N4

Lollipop men and women: Jane, Ronnie, Nora & Pauline Everyone has a story on the Islington Faces Blog.  Twice a day there are lovely people all over Islington donning big weatherproof jackets and hats in a mix of reflective and florescent materials ready to escort children safely over the road. So, do lollipop men and women have time to tell…
Everyone has a story on the Islington Faces Blog.  DIY shops are an Aladdin’s Cave of gizmos and gadgets, though many now suffer from big store competition.Despite this, the shining light of DIY stores has to be Mix at Finsbury Park. Actually the shop is on the Hackney side of Blackstock Road,…
Helena Spurr, foodie, chef & cafĂ© owner Everyone has a story, some of these stories are heard at cafes. The Finsbury Park end of Blackstock Road is crammed with north African style coffee shops packed with men, but there’s also Good For Food run by Helena Spurr which offers a very different Mediterranean dining experience that women,…
Alan Banks: milkman/space ship driver Everyone in Islington has a story, so meet milkman/space ship driver Alan Banks who sees the best and worst of people – and a lot of slugs – on his night rounds delivering glass-bottled pints to N4 and N5 doorsteps. Interview by Nicola Baird.   “I’ve told my grand daughter that…
Everyone in Islington’s got a story. Settle down for a cup of tea and a biscuit with the Scarbrough family (who’ve lived in Islington for years) and the chat switches from history to celebrity at rapid speed. If you want to know what Superfan Holly and her mother Helen Romero…
Edward Smith, chess player Everyone in Islington has a story, so meet Edward Smith who’s lived here since 1965. Interview by Nicola Baird. Born in London in 1948, Edward Smith, has been in Islington since he was 17. His father didn’t like to be tied down, so Edward remembers a peripatetic childhood. “I think he…
Sharon Hayes, animal nurse Everyone has a story, so meet animal lover Sharon Hayes doing the perfect job. Interview by Nicola Baird. Sharon Hayes gives a huge Cheshire-cat grin and looks around happily at the place where she works as an animal auxiliary nurse at abbeyVET on Blackstock Road.There are bags of Science Plan pet…
Suleyman Bulbul, shopkeeper Everyone in Islington has a story, so meet Suleyman Bulbul from Arsenal Food & Wine – the Blackstock Triangle neighbours favourite shop. Interview by Nicola Baird. “Everyone knows (my colleague) Ozzie,” says Suleyman, 40, who runs the buzzing Arsenal Food & Wine shop, on the corner of Ambler and Blackstock Road, with…
Joan O’Donovan, charity shop manager Everyone in Islington has a story, so meet charity shop manager Joan O’Donovan . Interview by Nicola Baird. Despite radiating calm Joan O’Donovan, 64, never stops being busy. She started off in Co Galway, Eire one of eight sisters and two brothers, but by the time Joan was 19 years old…
Everyone has a story, so meet early retiree Sai Gulam Bi. Interview by Nicola Baird. “I’ve lived 33 years in this street,” says Sai leading me through the front door and into her immaculate front room that faces on to the N4 road. “It’s always been friendly”. From the kitchen…