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Some more photos of the Favourite. The first is from the 50’s taken inside The Favourite during a knees up, when it was owned by a chap called Ruby Sparkes (who I believe was the first man to escape from Dartmoor Prison) and was a known hang out for the mob of that time, Ruby Sparkes is in the photo as is Billy Hill (London gang boss before the Krays) and Frankie Frazer.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Hill_(gangster)A few years later,
Above is Bodie and Doyle from The Professional walking to the left of the pub.
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This reply was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by
Elvis..
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This reply was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by Elvis..
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A chair coming through the window as we were sitting peacefully drinking.
Scep, just out of interest, what year would this of roughly been?
I have very fond memories of Waterlow park,
So do I 😊 It’s a beautiful little park, well hidden away. Here is a photo of Lauderdale House which is in Waterlow Park, which was once the home of Nell Gwyn, Charles II’s bit of fluff.
I had a lunch here with my son only last year. Was always very dear.
The park was a big haunt. So was the neighbouring cemetery, with Marx and Spencer Corner. A horrible sculpture of Marx, looking like he was a particularly unpleasant contestant in Mastermind.
Once went into the closed part of the cemetery. Captain Bligh was buried there. my younger, adventurous self had to be pulled out after sneaking into one of the catacombs.
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Fascinating photos and stories about The Favourite. It was a very rough pub, , but I didn’t realise its history. Many thanks for that, Alfie.
It was about 1983, 1984? A group of us went to the pub, and I remember some guy arguing; he was standing in a very odd way, and shouting that someone was a c*t in a way which indicated a fight. When we went into the main ‘lounge’, I felt trouble in my bones and and said we should stay away from the window. Sure enough…
I’ve always been a bit paranoid. Some would say, concerned was a better word.
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So was the neighbouring cemetery, with Marx and Spencer Corner. A horrible sculpture of Marx, looking like he was a particularly unpleasant contestant in Mastermind.
Quite a famous local landmark. I have an amazing story about this that may well interest you Scep. In February 1967, whilst my mother was pregnant with me, Alexei Kosygin the then Soviet Leader, was on a trip to London, and went to Highgate cemetery to visit Karl Marx’s tomb to conduct a ceremony. My father took my 3 older sisters, who lived very close by at that time, to go and have a nose. Mr Kosygin laid a wreath on the tomb and placed a card there with it. When the Russian entourage had left and it was quiet, my father instructed my eldest sister to go and pick up the card which she willingly did. She still has this card today, but of course it’s written in Russian so I have no idea what it says, maybe it’s worth a few shillings, who knows.http://www.itnsource.com/shotlist//RTV/1967/02/12/BGY506150235/?s=kosygin
Once went into the closed part of the cemetery.
This is known as the “old” cemetery as opposed to the new one where Marx is.
Every year around 31st October – 5th November, Halloween to Guy Fawkes night, the local youth, maybe 100’s, used to climb over into the old cemetery and play amongst the tombs and catacombs, try to spook each other, and generally create havoc, until the Police would come and chase us all out. Dare I say this “local tradition” still carries on to this day.
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This reply was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by Elvis..
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This reply was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by Elvis..
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This reply was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by Elvis..
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This reply was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by Elvis..
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1 member liked this post.
So was the neighbouring cemetery, with Marx and Spencer Corner. A horrible sculpture of Marx, looking like he was a particularly unpleasant contestant in Mastermind.
Quite a famous local landmark. I have an amazing story about this that may well interest you Scep. In February 1967, whilst my mother was pregnant with me, Alexei Kosygin the then Soviet Leader, was on a trip to London, and went to Highgate cemetery to visit Karl Marx’s tomb to conduct a ceremony. My father took my 3 older sisters, who lived very close by at that time, to go and have a nose. Mr Kosygin laid a wreath on the tomb and placed a card there with it. When the Russian entourage had left and it was quiet, my father instructed my eldest sister to go and pick up the card which she willingly did. She still has this card today, but of course it’s written in Russian so I have no idea what it says, maybe it’s worth a few shillings, who knows. http://www.itnsource.com/shotlist//RTV/1967/02/12/BGY506150235/?s=kosyginOnce went into the closed part of the cemetery.
This is known as the “old” cemetery as opposed to the new one where Marx is. Every year around 31st October – 5th November, Halloween to Guy Fawkes night, the local youth, maybe 100’s, used to climb over into the old cemetery and play amongst the tombs and catacombs, try to spook each other, and generally create havoc, until the Police would come and chase us all out. Dare I say this “local tradition” still carries on to this day.
Yeah, alfie, that was the statue.
I should think the card is worth something. I don’t read Russian, but many do. She should get it translated. It probably says something innocuous like ‘Happy Birthday, Alexei’ or something
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So was the neighbouring cemetery, with Marx and Spencer Corner. A horrible sculpture of Marx, looking like he was a particularly unpleasant contestant in Mastermind.
Quite a famous local landmark. I have an amazing story about this that may well interest you Scep. In February 1967, whilst my mother was pregnant with me, Alexei Kosygin the then Soviet Leader, was on a trip to London, and went to Highgate cemetery to visit Karl Marx’s tomb to conduct a ceremony. My father took my 3 older sisters, who lived very close by at that time, to go and have a nose. Mr Kosygin laid a wreath on the tomb and placed a card there with it. When the Russian entourage had left and it was quiet, my father instructed my eldest sister to go and pick up the card which she willingly did. She still has this card today, but of course it’s written in Russian so I have no idea what it says, maybe it’s worth a few shillings, who knows. http://www.itnsource.com/shotlist//RTV/1967/02/12/BGY506150235/?s=kosyginOnce went into the closed part of the cemetery.
This is known as the “old” cemetery as opposed to the new one where Marx is. Every year around 31st October – 5th November, Halloween to Guy Fawkes night, the local youth, maybe 100’s, used to climb over into the old cemetery and play amongst the tombs and catacombs, try to spook each other, and generally create havoc, until the Police would come and chase us all out. Dare I say this “local tradition” still carries on to this day.
Yeah, alfie, that was the statue. I should think the card is worth something. I don’t read Russian, but many do. She should get it translated. It probably says something innocuous like ‘Happy Birthday, Alexei’ or something. lol
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It was about 1983, 1984? A group of us went to the pub
Amazing. I would have been a youth going into the Shaftesbury about that time. Maybe our paths crossed in there. It’s likely that I knew the “gentleman” you refer to, as he would have no doubt been a local.
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Incidentally, The Favourite and Shaftesbury Tavern, and the whole of N.19 are in the heart of Jeremy Corbyn’s Islington North constituency. I wonder if he ever pops in the Shaftesbury after a hard days work for a bevvy. He doesnt live far away, I know exactly where he lives.
The area has changed a bit nowadays, here’s what it’s like now.
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If you need more, Pt 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cP6oPGLO_GI
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This reply was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by Elvis..
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This reply was modified 6 years, 10 months ago by
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