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Permalink Reply by Richard McKeever on April 11, 2013 at 15:54

Hello Keith and welcome to the site - many thanks for your fascinating reminiscences!

We have written on here about the Fishnongers Arms - both when it was a Jazz club and later when it became a blues and rock venue.

You also mentioned the Sweet Factory at Mayes Road - this was part of the comple that is currently the Chocolate Factory - artists studios, and its history is told in this local historian's video: The Story of Barratt's Sweet Factory.

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Permalink Reply by Keith Bailey on April 11, 2013 at 15:56

Thanks Richard I will have a look at this.

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Permalink Reply by sally hinckley on February 11, 2014 at 10:19

Hi Keith,
Loved reading your memories of Wood Green. That is where I am from but now live in Hertfordshire. Small world though. You mentioned R K Motors, and that was owned by my family ! My grandad started it up which later my dad took over and carried on until he retired and sold up. I have many photos and great memories and we even lived above the Car Hire premises when I was born. My grandad had many shops and premises and was also the Promoter of Haringey Stadium .
Happy times !
Regards,
Sally

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Permalink Reply by Keith Bailey on February 12, 2014 at 8:41

Hi Sally
Harringay (as it was before the loony left changed its spelling) Stadium, where we went on Saturdays to watch Stock Car Racing, we used to get the train from Crouch Hill to Harringay Park. Other Saturdays we would get the 41 bus to Turnpike Lane and go to the old cinema opposite Ducketts Common.
I remember there being a guy my father used to call ‘Doc’ who was the service/reception manager at RK Motors, I used to have an old bill for some repairs to his Ford Popular but I haven’t seen it since we moved house about 14 years ago but at some point I’ll try and dig it out. Dad worked for Brent Bros a menswear shop in Wood Green High Road about where William Hill Bookmakers is now (according to Google Street View!)
My mother’s family lived in Wightman Road for many years at No 212, she married and moved to Chesterfield Gardens, was widowed on D-Day and moved back to Wightman Rd later marrying my father.
As a youth I used to have to visit J G Medlocks Electrical in Green Lanes as the firm I worked for maintained their vehicle fleet.
God – was all that 50 years ago!!

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Permalink Reply by sally hinckley on February 12, 2014 at 10:43

Thanks for your reply Keith.
It was my grandad Stan Hinckley who ran the racing at Haringey and my dad Bryan Hinckley used to race stock cars !!!! You may remember my grandad, he always had a cigar in his mouth ! As a child I was bought up with the racing and my mum used to sign the drivers in on race nights.' Doc' ...... I remember him well and he was such a lovely man. I was really young then and he used to work at the Station Road Branch.
If I'm right, the mens shop that you mention was the place I brought my first designer jumper ! ......was it close to the cinema(same side) ?  
I am 42 Keith but I have lots of pictures and paperwork that my dad gave me as he luckily kept everything. I am so glad that he did as it's lovely to look back on and piece stories together. Good memories & happy ones !
Sally

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Permalink Reply by Keith Bailey on February 12, 2014 at 11:50

Hi Sally

Yes I remember the guy with cigar!!
It’s a sad reflection on society that when I was 12/13/14 I used to go there with a schoolmate. We also went to Spurs for Saturdays and evening games and to Arsenal. These days you would be locked up and certified for allowing a kid of that age to wander North London streets at that time of night. In the 60’s we always felt safe and our parents felt assured because the adults at these things looked after the kids, they felt it was a duty, these days everyone wants to be Pontius Pilate and wash their hands of any responsibility in case they get accused of being perverted!!
I’m nearly 62 so we have few years difference.
When I first knew Doc he worked in the shop on the corner of Cranbrook Park and High Road – I can remember in later years he was in Station Road near Mayes Road.
Interesting because when I started a motor apprenticeship in Holloway in 1967 Dad swapped allegiance to my place as it was only 100 yards from where we lived (I was still late most mornings) so I wouldn’t have been to RK since probably 1966. You were born about 1972 and wouldn’t remember much before 1976 so on that basis he must have worked at RK for a long time
Brent Bros was at the other end (Turnpike Lane) almost opposite Whymark Avenue, There was a Burtons Menswear close by.
Looking on Street View which unfortunately goes out of date at the same rate as shops change ownership and name, the old Burtons is now Tesco Express you can see the upper floors are in that Art Deco style that nearly all the Burtons shops were in with most of them having a Temperance Billiards and Snooker club on the upper floors. Costa Coffee was a pub (can’t remember name)

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