Stroud Green landmarks

Arkady

We can agree that they're not doing a very good job of making that point, especially as it's so easy and obvious to make.

sincers

I'm not sure if this is within bounds, but there's some interesting topiary in a front garden at the Gillespie road end of St Thomas's Road. Its a kind of giant man, with what looks like an elephants trunk. He's sort of leaning on the house with an outstretched arm as if slightly constipated.

ADGS

The Oxford Road garden in winter is a pale shadow of its summer self.

miss annie

Really? Wowzers, can't wait to see it in summer then, I love that kind of thing. I'm going pop down and look at the topiary man with the giant proboscis, sounds very odd.

tosscat

If you're on a topiary tour down that way then don't forget the section of Finsbury Park Road between Brownswood and Mountgrove where there's a splendid fox eyeing up a bird. Also, on the eastern side of Oakfield Road on the Upper East Side someone has a great house number. If you really like topiary, you could do worse than a lovely visit to [Clipsham](http://www.frostatmidnight.co.uk/Pages/Clipsham.htm).

miss annie

I have been there and here. <http://www.levenshall.co.uk/Historic_Garden_james_grahme.asp>; Haven't seen the fox and bird, I'll plan myself a little tour. I do like a bit of elaborate topiary. I had to make giant faux topiary teapots and teacups for the National Gallery Cafe over the summer.

Brodiej

@ Ali. Sorry if you feel you can't make your points because of my comments. I guess i got frustrated that (in my view) every thread had some political statement in it whatever the topic. I promise i won't comment on it again.

tosscat

@arky - I think it was me. Early dinner? @marquis - have we met, or is it just your imagination?

tosscat

Oh and the topiary house number on the UES is number 54.

Arkady

@tosscat: Yes, I was off to the South Bank for a warehouse party in the railway arches there. Last hurrah of my waining youth.

miss annie

@Brodiej I second that, it would be nice if some threads were just people rambling on about SG stuff and nonsense without any talk of politics at all. Perhaps there should be an all purpose political statements thread in the style of the 'All purpose General Election' thread?

tosscat

Here here.

andy

Hear hear, even.

Marquis

Tosscat: no, we haven't met yet.

tosscat

Thanks andy. It's a good job you're hear.

val

Number 91 Lancaster Road (corner house) is a fine example of a historical landmark. It was the Victorian station master's house. It also has a row of rare pleached trees in the front garden, but some have recently, apparently, been killed.

sincers

I love that house, its got to be one of the best in the area.

Mirandola

Are you including ghost signs? If so, how about the big letters saying 'North London Music School' (or something similar) on Fonthill Road?

miss annie

That sign was suggested earlier in the thread - it's been decided that it's in Tollington (I think) and not in Stroud Green though.

Mirandola

Hmmm. Ward-wise it's Finsbury Park not Tollington. And even as chief cheerleader of the Tollington revivial I reckon we could count it as stround green. Sorry for the repeat suggestion.

Arkady

There's no harm in making a 'Greater Stroud Green' map anyhow, surely.

ADGS

Sod all this Foursquare 'mayor' nonsense, bagsy Emperor of Greater Stroud Green. "Wider still and wider, shall thy bounds be set. N4 who made thee mighty, make thee mightier yet."

Arkady

I think being declared an Augustinian living god might require a Russell Crow-style gladiator bout. Or perhaps it could be the reward for the conquest of Tollington. Miss Annie could make a lovely laurel.

Emma

@ADGS. And so the campaign for world domination begins. I knew it was only a matter of time.

miss annie

I could probably rustle up a full Emperor's costume for you if I put my mind to it ADGS. Actually a laurel wreath would suit you Arkady, it would perch well om top of the curls. Not as practical as the trilby though.

gardener-joe

<b>comment re: Number 91 Lancaster Road</B>

I think this was NOT a Station Master's house, but rather that is the house that was built for, and lived in, by the property developer who built up the area.

In any case, it is unlikely that a railway company would have given such a sizeable house to anyone supervising a mere railway branch line; there are no other local examples. Indeed, if Victorian railway companies were so disposed, then 'a Station Masters House' would be a recognised domestic architectural trope as is, say: 'a Vicarage', a Manse, 'a School House', 'a Gate House', etc., etc.

Of course if anyone can come up with other examples of a Station Masters House to make their point, then I am happy to be corrected.

val

Did you know that anyone can nominate a local landmark for listed status? Contact: www.haringey.gov.uk/local_list_nomination_form.pdf

twinspark

@Arkady & ADGS - thank you for the attempts to expand my ad hoc comments into an overview that fits neatly on the page of your political theory homeworkbook. Sorry to put an ink blot in your margins - Assumption is the mother of all f**k ups however.

The overblown justification of 'progressive' politics and pluralism was literally fantastic - you should re-read those sentences [pretentious moi?]. You believe Clegg and Cameron care about peoples lives when they are at great pains to illustrate otherwise. Sorry but the coalition is by act and deed a Tory govt. nothing more than a joint venture of convenience. The Liberals get to appear tough by being brazen enough to contradict every election pledge. They offend their own supporters to encourage Tory faithful they mean business and secure a generation of coalitions they crave so desperately. They'd drag us all down on their pluralist plateau where you can see in all directions at once and steer policy with the use of unworkable terms such as fair or progressive.[ I know they like to act as Chairman and CEO of UK Plc. but in the real business world there's no such thing as a fair contract - you can't implement such a term due to it's multiple interpretations. It's a preferred ingredient for ConDem 'policy' in order to maintain flux until the last possible moment - i.e so they can't be pinned down on anything ]

Nick Clegg looks like exactly what he is a spineless opportunist liar whose vaulting ambition conned his own party let alone the poor souls who voted for them because they're 'nice'. In the house these days he looks slightly lost or worried he's left the iron on. Even a Royal Wedding won't save him. There will be a leadership challenge in Liberal party before end of 2011. Clegg will cross house to become a progressive Tory. The next election will be a two party affair with Liberals being ground under the heel of Tory and Labour boots returned to snivelling on the fringes. Even in 'govt.' that hasn't changed, that Vince Cable eh! I bet he eats 3 Shredded Wheat.
As for La Featherweight our own special SG landmark [not] have you seen her in the house? what an embarrassment. I have asked her to vote against the bill next thurs. await reply with interest - albeit in Feb.2011 most probably. Does she still frequent the Fullback?

Hubris will diminish Cameron and Clegg and Osborne. They just can't resist themselves or each other and think they're unbeatable! [Mervyn and I beg to differ ] They will twist,turn dissemble, contradict and generally trip each other up all they way through this govt.'s life. Short of mass hypnosis pluralism won't get time to develop in govt. as voters are noticing the chasm opening between manifesto/election pledge/ mandate and policy. They have tricky habits; like remembering outcomes not method, [stinging cuts in Bank bonuses? - wow that showed 'em George] and expecting something for their vote; so e.g. a Lab-Lib pact will be unpitchable.The big P. will become regarded as a spiv's watchword after this term and as for the big F. well that was always just a four-letter word.

See you on the 'barricades'.

twinspark

@Andy Is that a boys comic character or something I could see on PS3? I am at least a foot taller than Bob 'Oskins - we do have some mutual friends though.

@ Tosscat Don't believe everything you read.

@mpc You're dead right about #91 Lancs. Rd. it was the big mans house. Whilst Station House did strangely enough contain a Station Masters dwelling - I'm on Busby's turf now didn't he post snaps of this some time back? There is also a Station Masters house on Crouch Hill station,sideways on above the southern platform -the garden is huge and connects to that of Japan House.

ADGS

Twinspark: I never believed Cameron cared about people, except in a vague and abstract sort of lord-of-the-manor way which totally fails to have any impact on his policies. I no longer know what Clegg thinks. What I do object to is the suggestion that things would be significantly better, or even much different, if New Labour had clung on to power. They were masters of "the chasm...between manifesto/election pledge/ mandate and policy".
(A real Labour party such as Ed M has seemed to promise, now they may have an alternative. But so far he's not doing as much as I'd hoped and he'd seemed to promise to differentiate himself from the travesty of Labour which preceded him)