Bowes Park "Tin Tabernacle" and proposals for redevelopment

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Permalink Reply by Dave Corcoran on June 23, 2011 at 10:51

The current fence and gate at the tin tabernacle, and the poor upkeep of the site, currently make it a bit of an eyesore, but having it spruced up is not inconceivable, and it would be interesting to see it in use as a community building. 

 

The planning application is rather concerning, as it sounds like they are trying to cram far more into the site than is suitable, including, if I understand it correctly, not only a 24/7 Samaritans office/drop-in centre, but also 4 residential flats with doors that would open onto the alley?!

 

Check the Haringey website for further infomation about the proposals.

Indeed! There's some interesting reading there.

I find it very strange indeed the the Samaritans, of all organisations, would be involved in a development like this, which seems so insensitive.

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Permalink Reply by Richard McKeever on June 24, 2011 at 10:43

I was contacted this week by a former Wood Green Resident, Bob Rust, with some interesting information about the history of Shaftesbury Hall.

Bob has done some research into Donald Macadie the inventor/maker of the AVO meter  which was first produced in 1923. 

Donald Macadie lived in Bowes Road at the corner of Moffat Road. He worked as a Post Office engineer and he became dissatisfied with having to carry many separate instruments required for the maintenance of the telecommunication circuits. Macadie invented the first instrument, which could measure Amps, Volts and Ohms, so the multifunctional meter was called an AVO meter.

It would seem that Macadie rented Shaftesbury Hall for a time to use as an assembly shop for his invetion.

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Permalink Reply by Richard McKeever on December 1, 2011 at 13:23

At the Bowes Park Community Association meeting this week there was some discussion about the Shaftesbury Hall - and I was reminded of this discussion earlier in the year.

Shaftesbury Hall is a lovely building  - with a fascinating history. It would be terrific if it could be brought back into community use.

 

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Permalink Reply by Dave Corcoran on December 1, 2011 at 13:50

Pleased to see that the planning application was refused:

http://www.planningservices.haringey.gov.uk/portal/servlets/Attachm...

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Permalink Reply by TomJH on December 2, 2011 at 12:24

Its a shame as although its a cheap building with its corrugated sheet roof and corrugated steel walls its really very attractive with the elegant arch shaped windows and has obviously been maintained to a high standard. 

I presume that the building would be very cold and difficult to insulate. Perhaps local residents should meet with the Samaritans to provide their input into what its replaced with. 

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Permalink Reply by Michael Cordwell James on December 4, 2011 at 0:45

The only time I was inside this building was when it was used as a rehearsal space.  Would be perfect for hire as a small studio, pilates classes etc

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Permalink Reply by TomJH on December 4, 2011 at 10:13

It belongs to the Samaritans and I think they are looking to make some money from developing the site hence the 4 two bed flats.

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Permalink Reply by Jeremy Browning on December 5, 2011 at 20:04

In the mid 1980s it was used by 'Haringey Community Workshops', a government-funded scheme to help the medium-term unemployed back to work. I, and a couple of dozen other creative-but-too-lazy-to-work types (musicians, actors, alternative comedians, mime and performance artists, writers, etc.) , hung out there weekday mornings planning out 'workshops', and then in the afternoon were bussed out to various community centres (e.g. for the elderly, the disabled, the disadvantaged, after school playgroups, etc.) and run creatinve & artistic activities for them. It was great fun and really creative, and the people we took our workshops to really appreciateed us. By 1990 it had closed down due to a combination of funding cuts and bad management - a great pity. I have photos and some video footage somewhere.

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Permalink Reply by Richard McKeever on December 8, 2011 at 18:46

Jeremy

Sounds brilliant - the sort of scheme we could do with recreating!

I'd love to see some images and/or video - it would be really good to showcase that bit of local history and it might even be a catalyst for thinking about re-use of Shaftesbury Hall as a community arts space again.

Thanks

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Permalink Reply by Michael Cordwell James on December 8, 2011 at 23:36

Yes, I second that Richard!

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Permalink Reply by Lindsey Clarke on December 10, 2011 at 16:07

Fascinating! I walk past this all the time and often wonder about it. What about the one on Braemar Avenue - is that still in use by the Baptist Church there? 

Just doing some research on Tin Tabernacles and came across this website, which includes a small pic of one in Finchley: http://www.tintabernacles.com/Archive.html

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Permalink Reply by Administrator on December 13, 2011 at 16:09

A Message from Caroline Simpson:

I am very glad to see the discussion re Shaftesbury Hall.

Would be great to have any photos or even film.

Below are just some other notes and attached is a copy of the report from English Heritage when we applied in 2008 to have it listed. 

They said no.... but said it was an important building to the locality - and that is what we should build on.

It would be great to see it back in real use again as it has been in the not so distant past.

I guess what it needs is a proper 'working party' to move it ahead.  I would be willing to join one.

Any volunteers????

Best wishes

Caroline.

NOTES

Herbert Road was previously called Carlton Road.  Shaftesbury Hall was registered in 1885 and was an Infants School in 1901-1902 Street Directory.

"Shaftesbury Hall, Carlton Road, Bowes Park, was registered in 1885. It had attendances of 78 and 103 in 1903 and was still used by Baptists in 1937 but had been closed by 1954. (fn. 35) “

From: 'Tottenham: Protestant nonconformity', A History of the County of Middlesex: Volume 5: Hendon, Kingsbury, Great Stanmore, Little Stanmore, Edmonton Enfield, Monken Hadley, South Mimms, Tottenham (1976), pp. 356-364. URL: http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=26995.

Attachments:

• English Heritage Listing.pdf, 20 KB

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