This year the shopkeepers have not funded an illuminated Christmas tree in the centre of Hatch End but you can see an illuminated tree in a road by the park opposite the station in Park View road.
Cross over the road from the station to the Morrisons side. Walk towards the shops. On the first corner is Impeccables. A small poster about it is in the B & K deli bar and restaurant window in the parade before you reach Tesco.
Turn back towards Impeccables and that is St Anselm's street you walk along. At the far end turn left into Park View. From the corner you can see the tree across the road.
The tree is lit to raise money for a charity and you can read about it in the illuminated sign under the tree.
Cross over the road from the station to the Morrisons side. Walk towards the shops. On the first corner is Impeccables. A small poster about it is in the B & K deli bar and restaurant window in the parade before you reach Tesco.
Turn back towards Impeccables and that is St Anselm's street you walk along. At the far end turn left into Park View. From the corner you can see the tree across the road.
Photographs copyright Angela Lansbury.
The tree is equally impressive seen by day. As you can see from the photo, it is more than twice the height of the houses. A nearby tree is pretty impressive, too.
The dead end road you were facing at the corner has an over grown sign about allotments.
Back in the high street, passing Impeccables clothing shop, you can stop for food at B and K for take away or sit down turkey or salt beef sandwich. Take another look at the poster. The tree for charity is over forty foot high. Even if you are six foot tall, and your rooms are eight foot high with a two foot space between for wiring and what have you, forty feet is about four storeys high, and most houses in the area are two storeys with a roof space. So forty foot is four storeys high and taller than most houses in the street.
What about the charity? You can expand my photo of the poster to read it. It is raising funds for research into the cause of brain tumours. The lights are in memory of 27 year old Darren Walker who died age 27 in 2013. The poster mentions that volunteers work for nothing to help raise money for Ali's Dream, founded in memory of Ali Phelan who died before her 8th birthday, and the charity was launched in 2001 by her family. The poster ends on a happier note, hoping you enjoy the lights and wishing you a merry Christmas.
You could mull over this whilst you sit in B and K. Or, if you've given all your spare change to charity, continue on for a £1 sandwich from Tesco. Maybe buy a gift in St Luke's charity shop which has plenty of bargains for under £5. Or relax in style at one of Hatch End's half a dozen quick bite places, such as jolly La Dolce Vita Italian cafe. Across the side road is Genuine Cakes which offers a free cake with coffee on Thursdays. Or Fellini caffe on the opposite corner. For breakfast or lunch or evening, the Prosecco and Pizza place. Or back towards Hatch End station, more shops, plus the pub, Wetherspoons, which has its own smaller tree outside.
The site alisdream tells you how to donate as well as buy Christmas cards or sell them for the charity.
http://alisdream.co.uk
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
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