A Tale Of 8 Tottenhams - Introduction

Unit 16, 17, 18.

MillMead Business Centre, MillMead Road,

Tottenham Hale, London, N17 9QU.

That’s the address of Bally Studios. Tottenham Hale. As opposed to Tottenham. Not Tottenham Green, or Tottenham High Road. Tottenham Hale. Sometimes people ask, “why is it called Tottenham Hale, as opposed to Tottenham?”

Well, for a start, it was not really my choice. When I took over the business in 2005, that was the address. I did not really question the “Hale” part, I just accepted that it was part of the address. However, it is an important distinction, and it says a lot about the area in general. Tottenham Hale is very different to Tottenham: Tottenham as a whole is an incredibly varied area. In fact, it is pretty pointless asking “what is it like in Tottenham?” You may as well say, “what is it like living in North London?” Or “how do you find living in Haringey?”

Tottenham takes up a large part of Haringey, which is quite possibly the UK’s most contradictory council borough. There was a property TV show a few years ago with Kirsty and Phil from “Location, Location Location”, and they said it was the most varied in Britain, and I’d be inclined to believe them. In recent years, Haringey Council has been famous for a few things. If I am being honest, not all of them are good. The “Baby P”scandal happened in Tottenham, and it was the shooting in Tottenham of Mark Duggan that sparked the nationwide riots that happened in August 2011. The Broadwater riots were also in Tottenham in 1985.

However, Haringey is also home to some of the finest parts of London. Highgate and Muswell Hill are in Haringey, and a three-bedroom flat in either of them will set you back at least £500,000, (unless you get a fixer upper) You can also get a three-bedroom flat in Tottenham for £165,000, despite them being in the same borough. Haringey straddles both ends of the social and financial spectrum, and Tottenham is also an area that has a feel of a collection of smaller areas, all banded under the same name. A 5 minute walk can take you through 3 of the areas, they are that close, and some are better than others. I’ve lived and worked here for 8 years, so I have a pretty good understanding of the area, and it is this huge variation in the different areas that makes it so interesting. For every mention in the newspapers that Tottenham will get for the London riots, there are also hidden gems, such as Bruce Castle….

which is in Tottenham! As is the All Hallows Church, which dates back to the 12th century

Yep, also in Tottenham. I always think that Tottenham can be best summed up by the fact that on the high road, just before you get to a one-way system, right next to the Kwik-Fit and new affordable homes that are being built, and directly opposite the Chinese takeaway and 3 separate hairdressers is a monument that dates back to 1600, slap bang in the middle of the road! And I mean literally, the cars and buses have to drive around it….

See, Tottenham can be funny like that. The vast majority of my time living and working in Tottenham, I look back on with a fondness that actually shocks most people.

“Where do you live? “ “Tottenham” “Oh God, really? Wow, what’s it like?”

Yeah, I’ve had that conversation a few times. Hence this blog post. Despite that impression, I’ve lived here quite happily. I used to live up in Foyle Road, Northumberland Park, Tottenham, in a fantastic Victorian property with great features, big back garden, and great bus links, before moving to Bream Close, Tottenham Hale, which was a few minutes walk to the station, and next to the Walthamstow fisheries.

So here is a little guide to all of the different parts that make up Tottenham. Some of these boundaries I have drawn are unofficial, but are recognised by many people who live in Tottenham. Also, it is just my personal opinion about the areas, so do not be surprised if anyone else disagrees with me. However, they are all honest accounts of a part of London that I hold very dear to my heart. They are also very honest. I have had to point out the bad parts as well as the good parts. The only point in the blog post is to inform people honestly about the area. If I were to cover up the worst parts of the are, then it would be misleading. In fact, some of the best aspects of the area are actually in some of the least desirable areas.

As I said, Tottenham is funny like that.

In coming weeks, on Monday of every week, we will be loking at each of the different parts of Tottenham, which are: