Christmas Lights

jandb

Came out of FP Station last night and thought I'd wandered into Regent Street by mistake. A dazzling display of Yuletide wonderment on Stroud Green Road - well a few lights in the trees actually - but quite nice really. What do you think?

Did they get a celeb to switch them on? I'd have plumped for Minty from Eastenders myself.

Four Eyes

I've been away for a bit but came home today and was pleased to see the lights on the lamposts on SRG. Not sure why the budget stopped at Nandos? Maybe it's work in progress...

Colette

I was wondering that too... I thought there was supposed to be a budget for christmas lights this year, but then I read somewhere that they'd cancelled it, so these ones are a mystery. Maybe they're sponsored by the Pak emporium...

Ian

I got a letter through saying they were improving the street lighting in the area. Perhaps that's what they meant ...

matt

The lights in trees also work extremely well on Holloway Road. I like.

Four Eyes

Yes Holloway Road is looking very sparkly at the moment. The best lights I've seen are in front of Hackney Town Hall, check them out if you're in the vicinity.

Ali

The mystery of why they appearred in explained in an e-mail I was snet by the Libdems



Stroud Green Road Christmas Lights - Success!

You will have noticed by now that - for the first time - Christmas lights have been put up on Stroud Green Road. My colleagues and I launched our campaign for festive lights in December 2006, because we thought it was wrong that Stroud Green was missing out the lights other high roads get - just because it is on a borough boundary. You may remember we dubbed in "the road that Santa forget" in the local press - and demanded lights for 2007.

The lights are important because, as well as bringing Christmas cheer to us local residents, they also make it a more attractive area to go shopping, or to go for a meal or a drink. Hopefully, they will improve people's perception of Stroud Green Road, encourage more people to come and boost our local economy - keeping Stroud Green Road the thriving and fun place it is.

Getting the lights has been a huge battle. The local regeneration organisation 'FinFuture' put a lot of work into developing a Christmas lights scheme - but was held up at the last minute by bureaucracy from its funders. Fortunately, Lib Dem Islington Council stepped into the breach and has used its own money and secured funding from the regional development agency to get the lights put up. Unfortunately, our own Labour-run Haringey Council has refused to support the plan and pay its share of the bill. This is something we will have to address in 2008 as I doubt Islington and the other funders will be willing to subsidise Haringey indefinitely.

If I don't see you before, have a great Christmas - and enjoy the new lights.

Richard Wilson
Stroud Green Ward Councillor, Liberal Democrat
020 8341 7052

PS - We have also battling to get the area in front of Charter Court (opposite Stroud Green Road Tescos) tidied up. The plants that were put in this year have really made a difference, and on Monday (10th December) I am helping council officers to plant a new tree!

andy

I don't want to undermine all this hard work, but councillors really do get tiny victories don't they?

"Getting the lights has been a huge battle"

When I think of "huge battles", I think of perhaps, El Alamein or D-Day. Or maybe the setting up of the NHS. Perhaps the eradication of cholera.

Stringing up a few lights outside a tube station is hardly really the same.

Four Eyes

In response to Cllr Wilson's comment:

"they will improve people's perception of Stroud Green Road, encourage more people to come and boost our local economy"

This is all fair but why did they stop at Nando's? Surely the main thoroughfare and commercial heart of SGR is the stretch from Nando's to Stapleton Hall Road juntion? However nice the wig shops, kebab shops and butchers are, couldn't the rest of SGR have got the same treatment?

Ian

Perhaps "people's perception" of that part of Stroud Green Road is already high and the lights would only make a marginal difference?

jandb

Perhaps they took one look at the the neon mega-output from the newly refurbished Chapter One and decided they couldn't compete using mere Christmas lights.

Ali

Sorry for the very belated response: Yes - exactly my thoughts as well - the lights should go all the way up to the Larrick rather than stopping half way. I think the key is getting the funding properly and fairly agreed for 2008 - last year's were very much a last minute solution implemented by Islington, when attempts to get agreement from everyone fell through. We believe that local traders, Islington and Haringey should all contribute to funding the lights. My colleague Laura Edge has put down a question to the Council's Cabinet at tonight's Full Council meeting asking if they will back this plan (The speed things move in Haringey you need to campaign in January for something to happen 11 months later).

Thanks for the email.

Richard Wilson
Stroud Green Ward Councillor, Liberal Democrat
Deputy Leader of the Opposition
020 8341 7052

David

It's all Haringey's fault. Blame them there were no lights in the Tesco's section on the Islington side. Gotta love Council finger-pointing. It's essential to being a Councillor probably. Still, at least he got back to you.

andy

I love it. Islington councillors agree, Haringey is rubbish.

Ali

Strangely he is a Haringey Councillor

David

Is he? That's brilliant - ah just realised. It was in this [thread](http://www.stroudgreen.org/comments.php?DiscussionID=338&CommentID=2501) that Councillor Richard Watts of Islington popped up. Getting my, ahem, Richards confused.

Ali

Noticed a few trees have disappeared down around the Worlds End. There is one outside the WE , another down at the crossing towards the tube and another just outside the Carwash ! Is this an early ploy to avoid having to put more Christmas Tree lights next Christmas ?

Can the Councillors who read let us know if the trees are to be replaced as if they aren’t we might stop being compared to Paris ?