A nice building on Blackstock Road

miss annie

I sat upstairs on the bus today, and from this new vantage point I noticed a building at the top end of Blackstock Road that had escaped my eagle eyes up to now. It's just as you go up the hill, before Highbury Vintners, on the right as you go travel from FP. It's possibly early Victorian/Georgian (I'm no expert) and is mostly hidden behind white hoardings. Any idea what it is/was?

Ali

Is that or was a police station

Arkady

Do you mean Loxford House (85 Highbury Park): <http://highburyeast.mycouncillor.org.uk/files/2008/06/08_09_0083-highbury-consultation_v3.pdf>; The NCH have moved out and it’s being restored and redeveloped: <http://www.islington.gov.uk/environment/planning/planningpol/plan_brief_major/pol_planbrief/85highburypark.asp>; The developer: <http://www.85highburypark.com/secure/login.aspx?ReturnUrl=/html/index.html&gt; One of the oldest surviving buildings in Highbury, and very handsome. Arky

miss annie

That's the one, it's most handsome. I'd like to live there.

ADGS

I shall be interested to see how the developers interpret saving "as many of the trees as possible". My guess would be "as many as possible while packing the space with the maximum number of soulless hutches which, alas, was not very many".

Arkady

I was musing on Islington's inconsistent tree policy the other day. If a tree is alledged to be causing subsidence, regardless of the evidence and the tree's age and beauty, cut it down. On the other hand, if the preservation of a scrawny bush can be used as an excuse to prevent an eyesore being converted into an impressive new development, dance like a tree-hugger.

sincers

Interesting. They only refurb'ed that NCH a few years ago so I was sad to see the hoardings go up so soon. It is an impressive building and not sure it would perform so well as resi. particularly with such a percentage of affordable housing. If you look, next time you go past on the 19, there is a massive area out the back of the building, so no doubt that will accommodate some awful intensive development. I'm wondering if by keeping the site "car free" that's a euphemism for not planning adequate parking spaces for the dwellings.

ADGS

When the sell-off was first announced there was a campaign in the businesses and homes around there to save that space out back as the local 'secret garden'.

Emma

Has the bus stop outside the Action for Children (NCH) building been renamed or was it always the name of a school?

Arkady

As for 'car free', that rather fits with planning policy these days. Most redevelopments have some car-sharing spaces, a lot of bike-storage, and that’s it. Residents are often not entitled to park in local CPZs either. I rather think that’s a good thing.

missisclack

I worked in that building for Action for Children for almost 8 years, until 2 years ago. I'm surprised you might not have noticed it before, it's pretty big!

There were, in fact, 4 buildings on that site, 2 big gardens and tennis courts (the courts were always in a very sorry state). We also owned an ajoining building on Legard Road which was used as one of our services.

The buildings were built and used as the first children's homes of National Childrens Homes / NCH / Action for Children in the late 19th century, and as the central training school for house 'mothers' and 'fathers' who would then go out across the country to run other children's homes.

One of the side buildings was the girls' home and the other was the boys' home.

It was lovely working there, not least because of the peaceful gardens. And there was a lovely double height refectory area in the back building (Stephenson Hall) which opened onto the gardens. I worked in a really light open plan fundraising office at the rear of the building you see from the street, the office ran the width of the building.

The charity decided to sell up about 4 years ago and all the negotiation with Islington started in earnest about 3 years ago. It really wasn't fit for purpose as offices.

The council was very clear with guidelines concerning the development and the charity could not sell to developers who would not agree to comply with the council's restrictions. Also, a very big song and dance was made of the consultation with local residents, and any other interested party. Everyone was worried about the many trees and, quite rightly, wanted to preserve as much as the garden as garden.

We were all told 2 1/2 years ago that the office would be moving to Watford by July 2010, so masses of people left. Including yours truly. Who'd want to commute to Watford??

We rented the car parking areas at the front and back to Arsenal to use for their 'VIPs'.

We used to see Arsene Wenger and Nigel Stater around all the time (not together).

BTW - That bus stop was always the St Joan of Arc bus stop.

ADGS

Watford's not that bad a commute - and you'd have the advantage of going against the main commuter flow, ie, plenty of seats (I used to know a guy who did a similar reverse-commute, from Holborn to a dormitory town, and swore by it).

jandb

I've done lots of reverse commutes over the years, including Watford, and it was certainly one of the better ones. Just a few stops on the Viccy line and a fast train to Watford Junction.

Much depends on the journey at the other end though.

missisclack

Trouble is, I used to walk to work. In fact, I did before Action for Children when I worked at off Cally Road and do still now to Dalston. You won't catch me on public transport, if I can possibly avoid it!