HHS member Andrew Whitehead is intrigued with a monkey which appears as external plasterwork on a house on Park Road in Crouch End dating from the early 1880s. Andrew was introduced to this remarkable architectural embellishment by another HHS member, David Winskill. The monkey seems to have a human face – with a beard and bald head. Could this be a lampoon of Charles Darwin, proponent of the theory of evolution, who was often depicted by his detractors as an ape?
In case you missed it you can listen to Hornsey Historical Society Chairman, Keith Fawkes, being interviewed about Hornsey on the Robert Elms’ programme on BBC Radio London last month.
We are hoping to add to our Lockdown Gallery of images with a collection of people’s written accounts of their experiences during the Lockdown period. In this way we hope to have a written as well as a visual record of these months.
This is the fourth article in the series on Lost Houses of the Hornsey area. It has been written by Alice Jenkins, a sixth form History student at Highgate Wood School, who has spent her summer holidays on work experience with the HHS Archive volunteers and who will shortly be applying to universities for admission in autumn 2022. HHS wishes her well.
September 1928, aged five, my mother took me across Cranley Gardens to St. George’s Hall for my first day at school. At that time there were no nursery or play schools to help prepare a child for this big day.
The headmistress and founder of the Crouch End school was Miss Charlotte Jane Howarth Cowdroy. She was born on January 5, 1864 and died on September 22, 1932. I only saw her once when she was brought into the classroom in her wheelchair by Miss Marguerite Bennell who later succeeded her as headmistress.
HHS member David Winskill shares his memories of the Weston Park shopping parade in the early 1960s. If it jogs any of your own memories please share them with us in the comments section at the bottom of the page.
This 6 month “Once Upon a Time in Crouch End” project brought together members of the Crouch End & District University of The Third Age (U3A) and the Hornsey Historical Society (HHS) who have an interest in the history of Crouch End but little or no experience of local history research.
Our much acclaimed first documentary written and directed by Andy Attenburrow. The film tells the story of Hornsey, Highgate, Muswell Hill and Crouch End through the years 1850 to 1939.
In a fast changing world, elements of stability and continuity are treasured.
Crouch End lost one of its favourite and most enduring landmarks at the end of February 2021 when Paul Saxton clicked the padlock of his kiosk for the last time. Sporting the patina of much use, it has stood on the corner of the Broadway and Weston Park for decades.