Local History

photo of signpost at palmers green triangle

© Copyright Stephen McKay and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

If you're interested in the local history of Palmers Green, Southgate, Winchmore Hill, Edmonton and Enfield, there are a number of societies which put on regular lectures and talks and provide research facilitiies. We list some of these in our Community Directory in the History category, but you should also investigate the Conservation Groups, Residents' Associations and North London on the Web categories.

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  Category: Local History

A World War 1 officer who was awarded the Victoria Cross is to be commemorated at a ceremony taking place in the street in New Southgate where he was born. At 11am on 1st December a specially made paving stone will be unveiled at a short commemorative event in honour of Captain Alastair McReady-Diarmid. Attendees will include the Mayor of Enfield, Councillor Christine Hamilton, Bambos Charalambous MP, Councillors and members of the Middlesex Regiment, as well as relatives of Captain.......

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The war memorial in Broomfield Park dates from 1929 and has some unique features. It is currently closed for restoration but was opened temporarily for last week's service.Did you know that there are at least 116 war memorials in Enfield? War memorials can be found in schools, places of worship, clubs and work places. They come in a variety of forms, such as: the memorial to the Men of Edmonton, now standing on the busy roundabout at Edmonton Green; the lychgate at St Stephens.......

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  Category: Local History

Do you know women who worked in industry and manufacture in Enfield?  If so, you could help artist Rachael Nee in a new lottery-funded project that she has just embarked on.  Rachael will be collecting stories and pictures that will contribute towards a new publication, website and exhibition - Enfield Making History - Women at Work: Then and Now. Last month Rachael began a 12-week term as Artist-in-Residence at Building BloQs, located at Meridian Water, Edmonton.  Building BloQs.......

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This week's newspapers carry obituaries for Jack Good, the TV producer behind Six-Five Special and Oh Boy! who reputedly helped launch the early career of Cliff Richard.  In addition to playing a very important part in the UK's musical revolution of the late fifties and sixties, he was also a TV and film actor and producer of musicals such as Catch My Soul.  He was himself the subject of a West End musical, Good Rockin' Tonite, in the 1990s. The reason for bringing this up is that.......

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  Category: Local History

Catherine Lee-Smith is involved in the launch of a new oral history project: Living Memories of Forty Hall.  Click here to send an email to Catherine. Photo by Pterre reproduced under Creative Commons by 3.0 licence My name is Catherine and I am assisting Verity Roberts in setting up a Forty Hall Oral History Group. OUR AIMS & OBJECTIVES: To discover and capture local peoples’ experience of Forty Hall and the impact that this place has had on their lives. To record this.......

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  Category: Local History

The latest publication by the Enfield Archaeological Society (EAS) provides a definitive description and analysis of all the known Roman archaeology in the London Borough of Enfield. First Stop North Of Londinium: The Archaeology of Roman Enfield and its Roadline Settlement has been written by Martin J. Dearne with contributions by Geoffrey Gilbert and Roger Dorner.  The title refers to the fact that the settlement that grew up around Ermine Street - an important Roman road linking London.......

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  Category: Local History

Toys and Games wanted! Enfield Museum is planning its 2017 exhibition, ‘Terrific Toys: Made and Played in Enfield’ which is set to open at the Dugdale on Thursday 13th  April, running through to January 2018. This free exhibition will explore 100 years of toys and games played with by Enfield children and investigate some of the borough’s factories that produced famous name toys. Are you a collector with a significant collection of toys from the past century? Do you.......

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  Category: Local History

Haringey Federation of Residents Associations and Haringey Friends of Parks Forum have produced three booklets describing walks across the borough that trace the history of Wood Green and Tottenham and visit their highlights:  a palace, a castle, numerous conservation areas, several parks and London's own River Moselle (without vineyards, unfortunately). The booklets can be obtained from libraries in Haringey or downloaded using the links below. Alexandra Palace to Bruce Castle.......

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  Category: Local History

The campaign to create a museum in part of the Trent Park mansion is continuing.  So far more than 3800 people have signed an online petition which has the goal of persuading the Berkeley Group to set aside a sufficiently large area within the building for a museum that would truly do justice to the important subject of the mansion's World War II intelligence gathering role. If you missed the TV programme broadcast earlier this week on More 4, it's also available on youTube (see.......

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  Category: Local History

In support of a national charity's campaign to record and maintain the country's war memorials, a local church is providing access to information about fallen World War I servicemen. Christ Church Southgate Green will be making its WWI Lives Remembered exhibition materials available to the participants in the Civic Voice war memorials workshop, which will be held at the similarly named church in Cockfosters on Friday 13th May. All the display boards from last November's exhibition can now be.......

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  Category: Local History

20th February, 11am to 4.30pm, at Bruce Castle Museum Discover more about Haringey’s history at our Fair at Bruce Castle Museum – you can visit the Search Room and talk to Archive Staff, enjoy our all-day talks programme or browse stalls from local organisations showcasing our area's heritage. The Old Kitchen will also have a café for teas, coffee and cake all day. Tel: 020 8808 8772 Email: museum Free Talks Programme 11.15am The Ivy-Mantled Tower.......

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  Category: Local History

Enfield Council has announced a £250 prize for essays which bring to life some aspect of the London Borough of Enfield's past - including, of course, the time before the London Borough of Enfield was created 50 years ago from the former boroughs of Enfield, Edmonton and Southgate. The David Pam Memorial Bursary is named after a renowned local historian who died in 2014.  He worked for the Enfield Local History and Museums Service and after retirement became president of the Edmonton.......