A.V. Roe: First Flight Over Walthamstow Marshes

Our next talk is on Wednesday 14 October

A V Roe: First Flight Over Walthamstow Marshes
Illustrated talk by Dr. Neil Houghton

A V Roe’s 1909 flight was celebrated in July next to the railway arches where he built his Avro Triplane. A replica of the Triplane complete with a Tottenham-made JAP engine was on display, and the aviation pioneer’s grandson Eric Verdon-Roe gave an illuminating talk on this part of British flight history – including how Alexandra Palace had played a part – while Jim Lewis summed up the Lea Valley’s inventions. For those of you who were not lucky enough to be there, tonight’s talk by Walthamstow Historical Society chairman Neil Houghton promises to be just as illuminating.

We look forward to seeing you. Please note we are back at our usual venue – URC Hall, cnr of Weston Park/Ferme Park Road, London N8.

Entry is free to members, £1 for visitors. Doors open 7.45pm for coffee and bookstall. Talk starts at 8pm prompt. Doors are closed at 8pm and no latecomers can be admitted.

Joan Schwitzer (1925 – 2009)

Members will be sad to learn of the death of Joan Schwitzer, one of the society’s founders and its guiding light for the last 38 years, who died peacefully at home on Saturday 19th September 2009, aged 84. The funeral will be held at 1pm on Thursday 1st October at All Saints Church, Talbot Road, Highgate, London N6 4QH, followed by the burial (at approx. 2.30pm) at Highgate Cemetery (East Cemetery), Swain’s Lane, Highgate, London N6 6PJ.

Parking is unrestricted in Talbot Road at the time of the funeral, but it can be difficult to find a space nearby. Transport can be provided from the church to the cemetery (which are 1 mile apart). If any member wishes to take up this offer, please email historyweb@hotmail.co.uk for details.

Flowers may be sent to funeral directors Leverton & Sons, Muswell Hill Branch, 1 Denmark Terrace, Fortis Green, London N2 9HG (020 8444 5753). If you would prefer to make a donation, cheques (payable to one of the charities below) may be sent to the funeral directors or direct to the relevant charity:

Hornsey Historical Society (Regd charity no 274424), The Old Schoolhouse, 136 Tottenham Lane, London N8 7EL

Survival International (Regd charity no 267444), 6 Charterhouse Buildings, London EC1M 7ET (http://www.survivalinternational.org)

London Open House 19th & 20th September

HHS London Open House Weekend events:

Saturday 19th September

MUSWELL HILL WALK

We meet at 2pm outside Muswell Hill Library, Queens Avenue, for a walk of about 2 hours looking at the development and architecture of the suburb and ending with a visit (and tea) to North Bank, Pages Lane, a Victorian villa & estate from about 1860, now a centre for Muswell Hill Methodist Church and the community.

No booking required but numbers may have to be restricted so first come first served.

Sunday 20th September

Old Schoolhouse, Tottenham Lane / Rokesly Ave, N8 7EL

Hornsey Historical Society’s headquarters will be open to the public between 11am and 4pm.

The Old Schoolhouse (built in 1848) will have on display an exhibition
on the history of the school, and on Victorian schooling, and the bookshop will be open with a wide selection of local history books, maps and postcards. Please come and visit us.

Hornsey Church Tower will also be open and is just a short walk down the road from the Old Schoolhouse.

Visit to Valentines Mansion, Ilford – Tuesday 25 August

A 1½-hour guided tour of the newly-restored Valentines Mansion (appropriately re-opened on 14 February) will take place from 2pm on 25 August. This is an extra outing, which has not been advertised on our programme brochure or in the Newsletter. As numbers are limited early booking is advised, and priority will be given to Hornsey Historical Society members. Booking is by ‘phone to Rachael Macdonald (020 8889 7388). If necessary leave your name and ‘phone number. The cost of £3 is payable on the day but pre-booking is essential.

Travel is by 123 ‘bus from Wood Green or tube to Gants Hill, or there is limited parking in the grounds (currently free of charge). We meet at 1.55pm at the information desk (entry through the north portico). We shall be shown round this lovely house and colourful formal gardens and then be free to visit the new café in the Gardener’s Cottage or outside in the kitchen garden, and wander round the landscaped area with the help of a well-produced picture-map (or come early and have lunch!). The Long Water canal, shell grotto, Jacob’s Well, Bishop’s Walk and “wilderness” are a must, and the varied waterfowl on the fish pond are worth seeing. The house and café close at 5pm but the landscape gardens remain open as does Valentine’s Park, even bigger and with some points of historical interest, such as the bandstand, boating lake, drinking fountain and clocktower. There is also a café in the park, and although a considerable walk from the mansion, any gate on the west side opens into Cranbrook Road for the 123 back up to Gants Hill tube or direct to Wood Green.

Brief History of Valentines Mansion
The house was built in around 1696 for Elizabeth Tillotson and her family, after the death of her husband, the Archbishop of Canterbury. At that time the new brick house stood in open countryside, several miles from the edge of London. Valentines has changed hands many times since then. City merchant and banker Robert Surman bought the estate in 1720s and created the walled gardens, dovecote and grottoes.

In the 1760s owner Sir Charles Raymond spent part of his fortune renovating Valentines, giving the house its Georgian appearance. Sarah Ingleby, the last private resident of Valentines, died in 1906 and the Council acquired the house in 1912. Since then, the mansion has been home to wartime refugees, a hospital, a public health centre, and a council housing department. After standing empty for 15 years, Valentines has now been restored with Redbridge Council and Heritage Lottery funds.

The Hornsey Enclosure Map

Our next lecture is on Wednesday 10 December at the usual venue – URC Hall, cnr of Weston Park/Ferme Park Road, London N8.

David Frith will talk about the Hornsey Enclosure Map.

Entry is free to members, donation of £1 requested from visitors. Doors open 7.45pm for coffee and bookstall. Talk starts at 8pm prompt. Doors are closed at 8pm and no latecomers can be admitted.

Hornsey Past

A new book from Historical Publications Ltd is available from HHS:

Hornsey Past by Steven Denford (2008)

The long-awaited local history, covering Crouch End, Muswell Hill and Hornsey itself in the popular Historical Publications Ltd “Past” series format. This authoritative160-page hardback contains 157 illustrations, some previously unpublished.

Historical Publications Ltd £17.95 + £2.30 p& p

The author will give a talk and signing session at Hornsey Library on 11 November at 7pm.

Haringey’s Hidden Streams Revealed

This best seller has been reprinted and is again available from HHS:

Haringey’s Hidden Streams Revealed by Albert Pinching and David Dell (2005)

Retraces the routes of Haringey’s several natural streams which once flowed in the open from the “northern heights” of Highgate and Muswell Hill but are mainly now underground. Surviving evidence of their original routes is described in a narrative embellished by almost 100 illustrations including early prints and maps, past and present photos and historical references. Reprinted 2008.
Hornsey Historical Society

ISBN 0 905794 35 4 £12.00 + £2.00 p & p

North Middlesex Photographic Society: Images of Hornsey

The North Middlesex Photographic Society and the Photographic Record Movement

During the early years of the twentieth century the North Middlesex Photographic Society joined the English photographic survey movement that aimed to construct a photographic record of England’s past. The photographs of Middlesex between 1903 and 1920, now held by the Hornsey Historical Society, forms a valuable complement to the National Photographic Record Association collection now held in the Victoria & Albert Museum. John Hinshelwood will use the North Middlesex collection to explore the history of Hornsey Village and show the important contribution made by the North Middlesex Photographic Society to the photographic record of England.

The talk is on Wednesday 12 November at the usual venue – URC Hall, cnr of Weston Park/Ferme Park Road, London N8. Entry is free to members, donation of £1 requested from visitors. Doors open 7.45pm for coffee and bookstall. Talk starts at 8pm prompt. Doors are closed at 8pm and no latecomers can be admitted.

Paintings from Alexandra Palace: The Art of George Kenner

Most members will be familiar with at least some of George Kenner’s pictures from a Bruce Castle exhibition, at which Nick McCormick gave a talk, resulting in the pictures being featured in the society’s current Bulletin. The society is fortunate to have Nick McCormick to give a talk and the opportunity to see the Alexandra Palace from a different viewpoint, that of an internee who had plenty of time on his hands to see at least some parts of the palace in great detail and to leave us a fascinating record of the building and its reluctant inmates.

The talk is on Wednesday 8 October at the usual venue – URC Hall, cnr of Weston Park/Ferme Park Road, London N8. Entry is free to members, donation of £1 requested from visitors. Doors open 7.45pm for coffee and bookstall. Talk starts at 8pm prompt. Doors are closed at 8pm and no latecomers can be admitted.