Building next to John Jones

David

So looked like the beginnings of scaffolding and a refurb for the huge red dilapidated building just south of John Jones this morning. Anyone know what's going down? In my head when they got round to doing something on that site it would just be flattened but scaffolding suggests otherwise?

poxy

That's not a refurb scaffold it's a demolition scaffold.

andy

is that the one that used to be a cinema, back in the day?

andy

I think this may all be part of the "area action plan" - that we very nearly discussed properly back in the day. Can one of the Councillors enlighten us?

Liz

@ Andy, yes it is the cinema. I got a cab home the other day, and the driver grew up on Blackstock Road. He was telling me that Rowans and everything behind it (mainly Lidl's, I think) used to be a massive bingo hall which drew crowds from miles around due to its 'night sky' ceiling. He didn't know anything about the old cinema though.

tosscat

Was the cab driven by Busby?

Emma

The scaffolding they've put up, which forces everyone into the street, is a complete hazard! This morning I saw a woman with a buggy coming up the road directly in the path of a bus coming the other direction - hairy stuff. They should just close the pavement off completely and force a diversion round the back street, surely.

David

You can walk through the scaffolding..? It's like a tunnel?

poxy

That 'tunnel' will need boarding out. Access will be prevented whilst the walls and ceiling are installed.

katiejane

She (and everyone else) could have done what the signs suggest - use the path on the other side of the road.

David

I don't understand. Did a sign go up/access prevented later this morning? I walked through it again, along with all the other pedestrians about 8.30am.

Emma

The scaffolding tunnel was tied off with red/white tape this morning at about 8:50. The problem with going on the other side of the road is, you can't get to the station. They need at least some signposting suggesting that though, yes - but I think even better would be to direct pedestrains round the back streets (not sure how practical this is). It was all a bit Krypton Factor this morning, is all.

tosscat

It doesn't sound very Krypton Factor, it sounds a bit more Gladiators!

katiejane

I don't understand - surely you just cross over the road until you've got past the scaffolding, then cross back to get to the station? It's not rocket surgery!

The signs were up last week when I went down there - just stayed on Haringey side till I got past.

katiejane

Sorry if I'm sounding cumudgeonly - I'm a bit sleep deprived.

Emma

But then aren't you crossing a main road with no pedestrian crossing? Unless you go all the way down to the lights by the bus station I s'pose.

Colette

@ katiejane - what's rocket surgery?

katiejane

@ Colette - a cross between rocket science and brain surgery. Mixed metaphor if you like.

katiejane

@ Emma - think I'd rather cross the road using Green Cross Code than push my buggy into the path of oncoming buses, but maybe that's just me....

Donna

When I was walking to the station this morning at about 9:10am, they were cutting down a tree. Well I say 'they' - one person was cutting it down and two people were watching him, and two people were watching the people watching him...
Why is it being torn down and what will be put up in its place, does anyone know?

tosscat

Let's speculate wildly: Finsbury Park Mosque II South Fork Pak Wig Universe Simon Pegg's Believe it or not museum.

flembo

The trees are normally cut down when they cause subsidence to the surrounding houses. Before we moved in, a tree had to be removed as it had caused damage. We now have a new one after about 3 years.

poxy

<a href="https://www.islington.gov.uk/onlineplanning/apas/run/WPHAPPDETAIL.DisplayUrl?theApnID=P032682&theTabNo=2&backURL=<a href=wphappcriteria.display?paSearchKey=207212>Search Criteria</a> > <a href=&#039;wphappsearchres.displayResultsURL?ResultID=277034&StartIndex=1&SortOrder=APNID:asc&DispResultsAs=WPHAPPSEARCHRES&BackURL=<a href=wphappcriteria.display?paSearchKey=207212>Search Criteria</a>&#039;>Search Results</a>" target="qwerty">It's an old planning application but it's valid for another 18 months.</a>

Colette

34 flats? I must be reading this wrong.

David

The A3 commercial premises is an obvious move but six storey flats _(I don't see how four plus 2 but a curved roof is any different from six)_ is just, well, dull. Considering the current market and how old that application is I reckon they've just moved to get it underway before expiration and we're in for a few years of scaffolding and not much else. Dull and predictable.

jandb

I would pay good money to visit Simon Pegg's Believe it or not museum

jandb

... oh and a big lorryload of wood arrived this morning.

andy

Simon Pegg's Stroud Green Laserquest?

tosscat

Did anyone ever go to the Archway Laserquest? They have a free Knifequest in Archway now I believe.

andy

Archway Laserquest has fixed bayonets. It's a very different experience to normal laserquest, though not that different to most underpasses in the area.

Colette

I went to a birthday party there once, when I was about 10. It was scary back then too.