In recent times we have heard much discussion about questionable journalism. Sensationalist stories in poor taste however, are nothing new - one of the earliest British tabloids was the Illustrated Police News.

Published weekly  from 1842 it gained notoriety though the coverage of the…

I was doing some research on London borough coats of arms and found this nice image of Wood Green's:

Isn't it striking how green it is! The "official blazon" or explanation for the image is:

"The bands of blue and silver…

Whilst much has been made of the London Underground's 150th birthday this year - our local tube stations are not quite as old as the earliest central London parts of the system.

March 13th 2013 marks the 80th anniversary of the opening of Southgate Tube Station as part of the northern extension of the Piccadilly line to Cockfosters from Arnos Park.…

Whenever I try to pull up to a space to pop into a local shop it infuriates me that parking meters dominate the area, I got an £80 fine because I did not buy a ticket to pop into the dry cleaners near bounds green tube, seemingly even if I had of popped in Sisley ? Cafe for a coffee, I would not have be fined, as the parking outside those shops are private that but does not apply to the dry cleaner!



Having 30 mins or even 15 mins free parking to allow us to pop Into to local shops…

I live in Passmore Edwards House which is a sheltered housing scheme near Bounds Green Station.   It's a strange name...bit of a mouthful.  Yet quite elegant.  (the name - and the building)

Today my daughter sent me an e-mail with an attachment which explains that Mr Passmore Edwards was a Victorian philanthropist…

On Saturday last I went to The Cinema Museumin Kennington. (Not to be confused with the Film Museum in Covent Garden)  It was a great afternoon. If you are nostalgic for the days of usherettes, ice cream in the interval, film posters and programmes, this is the place to go.

It was good to hear that…

Elvis Costello is quoted as saying: "Writing about music is like dancing about architecture - it's a really stupid thing to want to do." but ignoring this advice a short series of articles will try to record a little of Our Musical Heritage. Part  2 Live at the Fishmongers Arms…

Peter Berthoud is an award winning City of Westminster Guide and a member of the City of Westminster Guide Lecturers Association. He is about to launch a series of Discovering London talks at The Step so… here Mat Meets Peter Berthoud!

Peter is a London obsessive….if he doesn’t tell you that within five minutes of meeting him it…

Since we opened The Step we've been lucky enough to work with some incredibly talented and inspirational people - musicians, designers, comedians and crafters to name but a few. So I've decided to get out and about each week, have a natter with people and try and bring their stories to life.

First up, I went to see Sean from  Cannon & Cannon who we have worked with since The Step began and provide the cured meats for our British Charcuterie Board and our…

We've just got back from Haringay Market (N8 ONU). Its on Haringay ladders from 11:00 to 15:00, perfectly timed for a zingy Sunday lunch with a choice of food from across three continents.

Located in the playground of North Haringay Primary School…

I have heard several times the description of Bowes Park as
"Wood Green with its Sunday best on" so I thought I'd pursue the original quote and see if the author had anything else to say about our area ... and what a delight I discovered!



It's from Thomas Burke's book -…

"On my London street, you're lucky if your direct neighbour waves a greeting. Anyone living four houses down could be living in Timbuktu; I don't even know what they look like." That's what I remember from an interview on the radio a few weeks back. The woman being interviewed was explaining her opposition to a new Royal Mail scheme where neighbours opt-in to receive parcels for each other. She hardly knew her neighbours and was certainly not ready to trust them with her Amazon…

Last October, St Ann's hospital ran the first Tree Tour led by botanist David Bevan. This is my personal account of the tour: 

Here's a little mystery for you history detectives to solve.



In the grounds of St Ann's Hospital are a large number of planted rare and interesting trees but nobody knows who was responsible for deciding the…

‘My Bowes Park’was established as a project to engage both younger and older people from the Bowes Park area, with a particular focus on Myddleton Road.

It was a joint project run by the Bowes Park Community Association, and…

This month the Bowes Park Walking Group celebrated their fifth anniversary with a walk around Trent Park - the site of their first organised walk in 2006.

Founder Member of the Walking Group Catharine Perry talks about the history and current activities of the group in the video below.

She talks about the group's origns - the idea for a local…

The official opening of Wood Green Shopping City by HM Queen Elizabeth II on May 13th 1981 marked a significant shift in the local retail landscape - including setting in train the demise of Myddleton Road. 

The 30th anniversary of the opening was widely celebrated. The current management of "The Mall" marked the moment by…

In these days of austerity, how lucky we women are to live just a bus ride from one of the cheapest places on the planet to buy clothes. This is my guide to a unique shopping experience which hopefully, is still as enjoyable despite the financial gloom.

Fonthill Road, Finsbury Park - Unique Shopping…

I was sorry that the brilliant series Garrow's Law has ended. Inspired by it, I thought I'd have a look on the Old Bailey trials which are now on line dating from 1674 to 1913.    I came across a fascinating account of a murder committed in 1869 in Truro Road and the poor…

This year marks the centenary of the publication of an exceptional little book.

Henrietta Cresswell's book Winchmore Hill: Memories of a Lost Village is a personal account of the changing face of a rural…