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Time stands still in Islington
It’s no wind-up, resident finds public clocks all over the borough seem to have stopped!
A PUBLIC street clock is an historical landmark that should represent civic pride – but Leo Chapman’s survey of Islington has discovered that many have not worked for years.
Finsbury activist Mr Chapman thought it was bad enough when time stopped at five minutes past 12 on his local Victorian clock in Rosebery Avenue.
He set about carrying out his own survey, and has counted 18 distinguished street clocks not working across the borough. What’s more, Islington Council has made it clear that there is no money to repair them.
The Rosebery Avenue clock is just 20 yards from the Warner Street border with Camden.
“It’s the first object visitors see on entering Islington,” said Mr Chapman. “It looks as though Islington is a borough where time stands still.”
Other prominent stopped clocks are in St John’s Street, near Clerkenwell Road; at the Angel Centre, on the corner of Islington High Street and City Road; and the large Victorian clock on Finsbury Town Hall.
The clock overlooking Islington Green above the Slug & Lettuce pub has not been working for years.
“The cost of fixing a clock would hardly be noticed,” Mr Chapman said.
Legally, the council has powers to restore street clocks “within reasonable costs” when private owners are unable to do so.
Lib Dem councillor Jyoti Vaja said: “It’s all about priorities. What’s more important, clocks or repairing homes and the public highways?”
A hands-on approach: Leo’s list so far...
LEO Chapman’s list of public stopped clocks sighted: l Corner of St John and Percival streets EC1, the Peasant Pub. Clock with 3 faces. Expensive to repair as tenant below would have to be temporarily rehoused.
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Seven Sisters and Blackstock roads, Finsbury Park. Very prominent clock, should anchor the shopping centre but doesn’t as it is stopped.
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King’s Cross Rd and Lloyd Baker St, Union Tavern.
*359-361 Holloway Rd, opposite Morrisons supermarket. Obscured by trees in summer. l 296 Holloway Rd, 2 faces.
*The Frame Factory, Cross St, N1.
*Essex and St Paul’s Roads, the Rudolf Steiner School, a former church.
*7-15 Rosebery Avenue. Evo Research Consulting Ltd. l Slug & Lettuce pub, Upper St, opposite Islington Green.
*159-173 St John St. Modern stopped clock, just up from Clerkenwell Rd.
*St Clement’s Church, King Square EC1. l 302 Holloway Rd. l Finsbury Town Hall, Rosebery Avenue.
*Archway Tavern. 2 separate clocks. One large one on top; a smaller one at the side termed ‘Guinness Time’.
*Angel Centre, corner Islington High St and City Rd.
*St James’s Church, Clerkenwell Close, EC1, 3-face clock. l 366 Essex Road, Jays clock.
*Tolpuddle St and Liverpool Rd, N.1 Above The Angelic Bar (former pub). |
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