Boris Johnson to visit Budgens on Thursday!

[CrouchEnd Cupcake]

The Mayor himself is to visit Crouch End's Budgen's on Thursday to see the Food From the Sky project!  Don't have exact details but maybe Andrew Thornton will enlighten us?

 

[MissGembles]

Andrew Thornton had to work the tills on a snow day last year. Fumbled with my change and undercharged me by a massive amount. Serves him right for being cocky and putting his name next to 'Budgens' on the shop sign, say I.

[andrew thornton]

sorry about undercharging you, at least I didn't overcharge you! There is a reason for having my name over the shop, without that, most people would think we were a faceless chain.....when we change things on june 30, we'll certainly not be in any danger of looking like a faceless multiple. Promise to brush up my cashier skills before then!!!!

[CrouchEnd Cupcake]

Good on him for pitching in I say.  And is that cocky - don't most shopkeeper's name their stores after themselves?!

[andrew thornton]

Yup, Boris coming to see the roof at 10, arriving by bike of course!  He's going to do a harvest and rumour has it he might actually be selling his harvest in the store a bit after that.....great to have his support for what we are doing!

[Adrian Essex]

This actually is a very very good question. I'd sign up instantly and make many journeys. It might also be noce to have tow ropes up the hills!

[andrew thornton]

Boris says very soon, when they have the funds. He loved getting up Crouch Hill on his!

 

[andrew thornton]

Also add it was fab to meet him; he is so passionate about local food and bringing communities back to life, both dear to my heart. He even harvested some salad leaves and sold them to a customer. He made a real point of walking around and meeting every team member! A man with a big heart!

[CrouchEnd Cupcake]

That is such exciting news - I too would love to cycle round the area but have nowhere to store a bike.  I'm so glad that Boris's visit went well - I think you're doing a grand job at bringing some personality back onto the high street, not just the faceless corporations that are Tesco, Sainsbury's, M&S etc.  Well done.

[andrew thornton]

thank you! I agree personality is what we need, and with Boris we certainly added to that. Lots more fun and personality to come...watch this space.....

[andrew thornton]

Boris said: “We’ve got to put the village back in the city. We’ve got to bring back things that make people love the village atmosphere.” Couldn't agree more, links to what was said about brining personality back to then high street. Great piece on H Journal about the visit:

http://www.hornseyjournal.co.uk/news/london_mayor_boris_praises_cro...

[Helene Connoly]

The visit was a huge success and it gave us a chance to introduce him to the concept of The Crouch End Project. He was pretty bowled over by it, really tapped into his passion for sustainability and stimulating local economies. He was apparently very taken by the delicious yellow raspberries being grown on the roof of Budgens too!

Helene - Crouch End Project Team 

 

[Jo Foster]

There's a village atmosphere in the New York neighbourhood into which I've moved. Everybody (not just "posh foodies") meets at the weekly farmers' market one block from my new home. I take my veg waste there, and it ends up being composted at a nearby huge urban rooftop farm, called Brooklyn Grange. I visited it yesterday and told them about Foodfromthesky.

 

I'm glad Boris's visit was a success. When he was first Mayor and we were having an urban agriculture conference in City Hall, he popped in and said: "I hear all you chaps are going to grow food, jolly good show!" This led to the Capital Growth scheme.

 

There's an opportunity right now for enhancing the village atmosphere by actively backing the renewed campaign for a Crouch End farmers' market. I realise it's awkward for the Crouch End Project and Budgens to appear "political" or take sides, but you can't go on allowing a few people who don't believe the facts to continue blocking it, giving the Council an excuse to do nothing. From the perspective of distance I can see even more clearly how ridiculous this is.

 

Can anybody explain how this temporary relaxation of the street trading rules came about? What exactly has to happen for it to lead to a farmers' market, as predicted in the press (leading to s disproportionate backlash from the few opposers)?