), Namer of Clouds →
• Sexton’s Cottage March 8, 2017 - Sexton’s Cottage, a proud feature of tinted postcards gone by, stood in Church Lane, next to All Hallows Church, on the site of what is now the vehicle entrance to the mortuary. It was a typical weatherboard Middlesex cottage, and is thought to have been demolished in the late 1950s-early 1960s. Sexton’s Cottage housed the village official … Continue reading Sexton’s Cottage →
• Heritage Champion Colin: Tottenham Has Character February 28, 2017 - Interview with Heritage Champion Colin Colin is an urban designer who has a passion for heritage and regeneration. He has been working in regeneration for the past 10 years, and believes that no historical building should ever be abolished. "A building can always be revised, so the character of the area can be maintained" he says. … Continue reading Heritage Champion Colin: Tottenham Has Character →
• Residents Learn about Protecting Tottenham’s Heritage February 24, 2017 - On Tuesday 21 February, Heritage Champion volunteers and Haringey Planning staff participated in a full day seminar about conservation areas and planning enforcement at Bruce Castle Museum. Attendees heard talks from a range of experts, including speakers from Historic England (external link), Haringey Council’s conservation and enforcement teams and Tottenham Civic Society (external link). We … Continue reading Residents Learn about Protecting Tottenham’s Heritage →
• Haringey Local History Fair 2017 February 14, 2017 - We are very excited about Haringey Local History Fair this Saturday 18 February. Haringey's annual local history fair is a great opportunity to discover more about our history and community heritage – you can visit the Archive Search Room and talk to Archive Staff, enjoy the all-day talks programme or browse stalls from local organisations showcasing … Continue reading Haringey Local History Fair 2017 →
• Restoration of Holly House – 810 the High Road February 13, 2017 - I first noticed Holly House in 1968, as it had a stationer’s shop in its front garden. I was studying to become a teacher at the time at the College of All Saints, White Hart Lane, and it was a convenient place to purchase my materials. By the time I became a Councillor for Northumberland … Continue reading Restoration of Holly House – 810 the High Road →
• Heritage Champion Robin Lockyer: an archaeologist and a gentleman February 7, 2017 - Interview with Heritage Champion Robin Lockyer Robin Lockyer is one of the North Tottenham Heritage Champions, and has the credentials to boot. He has lived in Tottenham for five years and worked for Haringey Council for eight. Alongside this he recently completed an intense part time masters in Archaeology at Birkbeck university and specialised in … Continue reading Heritage Champion Robin Lockyer: an archaeologist and a gentleman →
• Restoring North Tottenham’s Rich Heritage February 2, 2017 - James Mole, cheesemaker, who kept a herd of cows… Edward Chard, piano maker… Harry Smith, farrier (a smith who shoes horses)… John Davy, artificial tooth fitter… Just some of the many varied and interesting individuals and businesses that once populated north Tottenham’s High Road, and are now being rediscovered as part of a new project … Continue reading Restoring North Tottenham’s Rich Heritage →
• Championing Heritage February 1, 2017 - ‘How do you stop a 300 hundred year old building from falling down?’ ‘Why should we restore our high streets?’ ‘What is a Conservation Area?’ These are some of the questions being discussed by North Tottenham’s Heritage Champions. The Champions are a 20 strong group of locals who, since September 2016, have been participating in … Continue reading Championing Heritage →