Guns of Finsbury Park

Four Eyes

I've been having a bit of a discussion on Flickr about the meaning behind the tiling of each station on the Victoria Line (yes I am bored at work).

Any suggestions behind the <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/37587967@N00/265936437/in/pool-finsburypark/">Finsbury Park guns?</a> I was thinking bird shooting in the park in olden days, or was there the famous battle of Finsbury Park that I don't know about.

andy

finsbury park was a famous duelling site. i will try and find a reference to it.

Four Eyes

That sounds like a very reasonable explanation. If you could dig something out to educate us I'd be grateful.

Four Eyes

According to wikipedia the balloons and pistols in Finsbury Park station have nothing to do with Finsbury Park at all...

"There has been some confusion with Finsbury Fields, an area just north of the old City of London, roughly where Finsbury Square is situated today. Finsbury Fields was used by Londoners in medieval times for archery and sports. It was built over in the early nineteenth century and its closure almost certainly helped create the pressure on successive governments to create an alternative open space in North London. When the Victoria Line was built in the 1960s, mosaics of hot air balloons and duelling pistols were part of the design at Finsbury Park. However, it was Finsbury Fields that held one of the first hot air balloon flights and also duels in the eighteenth century, not Finsbury Park".

andy

i think that's wrong, but will endeavour to bring my own dubious internet sourced facts to the debate

andy

TfL thinks the balloons were in Finsbury park

http://www.tfl.gov.uk/tube/company/history/architecture.asp

David

Hey Four Eyes, looking at the Flickr group reminded me of walking passed the Dairy the other day and a sign was up saying "Finsbury Park Group meeting is now in the Larrik" as the Dairy was closed. You're not part of that are you? Or have any idea what that is?

Four Eyes

I think balloon flights were probably from Finsbury Park as well as Finsbury Fields but was duelling a common practice in Victorian London when FP was built? This would seem more fitting to the 1700's in Finsbury Fields which Wiki suggests?

Also, thinking about it, the balloon mosaics are from much older days when Finsbury Park was the terminus on the Piccadilly Line. This makes me think more that the balloons are right but the guns are wrong?

Four Eyes

Sorry David, that Finsbury Park Group has nothing to do with me. Us Flickrites are a reclusive bunch and don't tend to meet up in the 'real world'. I don't know who these people are but do remember seeing a flyer in the Fullback advertising them, I can't remember what they do now...

Four Eyes

I've done some research this afternoon and if anyone is vaguely interested, the guns on the Victoria line Finsbury Park tiling are indeed dueling pistols, dedicated to the time when the site of Finsbury Park was notorious for duels. This was before the park was built however and used to happen in a place called Hog's Lane which ran from Crouch Hill through the site of the present park.

Today's discoveries prove that Wikipedia does not know everything as I previously thought. Oh, and Andy you were right...

Four Eyes

Back to David, several posts ago. The Finsbury Park Group you're referring to are these people: <http://www.thefriendsoffinsburypark.org.uk>;

David

I like the [Drum jam](http://www.thefriendsoffinsburypark.org.uk/finsburyparkartclub/index.htm) idea...

Four Eyes

they make such a racket every Sunday...whatever does it for you I suppose?

David

yeah, the reality probably isn't as nice, especially if you live nearby. But I like the idea of hitting things being social.

Busby1

I'm not sure if we are talking about the same thing here. But Finsbury Park itself was an AA-Gun site during the second world war. These guns were stationed near the railway, there was a footbridge (maybe still there) crossing the railway lines from the park down to the short road that joins up with Florence/Woodstock Roads. The guns were extremely active, I know this because I had an uncle who was on them and the railway was in constant attack from bombers.

David

The [bridge](http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=oxford+road+N4&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=49.043149,82.265625&ie=UTF8&z=19&ll=51.569688,-0.105765&spn=0.001184,0.00339&t=h&om=1) is still there Busby, it runs off the end of Oxford Road, joins the end of Parkland Walk then over the railway into the park. But those guns look older no? They look more "duel" than WW2.

Four Eyes

These aren't the same guns which are depicted in the station but thanks for sharing that interesting bit of history Busby.

A work colleague of mine presumed the guns of Finsbury Park were related to some local football team or another. I have since corrected her presumptions.

Busby1

I didn't take enough care when reading the first part of this thread, that's why I talked about what I now know to be the wrong guns. Never mind, we've added a little bit to the history of Finsbury Park.

So here's something else. In about 1947/8 the long straight road in the park running from Manor House to the Finsbury Park end was used to park hundreds of army tanks. They were all lined up facing the kerb and at a slight diagonal, we as children used to climb on them and pretend to be soldiers.

Here's something else. The café that existed in FP at that time was famous for its Walls ice-cream. The choice was a wafer or a cornet and I can still taste them today. They cost 3d!

Another fact which may be of interest. FP was used on Saturdays about three times a year for cycle races. (1953-til about 1958 I'd say) There were always plenty of onlookers and each race took about 20 laps. The winning line was at the top of the hill close to the Endymion Road entrance and that long straight road (where the tanks were once parked) allowed a fair turn of speed.

Four Eyes

Wonderful stuff. Thank you Busby.