Blythe Mansions, Hornsey Rise

A Memory of Hornsey.

I can vividly remember Blythe Mansions, I used to go there with my late mother to visit an aunt and other relatives who lived there, I can still see it now, there were two sections of the estate as I recall, with two half circle entrances on the main side and I think there was just one entrance at the back, as you went into the left side main entrance there was the children's playground with a roundabout and swings to the right and up ahead were two blocks separated by another block in between and also there was the block to the side that was part of the entrance too, my mum let me play around there for a bit with a slightly older cousin but I had to stay nearby.

So I never went to the left side because my relatives were on the right and as I say, my mum wanted me to stay in sight as I was so young but I could see that it looked near enough the same, it was a rough estate as I recall, quite a few rows used to break out between neighbors and it was a bit run down, I remember the water pipes looked very moldy, after my aunt and relatives moved away from there I had no reason to go back so I was never to see it again.

They pulled it down around 1980 as I recall, I went to have a look and all I could see was rubble, they then built the small flats you can see there now, looks nothing like Blyth Mansions ever did though, apparently there was an episode of the Professionals shot on Blyth Mansions but I've never been able to find it, there were so many episodes, hope I can find it one day, would be great to see it again the way I remember it, many thanks.

John Cashin

Contact Contributor

Added 16 March 2015

#337518

Comments & Feedback

By William Buckeridge on Mon Jan 25th 2016, at 3:30 pm

Bodie and Doyle were in a scene on the back balcony of a top floor flat either No 28 or 29, looking out across Highcroft Road in the direction of Leyden Mansions

By William Buckeridge on Mon Jan 25th 2016, at 9:40 pm

The episode of The Professionals with a scene shot around the back of Blythe Mansions was called "involvement".... Get it on Youtube , but not vey clear.

By William Buckeridge on Fri Feb 5th 2016, at 8:16 pm

Cheers Will, yes that sure looked like it, the semi-circle entrance they show looks just like the one I remember Blythe Mansions had, in fact, I seem to recall there being two of those entrances in Blythe, the latter balcony scene certainly does look like the flats next to Blythe, hard to be completely sure though because unfortunately they don't actually go inside Blythe Mansions, had they done so I am quite sure I would have recognized it from my vivid memories of how it was, by the way, I don't know if you might be a Sci-Fi fan but if you are and you have seen Sapphire And Steel, you might have recognized one of the actors from it, Val Pringle, he played 'Lead' in Sapphire And Steel, he was known as 'Buzz' in the Professionals, he is first seen walking with a lady past the semi-circle entrance, then later on he is seen there on his own and later turns out to be one of the 'Christmas Man' gang Bodie and Doyle were looking for, the actor is unfortunately no longer alive, many thanks.

By john.cashin64 on Sun Feb 7th 2016, at 5:23 pm

Bodie & doyle are seen walking across the archway into the stairway, they come out on the top balcony and then break into flat 29, Where they end up on the back balcony, I used to live in that block. It is all Blythe Mansions. Where they were on the back balcony was Highcroft Rd and across the Rd was Leyden Mans.

By William Buckeridge on Sun Mar 6th 2016, at 11:52 am

Please may I correct the spelling of the above... It is BLYTHE MANSIONS (Blythe with an 'e' at the end ) I lived there from 1949 - 1972 in flats 110 & 182

By mowcun on Wed May 4th 2016, at 9:35 am

Hi all, I am looking into my family history at the moment. Does anyone know about the Davis' who lived at 12 Blythe Mansions? George Davis and his wife Elizabeth Davis. As well as their children George, Peter, Raymond, Sheila, Ron, June and Eileen (who is my Grandmother). She used to talk about Blythe mansions a lot and I'm sure there is a photograph I have seen of all the kids in the area, I'll have to find out where i saw it.
Thanks, Gareth .

By gazclarke1984 on Thu May 5th 2016, at 9:28 pm

Ah...yes...I was...uh....waiting for someone to spot that one, well done mowcun ;), so basically, you lived there for around 23 years then?, amazing, you must have seen enough to write a book, I was very young at the time but I can remember the estate layout very clearly.

One part had two blocks to the left and right and one in between and, I can recall another end that looked similar but I never went to that part of it, I was only ever on the right side coming in from the main street through the semi circle arch, I can remember that to the immediate right, as you came in, there was a children's swing and roundabout area.

As you went further in you would face the aforementioned in between block which also had an exit/entrance and the two blocks to the side, there was an area of grass which was on top of a small wall that ran along the side of the blocks left block where I can remember throwing a ball on it with my cousin, I can also remember it being a bit rough, there was often rows on the estate between neighbours, mind you, I guess that can happen on any estate Lol, best wishes :)

By john.cashin64 on Fri May 6th 2016, at 5:44 pm

I remember the Davis family, I lived next door to them [No13] from 1940 to 1966, my parents were still there till 1980.

By William Buckeridge on Sat Jun 4th 2016, at 12:55 pm

Can any one remember the "Scott" family, mum and dad Scott were Nelly and Albert, some of the children names were Janice and John, may have lived at number 69. ?

By ctwiggy on Mon Aug 29th 2016, at 3:35 pm

@ctwiggy: I didn't know anyone else on there apart from relatives and those names don't ring a bell, however, there is one name that I can recall spoken of on the estate, there was a woman on there by the name of "Dolly Holiday" or something that sounded like that, now, bare in mind, I was very young so I don't know for sure about all the details and perhaps there might be another side to the story but from what people used to say, she wasn't a very nice woman, she was a trouble maker who was always getting into rows with her neighbours, that's the only name I can remember from there.

By john.cashin64 on Mon Aug 29th 2016, at 3:45 pm

John, I did,nt live there but family members did, and I must correct my last post the number is wrong, they lived at number 64, many thanks, !

By ctwiggy on Mon Aug 29th 2016, at 5:57 pm

@ctwiggy: No worries, it was a long time ago, you did well to remember the number at all, most people probably wouldn't :), it's such a shame that there aren't many photos of the actual inside of Blythe Mansions itself but I guess back in the day, nobody would have had any reason to take pictures of it even if they had a camera, it's not like anyone would have thought "heyy....you know...maybe in years to come people will look back at their time in Blythe Mansions"....erm....I don't think so but it's wonderful to have this site at least and correspond with others who can remember it, best wishes :)

By john.cashin64 on Mon Aug 29th 2016, at 6:52 pm

Sorry, you are so wrong, there are photos and people are looking back to it

By William Buckeridge on Mon Sep 19th 2016, at 1:16 pm

Inside the flats?, actually inside Blythe Mansions on the ground?.....if so then show me, I'm happy to be wrong :)

By john.cashin64 on Mon Sep 19th 2016, at 5:14 pm

Check out the groups HUNGRY HILL N19, and HORNSEY RISE on Facebook

By William Buckeridge on Mon Sep 19th 2016, at 5:51 pm

Well I had a look at the Hungry Hill N19 FB group, I saw the Favorite Pub, great :), remember that well, I also saw a few pictures of the flats next to Blythe and outside in general, again, great, some aerial shots too but unless I've missed something, I saw no pictures of the actual inside ground of Blythe Mansions itself, perhaps they might be in the the other group, Hornsey Rise but it is a closed group, so it looks like I will have to join to see what is on there, admittedly there are a lot of pictures on the first one so I will keep looking but in all honesty, there can't be many pictures of the actual inside, which is what I was referring to.

By john.cashin64 on Mon Sep 19th 2016, at 7:04 pm

P.S

Also, just to make sure we are clear here because, from what you said in your previous post, I think you might be taking my comments in the wrong way, perhaps it's my fault for not getting it across clearly, my apologies, I've been told I've got a strange sense of humour which not everyone will get.

So, to explain, when I made the comment about "people not looking back", I wasn't referring to today, because obviously, we ARE all here looking back as you said, what I meant was that back in those days, nobody....or at least, very few people would have had the foresight to have thought "people will want to see these pictures of Hornsey in years to come", it's like a lot of things really, few think like that at the time.

The photos that were taken were probably just taken by people at the time for the sake of using their cameras rather than them having any thought of "people will want to see this in decades to come" kind of thing, hopefully, you are right and someone took a few shots of the inside of Blythe Mansions, if so, whatever their motives for doing so at the time it would be appreciated, best wishes :)

By john.cashin64 on Mon Sep 19th 2016, at 7:38 pm

So you're also 'Bill Buckeridge' on Facebook?, thanks for the photos, very much appreciated :)

By john.cashin64 on Tue Sep 20th 2016, at 12:48 pm

My Nan and Granddad were George and Kitty Davis who lived at Blythe Mansions. Their children were John, Bob, Margaret, Peter, Kathleen, Maureen and Julia. I think they moved to another part of town before being relocated to Basingstoke in the 1960s. My Dad, John, particularly remembered the dampness, the water running down the walls. He was born in 1928 and is no longer with us.

By jo on Sat Apr 29th 2017, at 6:31 am

Thanks, jo, there certainly was a lot of damp, I can remember all this green, slimy gunk around the pipes that clearly showed there were problems and it got worse, Blythe fell into serious disrepair towards the late 70's, just prior to them being pulled down in 1980.

By john.cashin64 on Sat Apr 29th 2017, at 9:30 am

I use to live in number 29 which is where they filmed the episode of the Professionals "involvement". If you go to youtube and fast forward to 23:48 that's my front door. We moved out in 1977 when my parents got a new maisonette in Pauntley street, unfortunately, my memories of Blythe Mansions was never good, our flat was really damp and cold.

By paulsylvester77 on Tue May 16th 2017, at 9:16 pm

Flat 29 Blythe Ms. names that spring to mind for me from that flat are the Brewers...Rosie and Jeanie...this would be from the period 1940--1960...I lived in flat 13 till 1966, my parents till 1980..

By William Buckeridge on Sun May 21st 2017, at 6:38 pm

Hi I remember you billybuck you hung around with my brother pat you married grace Empson I'm sorry to hear that she died me and the wife live in Spain now and pat is still in Highgate. I still have a drink with John Smith when I'm in London he lost his brothers wally Frank Brian and Terry this is all new to me hope you get this cheers

By charlie on Fri Jul 7th 2017, at 11:46 pm

Hi All.....I recognise a few names on here that already belong to my Group ....For those that have commented above but do not know...Please join HORNSEY RISE Facebook Page...and I am sure that you may find others that grew up in the area...especially BLYTHE MANSIONS...Regards ..Marion Cunningham

By mowcun on Wed Aug 23rd 2017, at 10:34 am

I used to live in Blythe Mansions. Went to Duncombe school, then Holloway Boys. i cant remember what number, but our balcony looked out to the parade of shops, and the No 14 bus turnaround point by the pub. My name is Peter Urbanowski, born in 1961. I had 2 brothers and a younger sister, and a good for nothing father who left us. My mum was a diamond who's maiden name was Challis.

By Peter Urbanowski on Tue Nov 3rd 2020, at 8:54 pm

My Grandfather lived in 57 Blythe Mansions his name was Wallter Marow Huills he had a son Robert Hills and his wife was Ekliza he passed away in 1962 does anyone rememer them I believe he was blind.

By Joyce Herbert on Sat Jun 26th 2021, at 3:28 pm

Hi There......lived at 137 Blythe Mansions circa 1940/50s. in the block by the playground and electrical grid. Harry and Ellen Root and the 11 children: Ken: Ron: Les: the twins Freddie & Eddie: yours truly Alec: Marylin: Alan: Shirley the youngest. Remember the Wrights top floor with the Ace brothers. Lived for football in the playground with Alan-Frankie Tennyson and many others. Memorable times ;didn't have much but a better world than we live in today Any response welcome.

By shalex3742 on Sun Jul 18th 2021, at 7:49 am

Hi Joyce. I remember your Grandad, he was blind, I used to do their shopping and sometimes would take him to the Archway to get him a new pipe. I lived at number 60 Blythe Mansions.

By Carole Hatton on Thu Jan 20th 2022, at 1:53 am

I was born there on the 29september 1959 moved to Banbury in Oxfordshire in 1962 where I still live my mum and dad were Alfie and Rita Goode my mum was the sister of Arsenal footballer Charlie George, does anyone remember them

By Steve Goode on Sun May 8th 2022, at 8:39 pm

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