The first meetings I saw in Finsbury Park were the Salvation Army and we used to walk behind them when they used to march out, but we only kept to that part [the south side]. If we went over the south side it seemed miles and miles away.

​

​

​

 ​

My father used to go to Finsbury Park on a Sunday morning to Speakers’ Corner. I was very, very young then but I’ve got an older sister. That was at the Finsbury Park entrance… I think football was played there and my dad used to go there Sunday morning while my mum was cooking dinner and it was like Hyde Park Corner with all the different political parties whether you were going to vote Liberal, Labour or what have you...

​​

I remember once we were walking up Manor House to the underground, and there was a mental home on the other side [Northumberland House], and Mosley’s gang came down and we were driven to the wall because we were going a different way to them; they were shouting and bellowing and we were pressed against the wall and for once in my life I was scared.

​​

About 77 years ago the lake was frozen so solid that all the public were allowed to go on it and it had to be very solid and thick for us to go on – it was really something. It’s never been like that since.

​​

When the war started they put up an anti-aircraft gun at the top of the hill, where they’ve got the race track, which took out most of our windows when used and shrapnel pierced into our flat roofs. It didn’t half make a row!





​

In 1908, I think it was, my dear old dad told me that they drained the lake to clear out the muck and silt. They drained the water, it was a hot summer and the mud looked solid enough for my dad and friends to walk to the island. However, the mud had just a crust on top and dad went through up to his chest. Had to walk home stinking of festering mud!

​​

My earliest memories are muddled but I can clearly remember lying in my cot and hearing - Boom, Boom, Boom - some distance away. This may have been bombing or the anti-aircraft guns in Finsbury Park. I always had a little paraffin night light on in my bedroom as I was afraid of the dark.

​​

One of my earliest memories must be 1942/3 was seeing the anti-aircraft guns sticking over the hedge near the Manor House entrance. Also sitting in my pushchair and seeing the soldiers by the Manor House entrance.

​​

..my Auntie Biddy always made a fuss of me and would bake my special treat, a treacle tart! One vivid memory of her is being pushed around Finsbury Park and watching the Canadian soldiers marching and singing, ‘Who’s the fellow with the big red nose, hoo har, hoo har!’