Sainsbury's is coming to Stroud Green Road - Woody's is going!

Arkady

Fair enough. There are only so many pubs in SG, and I'm usually in one of them. I'm yet to be featured on the 'celeb spot' thred though, perhaps I look more anonymous than I thought. I'm just going to spread the rumour that you're the manager of Tesco SGR so that everone hates you.

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miss annie

@Action Verb
There are more trilby wearers in SG than you'd think. Once you start noticing them you'll see them everywhere.

Arkady

@Misscara I don't really understand why you asked for, but I'll cut and paste your first sentance into an email. I'll give folks a couple of days to request things and then I'll see if my pal can work his magic. @miss annie I'm inevitably on the look-out. Hat wearers tend to do an uncomfortable mutual-ogle as they pass in the street. It's becoming a bit of an weird issue with one fellah heading out of FP station in the morning as I head in, I may start using the Station Place entrance. A

miss annie

Ladies who favour a fancy shoe do a similar thing but fortunately it's not at eye level.

Ian

@Arkady North Staffordshire Oatcakes ...

dion

Someone told me there is a Waitrose on Holloway Road!!! I can't believe that. Holloway Road indeed!

gardener-joe

Waitrose on Holloway Road was previously a branch of John Lewis, the department store. How I do miss it.

andy

Used to be quality celeb spotting in that waitrose.

Domino

I think the John Lewis building was further along actually on Holloway Road. I'm not sure what was in the Waitrose before. I seem to remember going into Jones Brothers and then into Waitrose afterwards. That was really living.

kreuzkav

@Miss Annie. Why the hostility? I was just amazed that people have treated some Sainsbury's local like the second coming (and i did say, including me).

My truck with SL, the bar on my doorstep was the noise over the summer, which was terrible. Not full on techno but crowds (and I mean crowds at some stages) shouting their heads off. My neighbours who are very laid back thought the same as me!

For a few moments I was just remembering a time (not in Camden, but in Hackney) when shopping wasn't a fetish and there were lots of nice bars. I love some of the bars here too like the Faltering Fallback and even the Old Dairy, but they pale in comparison, just was being nostalgic.

By the way, these bars weren't late night and there wasn't a smoking ban. If they were late night there was a lock in and you couldn't go out and noise was sealed in.

Ian

Out of Guardians at 10am this morning. Not sure they have quite sussed the demographic round here.

ADGS

I'm sure Holloway Road must be the only place in Britain with a Waitrose next to an Argos.

Martin 23

Jones Bros on Holloway Rd was demolished and Waitrose was built in it's place.

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ShaunG

I think Misscara is right - Jones Brothers wasn't on but beside the corner. I can't remember what was on the corner before, but surely Jones Brothers was long gone by the time Waitrose opened? Somewhere else on this site someone posted about Jones Brothers' part in the Dr Crippen murders. CSI-style stuff involving pyjamas.

Domino

This is what's in the old Jones Brothers building <http://www.theresourcecentre.org.uk>; The sign still is above the door. <http://www.flickr.com/photos/secretlondon/4441267039>; However I think Jones Bros closed in July 1990 and Waitrose opened in 1993, so I must have gone to Sainsbury's and been impressed at the time. It wouldn't work now.

wisteria53

Jones Brothers was part of the John Lewis "family".

ADGS

Speaking of Holloway Road's history, I watched the Joe Meek biopic Telstar yesterday. Pretty good, and very funny for the first hour or so, before Everything Goes Wrong.

kreuzkav

Spooky! I watched that biopic two days ago and it was interesting to see Holloway Road depcted at that time. Cycle surgery is below the flat now. The English chapter of the Black Panthers (the 60s revolutionary group) had their headquarters on the road nearby too.

ADGS

The other great document of the area, for me, is Alan Moore's psychogeographical spoken-word piece the Highbury Working, which goes into the various Tollingtons among other bits. Available as a CD and probably from some download stores too.

Anyway, today I did my first big shop since the Sainsbury's opened. Went to Tesco nonetheless, because I knew some stuff I wanted wasn't in Sainsbury's and other bits were more expensive, but I did get the feeling that Tesco had been obliged to raise its game; first time in ages they've had everything that was on my shopping list.

Less happily, some form of Law of Conservation of Free Cashpoints seems to have kicked in; the Post Office one is out of action until further notice on account of a "serious fault".

Reg

Went to little sainsos for the first time this afternoon and although I like the bakery section and there is a better range of stuff, on balance I think I miss Woodys. As an aside, there was an horrendous stench at the corner of Hanley and Regina. I can only image its the sewers. Feel sorry for anyone who lives there! Might have put me in the wrong frame of mind in terms of then reviewing sainsos...

Donna

no fresh lamb for BBQs - booo!

kreuzkav

Thanks ADGS on the Alan Moore link. I'm aware of Iain Sinclair's psychogeographical musings on Hackney but I haven't heard of anything substantial about this area. Holloway has a lot of cultural history e.g. The Black House, Joe Meek, The Libertines, The Garage at one end and heading up the other way, even Nambucca, Irish dancehalls and of course Archway.

As others have commented on here, without patronising them, there's a wealth of characters along SGR. Sometimes the walk from Horsey Road along Tollington Park and its two churches sets me dreaming. Some interesting looking houses between them too!

ADGS

I think describing anything to do with Nambucca as 'cultural' is a bit of a stretch, unless you mean in the sense of a cell culture. Terrible dive, and they seemed actively proud of how grotty it was, as though that were more rock'n'roll.

val

Price comparison : SUGAR

Sainsburys Tesco
Silver Spoon Light 1K £1.30 £1.18
Caster 1K None £1.14
" 500g 79p 72p
Granulated 1K 98p 68p
Demerara 1K None £1.45
" 500g 89p 79p

val

Sorry - price comparisons have not shown as I typed, in nice columns. I'll try again later.

kreuzkav

Cell culture, that's funny! I was joking a bit about Nambucca (even Nambucca). Don't remember it being that grotty,well not as grotty as the Robey which was situated across from the seven sisters entrance to FP tube. Caught it in its dying days. Lots of character though!

Arkady

Can you tell me more about the Robey Kreuzkav? I hear it was a legendary place once, and it hurts me every time I walk past its broken shell.

Ali

It used to be painted mat black all over the inside and I can remember seeing Lord Such scream there many years ago.