Highbury Barn is a bustling, amazing place to shop. In general Highbury is a good place to walk through if you are feeling lonely as there’s a chance you will meet a friend or be able to wave at an acquaintance or neighbour. Plus Highbury Barn is a sociable place to wait for a bus. Lots of the interviews on Islington Faces blog are from people who know this area well. 

• For a full list of places in Islington you might enjoy visiting, see Where to go out locally.
• There’s a new community centre opening in 2022. See the interview with Jack and Verity about Christchurch Community Centre designed by Matthew Lloyd architects.
• Get involved in the community like Valerie Bossman-Quarshie who is a trustee at Elizabeth House and has been helping with the food bank there during lockdown.
• Find out more about Tonya Wong who is a volunteer chef at The People’s Army. She got involved in this no waste kitchen, food bank and amazing organisation after seeing an ad on NextDoor. Interview is on this post.
• Lindy Sharpe is helping us all tackle food and waste through Transition Highbury and Islington Environmental Emergency Alliance.
• Meet chair of Islington Faces, Ernestas Jegorovas-Armstrong, who is also a councillor for the area (Green party) and our 2025 new trustee Zoe Pearson

NEED SOMETHING TO DO AT HOME?

• Look at the interview with Richard Rhys O’Brien and see if you can solve the Dinner Puzzle. This is a unique website looking at a large dinner party for Lady Rhondda on 23 March 1933. Was one of the guests the head of Highbury Fields School?
• Enjoy a good book about climate change and sustainability with Tessa Shaw: ink@84 bookshop owner (13/4/21) Photos by Kimi Gill

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Q: What do you like about Highbury Barn?
Interviews & photos by Isabel VanderGert – Wilson

Sharon (walked) lived here for six years: “I like the stores, the butchers, the fishmongers.”

• See the interview with Chris Godfrey from Godfrey’s the Butcher

Tony (walked) lived here for 30 years: “The community, the shops, I know the people that run them, it’s villagey, you get general good quality.”

• See the interview with Simon Dolin from Barnaby’s hairdressing salon
• Sarah Matthias, author of Berlin Love Story choose to have her interview at Highness Cafe, 21a Highbury Park because she wrote some sections of her novel there.
• Enjoy the music story behind Arsenal fan and novel writer Richard Smith’s first book, Homeward Bound, written when he was 70.

Gokhan (bus): “Not much. I’ve worked here for three months.”

Ifra (walked): “Highbury Fields, I like sitting there – I’m using it all the time with my friends.”

• See the interview with Yehia el Nemer from Oasis Cafe

Anonymous woman: “Nice mixture of small local shops and Highbury Fields is a nice space for the kids. The shops would be nice on their own but the combination makes the area special.”

• See the interview with Viren Soma, tennis coach on Highbury Fields
• Enjoy finding out how Highbury Fields has inspired romance novelist Heidi Rice.
• Here’s how Tamsen Courtenay began her odyssey interviewing all the homeless people she met in the street from Highbury to the west end. Read more in her book Four Feet Under.

Barbara (walked): “I’ve lived here 48 years and wouldn’t want to live anywhere else”

• See the interview with Simon Moore from Highbury Arts Club

Dinah (walked): “I live here so it’s convenient. Highbury Barn is local and you know the shopkeepers – I don’t really go to supermarkets. Some things are pretty expensive but I get most of my stuff from the Health Food & Drug Store (Five Boys) and treats from the cheese shop, Fromagerie.”

• See the interview with Danny Michelson from La Fromagerie.
• Pop down the hill to Highbury Park for your dry cleaning at one of the few places that provides a greener service -it’s run by Costa Violaris of C&A Drycleaners.

Reece (working nearby): “I like the way Highbury Barn is near Arsenal football stadium – I go when I can afford a ticket. It’s quirky round here the way they are doing the pubs up.”

• See the interview with Tony Bedwell manager of the Highbury Barn pub
• Another huge Arsenal fan is Charlie Perdios who runs Anthony Pepe estate agents at 100 Highbury Park

Lina (working nearby): “I don’t know Highbury Barn well: I go on the bus here and then back. I do use Da Mario and the post office and Greggs.”

Alisa (cycled): “There’s a beautiful fish market here and I love Five Boys – they are real characters. They have things that I can’t get easily in Stoke Newington.”

• See the interview with Subhash and Urvashi Patel from Five Boys Natural Health Store.

School talk
There are several schools near Highbury Barn. Here are interviews looking at different aspects of their work. The first is with:

•  Carole Kenrick who is scientist and inventor-in-residence at Gillespie Primary School’s Lab_13.
• Enjoy this interview with Ambler Primary School governor, Mary Stevens, which explains the things she’s enjoyed doing in Highbury and Islington and why she’s now leaving the area.
• Fabulous art insight from Berrin Bates who is an art teacher and art therapist here

Thanks everyone. Enjoy reading about Highbury . Which local characters from Highbury and Highbury Barn do you think should be interviewed next? Which are your five favourite shops at the Barn? What are your favourite things about the area?