Surgery until lunchtime at Wood Green library followed by going to launch the Hornsey Charter in Hornsey High Street. My HQ is upstairs at the Three Compasses Pub on the High Street and Mike (one of the three licensees) chairs the Traders Association. In fact – the pub is just great itself. It has disabled access. It uses Fairtrade products and has won just every award going this year for Community Pub of the Year, Best Newcomer, etc, etc. Hanging baskets of flowers now line the street and this latest ‘Charter’ is about pushing forward the agenda to improve the trading conditions and environment of the area.

I am totally behind them on this. The Water Works (and the broken glass windows and decrepitude that Labour have just let linger for years) needs to be developed. Some would like a small – and I emphasize small – supermarket. Both Crouch End and Muswell Hill have supermarkets and it does help attract trade to the street without local traders being edged out by a superstore that sells all their products. Hornsey Station could do with a fair bit of loving too! And there are many other ambitions in the Hornsey Charter.

Lots of the traders came out for the photo ops and the pub provided sarnies and a drink to follow. The sun shone on Hornsey for the duration.