I live in an area in London called Haringey. Each area is has its own high street, libraries, pubs, etc. It is overseen by the council who sometimes put on neighbourhood events. I sometimes wonder what the Haringey Council is thinking.
The area is a predominately Muslim area, known as the Turkish and Greek Cypriot part of the city. There are a great majority of immigrants. There are also large populations of Eastern African Muslims as well as a recent influx of Eastern Europeans (due to their recent inclusion in the European Union).
Given that the majority of the community is Muslim, I wondered at the Councils decision to have a week long Fair come and set up in the park. I was excited to see the posters go up and thought it would be something fun to do in the growing heat. But as all the rides went up I noticed it was a far different flavour than I had anticipated. I was expecting a fun, family oriented theme, and although it consisted entirely of rides, it cost to enter the grounds and every ride was an additional fee on top of that. It took up the whole end of the park that is usually teaming with people playing football, kids playing, and older people sitting on park benches watching all the activity.
The fair had a seedy feel to it. I can only describe the images that were larger than life and spray gunned on as trashy. I couldn't imagine the Muslims of my community taking part in such an event, even though the noise from the rides carried a good two blocks away. I am used to seeing women in hijabs, the Muslim headscarf, and wonder how these raunchy and immodest scenes come across.
(these images are not as raunchy as the ones at the fair, but give you an idea)
Well, my curiosity was settled. I noticed someone must have complained about the noise because the loud speakers and blaring music coming from the rides was cut mid-week. It was closed for at least half the days that it was advertised as open. AND I noticed that the turnout was so low that it just seemed like the odd teenager who wandered in for a few rides.
So what was the Haringey Council thinking? No one knows.
In contrast, I got off the train in London coming from another city on Saturday and was heading home hot, tired and hungry. The local school was putting on a fair/yard sale/small stage show/bake sale run by parents, teachers and kids. I looked at the yard sale items and then headed straight for the baking (20p each), homemade milkshakes, ethnic food, homemade icecream cones (50p each). I was there mid afternoon and it appeared all the vegetarian savoury was gone. As I was eyeing up which of the baking was the closest to a lunch, a mom came up bringing her late contribution to the fair.
It was a steaming dish of Northern African vegetarian rice curry. I had a bowl, stood there and ate it, then asked for another bowl. Yum. The whole neighbourhood seemed to be there. All this without the help of the Haringey Council.
The area is a predominately Muslim area, known as the Turkish and Greek Cypriot part of the city. There are a great majority of immigrants. There are also large populations of Eastern African Muslims as well as a recent influx of Eastern Europeans (due to their recent inclusion in the European Union).
Given that the majority of the community is Muslim, I wondered at the Councils decision to have a week long Fair come and set up in the park. I was excited to see the posters go up and thought it would be something fun to do in the growing heat. But as all the rides went up I noticed it was a far different flavour than I had anticipated. I was expecting a fun, family oriented theme, and although it consisted entirely of rides, it cost to enter the grounds and every ride was an additional fee on top of that. It took up the whole end of the park that is usually teaming with people playing football, kids playing, and older people sitting on park benches watching all the activity.
The fair had a seedy feel to it. I can only describe the images that were larger than life and spray gunned on as trashy. I couldn't imagine the Muslims of my community taking part in such an event, even though the noise from the rides carried a good two blocks away. I am used to seeing women in hijabs, the Muslim headscarf, and wonder how these raunchy and immodest scenes come across.
(these images are not as raunchy as the ones at the fair, but give you an idea)
Well, my curiosity was settled. I noticed someone must have complained about the noise because the loud speakers and blaring music coming from the rides was cut mid-week. It was closed for at least half the days that it was advertised as open. AND I noticed that the turnout was so low that it just seemed like the odd teenager who wandered in for a few rides.
So what was the Haringey Council thinking? No one knows.
In contrast, I got off the train in London coming from another city on Saturday and was heading home hot, tired and hungry. The local school was putting on a fair/yard sale/small stage show/bake sale run by parents, teachers and kids. I looked at the yard sale items and then headed straight for the baking (20p each), homemade milkshakes, ethnic food, homemade icecream cones (50p each). I was there mid afternoon and it appeared all the vegetarian savoury was gone. As I was eyeing up which of the baking was the closest to a lunch, a mom came up bringing her late contribution to the fair. 
It was a steaming dish of Northern African vegetarian rice curry. I had a bowl, stood there and ate it, then asked for another bowl. Yum. The whole neighbourhood seemed to be there. All this without the help of the Haringey Council.
