Harringay online

Harringay, Haringey - So Good they Spelt it Twice!

The early history of our local press from British History Online:

The weekly Hampstead and Highgate Express, established at Hampstead in 1860, circulated in Hornsey and survived in 1976, as did the Hampstead and Highgate Record and Chronicle, founded in 1889 as the Hampstead Record and renamed in 1918.

The Hornsey Hornet, first published monthly from Tottenham Lane in 1866, enjoyed initial success but soon moved to London and, as the Hornet, ceased to be a local newspaper.

The Seven Sisters' and Finsbury Park Journal, founded in 1879 with offices in Crouch Hill, became the Hornsey and Finsbury Park Journal in 1881 and, through several changes of name, was generally known as the Hornsey Journal, with offices in Tottenham Lane and Fleet Street in 1975.

The Muswell Hill Record appeared from 1908 to 1919, continued as the Muswell Hill Record, Alexandra Park and Friern Barnet Journal until 1954, then as the Record until 1957, and finally was amalgamated in the short-lived London Chronicle.

The parish was also covered by the North Middlesex Chronicle, published at Islington from 1868 until 1940.

The Finsbury Park, Crouch Hill and Hornsey House and Property Register and Local Advertiser appeared in 1880 and was soon renamed the North London Advertiser, which survived until 1884.

Other short-lived newspapers included the Weathercock of Finsbury Park, covering much of south-eastern Hornsey as well as Islington, in 1876-7; the Hornsey and Middlesex Messenger in 1888, continued as the Middlesex Messenger in 1889; the Crouch End and Hornsey Weekly News and Highgate Advertiser, in 1888; the Hornsey Hawk Eye in 1897; the Crouch End and District Review in 1898; the North London Mercury and Crouch End Observer from 1899 to 1905; and the Crouch End and District Advertiser in 1922.

The Finchley Free Press, founded in 1893, was also issued in 1896 as the Highgate and Muswell Hill Post.

In 1908 the Hornsey and Tottenham Press, with offices in Seven Sisters Road and in Grand Parade, Muswell Hill, owned the Highgate Times, the Muswell Hill Times, and the Hornsey and Harringay Mercury.

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Combining two of these newspapers, I stumbled across an ad for the Hornsey & Harringay Mercury in a copy of the North London Mercury and Crouch End Observer. (Yes, it says The Times at the top of the page, but the cover says its the North London Mercury and Crouch End Observer. I have no explanation for this difference)

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Aha, I think this explains it. I assume there was on paper that had different outer sections depending on where it was sold.

That was becoming ever more common - change a page or two, change the title, sell it as different. Down in Sidcup in the 70s we produced a total of 14 titles but the core 8 pages were common to all and the changes were integrated to cover different border territories - one page was called DHECE - for Dartford, Bexley, Erith,  Crayford, and - aha, I forget the other E.

As an old Hornsey Journal hack this is a fascinating piece. When I joined the Journal it was huge broadsheet and included Harringay Mercury and Muswell Hill Record in its sub-title. The late 50s early 60s were the end of the halcyon period for local papers.  Hard to believe but the Journal sold 60,000 copies every Friday morning across the borough of Hornsey and into Tottenham, Wood Green and Finchley. It was considered to be 'saturation' coverage - more then 90% of household took a copy - which meant seven or eight in some larger properties. And it was entirely locally produced (along with the Hampstead News, Stoke Newington Observer and North London Press) in Tottenham Lane, Crouch End. Some 30 or more men ran the Linotype machines and composing rooms, once a week (Thursday noon to midnight)  a dozen machine men came in to run the Goss Decker press. 24 journalists including three photographers worked there along with a dozen advertising staff and about the same support. So about 80 people or so in the one office and all earning decent pay and paying higher taxes than today. And the company made a profit.  

The same type of operation was going on the Tottenham (Crusha Press) and in scores/ hundreds more printing houses across the country. Then came new technology....

Today the office is empty, the paper a freebie and I doubt more than a handful of people are involved in the locality. A better world today? Hmmm - jury still out methinks.

I thought this might be one for you, Richard! At least two of us are interested then!

Indeed - by the way I didn't forget about the Old London book but I became ill and then we decided to move! Getting settled so will get it sorted.

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