This morning I visited the O. R. Tambo Recreation Ground (well, I was killing time while my son played football at a nearby astroturf pitch). Known to locals by its previous name, the Albert Road Recreation Ground, this is “an incredibly popular park set in a residential area of Haringey with plenty of facilities”, according to the London Borough of Haringey.
It did not seem “incredibly popular” at 9:55am this morning. The sun whimpered blandly down on the churned up turf as I turned up my collar and made for the cafe in the middle of the rec. A few dog walkers were out and the local football coaches were setting up for the Sunday training session.
Give it its dues though – there are a few facilities. Tennis courts (which are actually incredibly popular, usually), basketball courts, football pitches (not looking their best on a bleak February morning, but they have seen plenty of fantastic times), a couple of table tennis tables, children’s play area (under construction, a sign informing us that it is due to reopen in January, in minus a month) and a cafe serving scalding lattes and defrosted pastries.
Turning back, an interesting view up the hill to Alexandra Palace. Rows of suburban terraced houses cluster together, separating the rec from the lofty heights above.
I paint a dismal picture. But, 15 minutes after taking these photos, the atmosphere shifted “incredibly”. The football training sessions started, people turned up for their 10am tennis coaching sessions, and a group of kids started playing on the basketball courts. Even though the weather remained stubborn, the ambiance of the place transformed as people started to mix and interact with each other. What a difference a few minutes make.
PS. The ground was named after Oliver Tambo, an anti-apartheid activist who lived, in exile, in Muswell Hill for 30 years. What a life story, contrasting interestingly this morning with my musings in the recreation ground that bears his name.
