It's a bit freaky how the site automatically rewrites history when you change your name - it's like Poxy never existed....

Hiya, sorry a bit delayed in actually introducing myself. Moved to Shaftesbury Road in October and randomly stumbled across this site when googled for reviews for The Noble...previously lived north of Archway and didn't venture towards Stroud Green much...

haven't added to this for a while, but peterr and paulusmax have joined today. Sign in and say hi.

The other recent member is lynnefeatherstone, who i forgot to introduce. Hello.

Hello I'm the Paul who Peter speaks of in the previous post. Just moved to Upper Tollington Park about two weeks ago, so I know nothing of blacked out venues back in the good old days. In fact I Know nothing about anything Stroud Green at the moment, so I will absorb all info with great interest!

Hello, I'm Ed. I've been living on SGR (above Wigworld!) for 5 years now. Good to meet you all - well, see your words anyway.

Do you have any wigs?

Actually, they sell wig's. Surprised Colette hasn't been down with her Tippex.

Colette, they're just jealous. Ignore them.

I apologize for not introducing myself earilier. Hello Hello!
Greetings from good old Salt Lake City, UT...okay, not really that good, which is why I am moving to your little corner of the world. I am a writer, and though I was born in the US, most of my family is from the British Isles. I am looking to finish my book and maybe start on another one, while living in London. I am thrilled, and look forward to getting to know more about Stroud Green and the lovely people it inhabits.
Cheers!

The home I grew up in had a lovely view of Karl Malone's waterslide in his back yard...just another indication of how grossly American athletes are overpaid. Don't get me on my soapbox about that one :)

Hello, my name's Emily and I'm new here. I actually live in N19 - just near the ugly tower block on Crouch Hill. Am I still allowed to stay?

What are you talking about? There's no strictness here.

Emily, you're more than welcome.

ah yes. well, if there's a lesson there, it's don't cross us.

we're like the krays - there's no trouble round our way and we're good to our mothers.

are you fishing?

Miaow!

Clearly minty.

Hello everyone, I'm Philip and I live in Cornwall Road and I LOVE IT - like King Kev.
Just so I know what I'm up against here, does everyone realise that Finsbury Park backwards is Krapy Rub Snif ?

Why do people called Philip choose such outlandish monikers when Pip and Phil would be adequate.

As the turtle said to the armadillo - 'hey, you've got a hard shell.'

i have a really hard time coming up with anything imaginative and that I won't hate the next day when i have to think of a pseudonym other than "matt"

meh

Welcome unaesthetic. skrelnik doesn't yield much in Google. skrelnick does though. I'm suprised Colette hasn't been on the case for this one.

Hello Stroud Green! I've lived in this manor for 20 years and within earshot of both the pizza places for the last 15 - can't tell you the good times I've had downing quattro stagione and Peroni beer, checking out the takeaways, scoffing oysters at Pat's fish bar before it closed, taking in festivals in the park, jogging the old rail line.....as well as the other stuff, trudging through the Perth Road lake district before they got the drainage right and dodging the drunks outside the WLM. If London is heaven and there are seven circles of paradise, SG is the top one as far as I'm concerned. And now I can connect with the SG experience online without even moving from my living room! Very glad that SGO is going strong - it was in its infancy last time I looked....about time for some unruly teenage years I guess. Here's looking forward to it.

A massive flurry of members today. Nothing like a bank holiday weekend to send you to your internet.

Welcome to krapyrubsnif, duncan, mike from london (above), sjt and angela18.

Hello everyone,

Im a newbie to this site. I live in Moray Road - Charteris Road end and I have live here for a year. Before that I lived in Stamford Hole, Essex Road for seven years and prior to that I grew in in Crouch End, Haslemere Road to be precise, my mum still lives there.

I campaigned in the 80s against the Parkland Walk becoming a toll road - Peter Bottomlys idea. Hopefully it is safe now for a few decades at least. Not that I go down there anymore since my dog died years ago.

Here are my good things about Stroud Green, my bad and questions?

Good:

Patek, is The Ivy of Stroud Green! I have been far too many times to remember: birthdays, New Years etc. I gave them a thank you card yesterday.

Would like to say the fish shop as its great to have one, noone seems to go in there, I made a point of buying bream or bass in there every week, but not sure how fresh it is. I tried to be friendly to the special needs guy who works there.

Finsbury Park. Has got better - no more flashers.

Front Room - average food, but nice atmosphere and somewhere to hide away with other middleclass people in SG!

The Tube. Being near Eurostar.

The lovely pharmacy with the sliding doors and the brilliant helpful staff

Bad

Tescos food, would be nice to have a nice deli.

Nowhere to get a good coffee.

the Italian cafe - awful food and drunken fights outside it.

People spitting on the streets.

Horrible kids walking around in hooded tops with/without dogs.

No good hairdressers unlike Crouch End, cant one move to SG?

No gym or DVD rental shop.

Near Holloway Road.

The stench of blood and chicken feet hanging outside Halal butchers.

Too many Halal butchers.

Friends cant come and stay and park their car for more than a day.

Questions

I was going to ask is Home closing - but someone else has asked - i think it is...shame.

A friend of mine wants to open a deli/coffee shop around here, he is a New Zealander he has the money and has been in discussions with various landlords. It will be a bit like Flat White in Soho. Do you think he will do well, or is it too much for SG right now?

What do you think the next chain will be in SG?

What do you think MR Pak will open next?

Where has the young Big Issue seller gone from Tescos? Is she ok?

Thats it from me - enough waffling!

Bridget xx

I didn't realise the guy in the fish shop was special needs. If that's true, I might forgive him for the last time I went in there and, while I was browsing, he told me to hurry up as he was very busy. That was some time ago now.

I'm confused by the Big Issue seller, because sometimes he's at the Wells Terrace exit of the tube too. Is he allowed two pitches?
I'd say there'd be a market for a good coffee shop, but he ought to aim for the top end (geographically, that is) of SGR if he wants to capture some of the Crouch Enders. And also I'm biased becuase that's where I live. I'd love a place to pick up good coffee beans though. Yum.
I hope Home isn't closing - I'll ask the guy next time I see him, he's a friendly chap and lives on my street (he claims to lurk on this site actually...)
As for nice hairdressers - has anyone tried Blossom? the amount of effort they've put into decorating the place is impressive - the guy is always in there after closing doing some work on the place. I think it looks lovely.

hey, that's my first born too... but if the coffee is right though... (and certainly if the kid is ginger)

Thanks for all your responses!

I will let you know what happens with the deli/coffee shop and tell my friend Sam what you say, feel sorry for the big issue girl, she was annoying always going "how is she?" to my little boy - I said he loads of times! He looks like a big bruiser with a frosting of hair so its strange!

Bridge xx

Now, if ever there was a post crying out for a Venn diagram, that's it.

Welcome Agaton Sax. I've read all your books.

Here comes the mirror man...

Thanks for introductions. Is this site strictly virtual then, or do people meet up in the pub?

Not that I'm gagging for a drink...

Wow - Carlisle Road. There are only about four houses there......you could be in the very same one where my daughter was born. How is Mr Amico? You're not in the downstairs flat, first house are you?

@TJ: The house opposite - I know - not just slightly newer but around a hundred years newer :-). The original Victorian house where you are fell down about ten years ago from subsidence - just fell apart - and was totally reconstructed from the foundations up. As for Amico - nice man in his way - and the rest, I loved that street, we had good times there and I have many stories about it, but I won't share them here ;-)

Hi TJ - I live in Scarborough Road so we're pretty much neighbours. Good tip on the short cut - coming from the park and turning into Parkland Walk, how far up is the wall to hop? Where does it come out? I've never seen anyone go into or out of the studio either, but then I leave for work quite early.

Hey T.J., that's interesting about Topic. From their website it seems they are still going strong - I know very little about folk music but I'd say any indie label that has survived for 69 years must be a pretty special record company.

@ TJ - thanks, will try it on my next walk home. I live at the studio end of Scarborough Road so it would be dead handy.

Buena Vista Social Club is the highest selling world music CD according to the Guinness Book of Records. It still sells shed loads.

Don't ask me how I know that!

I also saw Ibrahim Ferrer in Montreux, Switzerland, as part of their 2005 music festival. he died a few months later.

you'll make andy kershaw cry

he was jailed wasn't it?

Hence Banners