The material on this page is organised chronologically, with the most recent additions at the top.
As well as the individually authored articles, there is also a series of 'brief histories', produced by the Society, to give a general introduction to the history of the local areas and buildings.
Does reading the Hornsey Journal extract from November 1919 give you a feeling of déjà vu? Not only was the fervent promise to get a tube to Muswell Hill within three years not kept, an underground line to this north London suburb never materialised. [Read more…] about “I am going to get it” – A Politician’s Promise in November 1919 which came to nothing – plus ca change !
In October 1919 a repeating feature in the Hornsey Journal was the story of the national railway strike, which lasted nine days from midnight on the night of the 26-27th September until the 5th October. [Read more…] about The National Railway Strike, October 1919
We take it for granted today that from the more northerly reaches of the HHS district it can take under thirty minutes to get to central London by tube. This was not always the case. [Read more…] about The Piccadilly Line Extension : Part One
The iconic Art Deco Hornsey Town Hall in Crouch End opened at the end of 1935. Yet the Hornsey Journal, 19 September 1919, refers to town hall plans on this site then. Why did it take so long to realise these ambitions? Where was the original town hall and why did that building and its location have to change? [Read more…] about The Proposed Town Hall : Background
It is very difficult to imagine that central Wood Green with its cinema complex, shops, road junction and busy traffic was ever peaceful countryside with the New River meandering through. So what was Hollywood Green before? [Read more…] about Hollywood Green, Wood Green : What was there before ?
The ongoing fractious debate and depth of feeling felt over the type of borough war memorial best for Hornsey was highlighted in the first of the series Hornsey in 1919. What happened in the intervening months between January and August 1919? Was Hornsey any nearer deciding on the nature of its borough war memorial? [Read more…] about Hornsey’s Proposed War Memorial: The Continuing Story
An Armistice had ended the Great War on 11 November 1918. The peace treaty between the Allies and Germany was signed on 28 June 1919, exactly 5 years after Archduke Franz Ferdinand’s assassination triggered the conflict. The other Central Powers signed separate treaties. What was Hornsey’s response to these events and why were the children involved?
[Read more…] about Hornsey’s Response to the Treaty of Versailles and to Peace Day
Bulletin 49, 2008, ‘Pictures from the Palace’ (George Kenner’s paintings during Internment 1915 – 16) by Nick McCormick
Bulletin 58, 2017, ‘Music in Alexandra Palace Internment Camp’ by Patrick Hegarty-Morrish [Read more…] about Alexandra Palace and Park during the First World War: further reading
With all the interest in the current FIFA Women’s World Cup it is satisfying to know that Hornsey hosted the first official women’s football match attended by an enthusiastic crowd of 10,000 spectators. The 23rd March match was between North and South, the North winning 7-1. One of the South team, Emma Clarke, was the first recorded black woman football player. [Read more…] about 1895: Women’s Football makes its official debut in Hornsey
This Shared Learning Project with the University of the Third Age (U3A) will produce an exhibition about Crouch End in the past using pictures from the HHS Archive.
[Read more…] about Telling a story of Crouch End using pictures from the HHS archive