News and forthcoming events

The Tower from Hornsey High Street and Memorial Garden SPRING AND SUMMER EVENTS 2008 Thurs 15 May: evening visit to St George’s Gardens, Bloomsbury. Meet at Russell Square underground 5.45pm Sat 17 May: Gardening/workshop 10.30am -1.00pm Sat 14 June: Madrigal Concert (details in the next newsletter, late May) Sat 21 June: Gardening/workshop 10.30am -1.00pm Sat 5 July: SUMMER OPEN DAY 2.00 - 5.30pm ACTIVITIES Church Services: organised by the Parish of St Mary with St George, take place twice a week, 9.30am on Sunday mornings, and on Wednesday afternoons. For further details contact Rev Geoffrey Seabrook tel: 020 8836 6846 Saturday Morning Gardening Days: organised by the Friends, include pruning, planting and weeding in the Memorial garden, and clearing undergrowth in the churchyard while maintaining a balance with wild life. Future plans include: - Reseeding the grass around the tower - Lavender bushes in the Memorial garden - British bluebells in the woodland area - A tidy up of the railed ‘dog free’ area to encourage use by the school Next Gardening Days: In 2008 Gardening/workshop days will be held on the 3rd Saturday of every month from 10.30am-1.00pm: All help is welcome and tools are provided. For further details contact Bridget Cherry 020 7272 0578 Saturday workshops coordinated by Nick Allaway (on the same days as gardening days), involve minor DIY work to keep the tower in good order. WORK ON THE TOWER The programme of major repairs, supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, was completed in December 2005. This has put the exterior fabric in good shape, making the masonry weatherproof and securing the parapet at the top of the tower. We still urgently need funds, especially for work on the interior. The historic clock face on the west side of the tower has been expertly repaired, this and the northern clock face, attached to an electric mechanism, now tell the time; with further funding we will install the turret clock mechanism which we have acquired, and striking bell. A grant from the Heritage of London Trust has enabled conservation work to be carried out on the two carved angel capitals within the tower. Future works for which we are urgently seeking funding include the rewiring of the interior and the repair of the steps in the stair turret. RECENT EVENTS The exhibition ‘Hornsey Church Depicted’ was displayed in the Old School house, Tottenham Lane, the Hornsey Historical Society’s headquarters, from January – March 2008. It demonstrated that Hornsey, rural and relatively remote in the 18th and early 19th century, was a favourite subject for artists in search of picturesque spots outside London. As a result there is a fascinating record of the old church before its rebuilding in 1833. The church remained a popular subject through the 19th century, the old ivy-clad tower adding to its romantic appeal. A book on the subject is now in preparation. Over 50 members and friends joined the annual ‘Towers and Turrets’ excursion, which took place on April 26, visiting places in Essex: the ancient timber church at Greensted, Little Easton and the gardens of Easton Lodge, the churches of Stisted and Bradwell iuxta Coggeshall (with some of the oldest known brickwork in the country), and the town of Coggeshall, including the local museum run by volunteers. CHURCHYARD NEWS The ‘slave tomb’ Listed We were excited to hear that the joint tomb of Harriet Long and Jacob Walker was included in a recent Listing of a small group of monuments relating to slavery, in the 250th anniversary year of the abolition of the slave trade. The inscription on the large slab in the woodland at the SE edge of the churchyard refers to Jacob Walker as 'a native of Virginia, in America the faithful slave, in England the faithful servant' of Harriet Long, his employer, who had died two months earlier in 1841. The inscription must be due to Harriet’s husband, George Long, a professor of Latin who had previously worked in the United States (for further details see the article by Roy Hidson, HHS Bulletin 27 1986). The research carried out by English Heritage confirms our impression that this is indeed an exceptional tomb which is of interest on a national level. The scented walk In 2007 we learned that we had been successful in our application to Haringey for a ‘Making a Difference’ grant. This has enabled us to plan and carry out a radical replanting of the south border of the Memorial garden. Gardening volunteers put in many hours of hard labour during March 2008 to prepare the ground for a grand planting day on March 15 which was followed by a second planting session on April 26, and further help by children from St Mary’s Infant school on April 28. A few more plants are still awaited, but the new bed is now beginning to take shape, with an interesting mixture of scented herbs, attractive grasses and sun loving plants which will withstand dry conditions (we have no facilities for extra watering). The border is planned to be attractive both when seen from a distance from across the churchyard, and when one walks close by and can appreciate the varied scents and colours. The grant also include the provision of new seats. One of these has already been installed beside the path across the churchyard to Church Lane, and is much appreciated. Lighting and paths We were very pleased to learn that Haringey council had found some funding to connect up the lighting around the Memorial Garden. Work began in April 2008. The redundant lampposts will eventually be removed and the paths will be resurfaced afterwards. These long overdue improvements will do much to give the Memorial garden a more cared for appearance, as well as increase the security of the area after dark. last updated 12.05.2008