The park is becoming a dump

miss annie

I have never seen a park keeper in Finsbury Park. I'm sure another thread mentioned there only being one or two for the whole park.

HolbornFox

I thought there was the park police.

You do still get parkies in Waterlow.

joust

When I lived in Hackney, I talked to a park keeper. He said that he was the only one and had to cover 8 parks by himself.

frentzen

Good luck asking those guys at the entrance to pick up their s*it.

therattle

yeah, that's why there need to be coppers providing backup.

Scruffy

Haven't seen a parkie in Finsbury Park since about 1980! Used to be a brown-uniformed late-middle-aged lady on a bike. If you cycled on the footpaths with anything larger than 20-inch wheels... well, she'd tell you you oughtn't to. I doubt her sort would be much use in keeping our local sociopaths in check these days.

Papa

I think a decent comparison can be drawn between Finsbury Park and Clissold Park, both serve similar areas, have reasonably similar facilities (barring the cafe is in a posh house and there's a few animals at Clissold and Finsbury has a running track) and are used for reasonably similar things.

It seems pretty clear to me that a much better job is being done of looking after Clissold Park than Finsbury Park and I've not noticed the same decline in how it is looked - despite both councils presumably suffering similar levels of budget cuts.

That also comes despite Finsbury Park having had numerous big events that should pull in money to look after it.

miss annie

At least those bloody tightrope people haven't set up camp in Finsbury Park yet. I dislike them, hundreds of them lolling about blocking big areas of Clissold Park with their stupid toys.

Papa

There is a tightrope crew in Finsbury Park - they set up heading from the playground towards Manor House corner

Ali

They don't seem to be bothering any one in FP

Scruffy

Rubbish and discarded furniture and appliances have become hallmarks of our urban “culture”. Is it that we need more (many more) police everywhere, and with a no-tolerance-for-anything briefing?

miss annie

The discarded furniture used to be lovely 'brown' 1930's stuff, much of which is now living in my house. Now it's just crappy old IKEA flatpack on the street. Sign of the times.

trainspotter

I think doorstep recycling is a positive feature of the community - In the past few weeks I have rescued a circus tent, Wire DVD, swing and 2 bookcases from landfill and been appreciative of them. It does require some judgment though - and a willingness to take it to the tip if it's not gone within a day or two.

HolbornFox

Not sure how to embed tweets but check this:

https://twitter.com/AideenFox/status/849173395292008448

https://twitter.com/haringey_watch?lang=en

miss annie

It's bin raid Olympics @trainspotter
www.stroudgreen.org/discussion/comment/45923/#Comment_45923

Scruffy

I wonder what proportion of the discarded furniture—in its usually piss-stained, fag-burnt, or crumbled fibre-board resplendence—is picked up by a passerby. “Doorstep recycling”?—is it a pathetic euphemism for frequent dumping and occasional scavenging, or legitimate collection from from the doorstep à la Freecycle? That someone just might take an object home is no excuse for illegally dumping it in the first place.

Papa

We leave half decent stuff outside on the wall or in the front garden regularly and someone inevitable takes it.

There's a big difference between that and just dumping stuff no one in their right mind would want on the pavement (in the rain).

Someone actually took pretty much our entire old kitchen once.

The kitchen fitter couldn't believe it.

Ah bin raid Olympics, now there's a good old thread.

miss annie

We leave good stuff outside on Moray Rd. Giant piles of new, unread books, good condition clothing and shoes, and spare plants are popular - I leave a little pile of carrier bags with them

I got a lovely LK Bennett handbag out of a box of handbags on someone's wall last summer.

If anyone's in the market for a pretty new looking wooden rocker cot, there's one on Fonthill Rd - all the screws etc are taped neatly to it for ease of assembly.

therattle

Yeah, I agree that there is a world of difference between dumping a pissy mattress, and leaving something decent outside for others to take. I've left stuff outside before and it miraculously disappears, and I just picked up a play kitchen for my son on Corbyn Street.

krappyrubsnif

Finsbury Park looking its best this morning. Great place to sunbathe today.

(I'll take an identical snap on Sunday/Monday for comparison, after people have dumped their trash everywhere over a sunny weekend.....)

https://twitter.com/Stroudgreenguy/status/992360801544613889

kreuzkav

Finsbury Park was always a dump. It's probably the biggest urban park in London. I think the main problem is its location on the edge of three boroughs. Islington, Haringey and and Hackney. While Haringey have it, there 's probably a cleaning up issue. Not saying it's right but could be the politics.

miss annie

I haven't checked but my guess would be that it's not even in the top ten biggest parks in London. I'd put Hyde Park, Green Park, Regent's Park, Greenwich Park and Victoria Park ahead of Finsbury Park (in size, tidiness and facilities), for a start.

grenners

Labour council making a lot of money out of events there. Only fair that some significant improvements are made directly back to the park using the money. The events contribute to bad landscaping etc as well as litter and noise. Where does the money go? Millions spent on failed schemes like HDV whilst basic services denied basic management. No change in local elections. It's the electorate who need to make the change. The council get away with murder. Any one here complining about the park and who voted Labour is part of that as with such a huge majority for years Labour do not need to listen to the concerns of people.

gardener-joe

@grenners: all your answers here [Friends of Finsbury Park] https://www.thefriendsoffinsburypark.org.uk.

trainspotter

I think I'd only get bronze in the bin raid olympics. There was a decent barbecue in Osbourne Road yesterday but I had my hands full when I passed. It had gone when I went back for it. I agree there's a world of difference and a zero tolerance enforcement approach would unfortunately not be able to distinguish between the two. I agree that all three boroughs seem to neglect things on their boundaries. Not entirely sure why but it's evident in the railway bridge too, which is Islington's responsbility.

krappyrubsnif

I find the increasingly disruptive park closures incredibly annoying, but everybody I know says it's worth it because the events have funded new basketball courts and table tennis.

The fact that I play neither basketball nor table tennis does not seem to come into it. I'd just like to be able to walk in the park.

If the park was properly funded, instead of being starved of money and then commercialised, we could have both. I realise that is a hopelessly old fashioned, unrealistic and dangerously radical view, so I give in and I'm going to shut up about it.

miss annie

The boundary between Islington and Haringey is up the middle of SGR so only one side of the road is Islington.

marko

@krappyrubsnif An equally traditional and old-fashioned approach to getting your voice heard is to complain to your elected representatives, and then exercise your franchise if this does not result in change. Even if -like me - you live on the Islington side of the boundary, issues in Haringey can become issues for Islington candidates, and they might have to liaise with their colleagues over the order.

Of course, you've missed the boat for another four years. The Rotten borough is in dire need of a change of administration having never ever had one. Going by the lack of interest in my councillors show in case-work, on the Islington side too.

Ali

Parkland Walk is a fantastic spring stroll. With all the cow parsley flowering and the lovely fresh leaves. Walk up it have a couple of points in the Wood Cutters then it is down hill back