Fairfax Hall (Kurdish People's Assembly Building ) a Fascinating History of London’s 20th Century - Harringay online2024-03-29T11:24:20Zhttps://harringayonline.com/forum/topics/fairfax-hall-kurdish-community-centre-a-history-of-london-s-20th-?groupUrl=historyofharringay&xg_source=activity&feed=yes&xn_auth=noI lived in Portland Gardens i…tag:harringayonline.com,2019-05-23:844301:Comment:11685362019-05-23T18:17:41.871Zrowena younghttps://harringayonline.com/profile/rowenayoung
<p>I lived in Portland Gardens in the 1950s The hall at one time was a button factory and they also made the red riding coats for show jumpers. When the vans came down the street is the only time we had to get out of the road.</p>
<p>In its much later years it held a luncheon club for the senior citizens.</p>
<p>I lived in Portland Gardens in the 1950s The hall at one time was a button factory and they also made the red riding coats for show jumpers. When the vans came down the street is the only time we had to get out of the road.</p>
<p>In its much later years it held a luncheon club for the senior citizens.</p> The newspaper report referred…tag:harringayonline.com,2018-10-20:844301:Comment:11277012018-10-20T16:07:35.424ZHughhttps://harringayonline.com/profile/hjuk
<p>The newspaper report referred to it as the first “campaign meeting”. That may have been different from the first meeting; I don’t know. I’ll dig out the newspaper cutting when I get home. </p>
<p>I came across a couple of COs in the house that used to stand on the north end of the Hawes & Curtis site the other day. Both applications were rejected. </p>
<p>The newspaper report referred to it as the first “campaign meeting”. That may have been different from the first meeting; I don’t know. I’ll dig out the newspaper cutting when I get home. </p>
<p>I came across a couple of COs in the house that used to stand on the north end of the Hawes & Curtis site the other day. Both applications were rejected. </p> That's interesting about the…tag:harringayonline.com,2018-10-20:844301:Comment:11276372018-10-20T15:52:46.637ZJoanna Bornathttps://harringayonline.com/profile/JoannaBornat
<p>That's interesting about the first meeting, when would you say the first meeting of the Northern Division was held? The brothers Howard give 75B Green Lanes as their address when dealing with the authorities when it came to their appeals against conscription in 1916 though it's not clear if they actually lived there. Percy's address in 1913 was 509 Green Lanes which is a lot further up. Research into the Haringey and Harringay conscientious objectors is revealing a lot of interesting stuff…</p>
<p>That's interesting about the first meeting, when would you say the first meeting of the Northern Division was held? The brothers Howard give 75B Green Lanes as their address when dealing with the authorities when it came to their appeals against conscription in 1916 though it's not clear if they actually lived there. Percy's address in 1913 was 509 Green Lanes which is a lot further up. Research into the Haringey and Harringay conscientious objectors is revealing a lot of interesting stuff but there are still tantalising things we don't yet know.</p> By the way, the first campaig…tag:harringayonline.com,2018-10-20:844301:Comment:11277762018-10-20T12:33:05.165ZHughhttps://harringayonline.com/profile/hjuk
<p>By the way, the first campaign meeting of the League's North London Campaign wasn't held in any building. I had wondered if finance may have been behind this, (but it may just have been a matter of increasing their public profile). It was organised by Percy Howard just down the road from the 313 Green Lanes HQ and near his home at 75 Grand Parade. The meeting was held on the corner of Burgoyne Road. This was before the extension to the pub was built and along with <em>Salisbury…</em></p>
<p>By the way, the first campaign meeting of the League's North London Campaign wasn't held in any building. I had wondered if finance may have been behind this, (but it may just have been a matter of increasing their public profile). It was organised by Percy Howard just down the road from the 313 Green Lanes HQ and near his home at 75 Grand Parade. The meeting was held on the corner of Burgoyne Road. This was before the extension to the pub was built and along with <em>Salisbury Corner, </em>it was one of the places for local working people to gather.</p> Maybe it does. I'm totally op…tag:harringayonline.com,2018-10-20:844301:Comment:11276972018-10-20T12:22:31.842ZHughhttps://harringayonline.com/profile/hjuk
<p>Maybe it does. I'm totally open to that being an over-statement. As I said, my impression was formed from contemporary articles in the Daily Herald. This was the paper which the Herald League was originally formed to support. So I assume it was pretty sympathetic to the League and in no way seeking to paint an unfavourable picture.</p>
<p>By the way, the useful libcom article you link to has the following:</p>
<blockquote><em>This chronic money problem and the need to create a network of…</em></blockquote>
<p>Maybe it does. I'm totally open to that being an over-statement. As I said, my impression was formed from contemporary articles in the Daily Herald. This was the paper which the Herald League was originally formed to support. So I assume it was pretty sympathetic to the League and in no way seeking to paint an unfavourable picture.</p>
<p>By the way, the useful libcom article you link to has the following:</p>
<blockquote><em>This chronic money problem and the need to create a network of committed newspaper sellers motivated the formation of the Herald Leagues late in 1912</em></blockquote>
<p>And, yes, I'm aware of the CO walk. I'm glad they were able to make use of Keith Flett's and my discoveries about the Fairfax.</p>
<p>There are still many untold stories about the Great War in Harringay. Some time back, Liz Ixer was doing some work on the how Harringay's German community fared. That would be an interesting read. </p> I thought 'desperate' rather…tag:harringayonline.com,2018-10-20:844301:Comment:11276222018-10-20T11:11:06.666ZJoanna Bornathttps://harringayonline.com/profile/JoannaBornat
<p>I thought 'desperate' rather over-stated their fund-raising activities which I tend to see as a normal part of organising when cash support comes from members, supporters and anyone else who might be interested.</p>
<p>You can see some of the activities of the Northern Division mentioned in the Conscientious Objection Remembered walk which has featured on Harringay online. Also, if you don't already know it you could look at Ken Weller's <em>Don't be a soldier! The radical anti-war movement…</em></p>
<p>I thought 'desperate' rather over-stated their fund-raising activities which I tend to see as a normal part of organising when cash support comes from members, supporters and anyone else who might be interested.</p>
<p>You can see some of the activities of the Northern Division mentioned in the Conscientious Objection Remembered walk which has featured on Harringay online. Also, if you don't already know it you could look at Ken Weller's <em>Don't be a soldier! The radical anti-war movement in North London 1914-1918</em> (<a rel="nofollow noopener" href="https://libcom.org/history/dont-be-soldier-radical-anti-war-movement-north-london-1914-1918-ken-weller" target="_blank">https://libcom.org/history/dont-be-soldier-radical-anti-war-movemen...</a>)<span>.</span></p>
<p>And more about the SPGB photos would be good.</p> Thank you for giving a more r…tag:harringayonline.com,2018-10-20:844301:Comment:11276872018-10-20T10:05:44.645ZHughhttps://harringayonline.com/profile/hjuk
<p>Thank you for giving a more rounded overview of the Herald League and SPGB. My knowledge of their history at this stage is limited by the degree to which they are associated with Fairfax Hall. The impression I gained from early twentieth century editions of The Daily Herald is that fund raising was a very pressing need and drove a great part of their use of Fairfax Hall. </p>
<p>Delighted to learn any more you can share with us. I’ll see if I kept a note of the source for the photos. </p>
<p>Thank you for giving a more rounded overview of the Herald League and SPGB. My knowledge of their history at this stage is limited by the degree to which they are associated with Fairfax Hall. The impression I gained from early twentieth century editions of The Daily Herald is that fund raising was a very pressing need and drove a great part of their use of Fairfax Hall. </p>
<p>Delighted to learn any more you can share with us. I’ll see if I kept a note of the source for the photos. </p> Good that you include the his…tag:harringayonline.com,2018-10-20:844301:Comment:11276052018-10-20T07:41:23.255ZJoanna Bornathttps://harringayonline.com/profile/JoannaBornat
<p>Good that you include the history of Fairfax Hall as a venue for political groups but I must take issue with your phrase 'In desperate need of funds...' in relation to the Herald League's activities in the period leading up to the First World War. The Northern District of the Herald League certainly held ticketed fund-raising activities at Fairfax Hall, which combined dances and entertainment as well as popular speakers including Mrs Despard, Victor Grayson, Tom Mann and Sylvia Pankhurst,…</p>
<p>Good that you include the history of Fairfax Hall as a venue for political groups but I must take issue with your phrase 'In desperate need of funds...' in relation to the Herald League's activities in the period leading up to the First World War. The Northern District of the Herald League certainly held ticketed fund-raising activities at Fairfax Hall, which combined dances and entertainment as well as popular speakers including Mrs Despard, Victor Grayson, Tom Mann and Sylvia Pankhurst, and also ran a full programme of educational and campaigning activities throughout the year. As well as Fairfax Hall they held events at Allison Hall, on Allison Road and the Argyle Hall on Seven Sisters Road. They had premises at 318 Green Lanes where they had lectures and meetings and they also organised speakers at corners from Tottenham to Holloway Road and weekly meetings in Finsbury Park. As for their politics, these were clearly socialist from the start, they supported strikers in the Black Country and in Dublin, locked out musicians at Wood Green Empire and other local and national campaigns. With the outbreak of war they continued with public meetings and social events, opposing conscription even when speakers were attacked in Finsbury Park. </p>
<p>I mention all this as I felt your account rather under-estimates the level of the Herald League's activities and doesn't quite represent their motivations. Members of the League were also members of the Socialist Party of Great Britain. I was interested to see the photographs of the SPGB at the Fairfax Hall and wondered where you had come across these.</p> Now as complete as I think I'…tag:harringayonline.com,2018-10-18:844301:Comment:11271512018-10-18T10:55:10.230ZHughhttps://harringayonline.com/profile/hjuk
<p>Now as complete as I think I'll make this - including a period with Moss Bros and an explosive divorce between the property's Edwardian inhabitants.</p>
<p>Now as complete as I think I'll make this - including a period with Moss Bros and an explosive divorce between the property's Edwardian inhabitants.</p> Following a discussion this w…tag:harringayonline.com,2018-10-15:844301:Comment:11265532018-10-15T18:32:48.991ZHughhttps://harringayonline.com/profile/hjuk
<p>Following a discussion this week about a Pankhurst connection (<a href="https://www.harringayonline.com/forum/topics/sylvia-pankhurst-in-harringay-in-1916?groupUrl=historyofharringay&" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unearthed by local historian Keith Flett</a> a few years ago), I've done a little more digging and have filled in a few of the gaps by adding some detail to my original post, including adding in Liz's and Keith's great nuggets.</p>
<p>Following a discussion this week about a Pankhurst connection (<a href="https://www.harringayonline.com/forum/topics/sylvia-pankhurst-in-harringay-in-1916?groupUrl=historyofharringay&" target="_blank" rel="noopener">unearthed by local historian Keith Flett</a> a few years ago), I've done a little more digging and have filled in a few of the gaps by adding some detail to my original post, including adding in Liz's and Keith's great nuggets.</p>