We Love Kentish Town

Just read the area guide and the small paragraph about Torriano Avenue and the pub, The Torriano. Which is described as previously being an old-fashioned community off-licence for many years, and has retained a welcoming "living room" feel since its conversion. The Torriano was in fact previously a pub called The Rose And Crown and had remained a pub for many years dating back to when Torriano Avenue was a freindly busy community with local shops running along the breadth of it. I lived there as a child and the shops were all like the cottages or school very old back in the 70's. The Avenue comprised of two local pubs the afore mentioned Rose And Crown owned by the local brewery and the original privately owned Torriano which was situated on the corner of the avenue where it turns down into Leighton Road. This pub is now private flats.The shops, which are all gone except for the corner newsagents and hairdressers, consisted of a greengrocers, small dairy, pet shop, hardware store, piano/music shop, baby clothes shop, hairdressers, chip shop, 3 newsagent/toy/sweet shops, small cafe and an off licence (though I'm sure there were a few more). The off licence, which may have been old fashioned, was on the adjacent road to the original Torriano Pub again leading down into Lieghton Road. I'm sorry but it annoys me when historical facts are in error and feel you should add that Torriano Avenue was once a thriving community where everyone knew everyone and had its own shops instead of all the private houses that now litter the place. It was indeed a sad day when all the albeit old fashioned local shops dissapeared in the 80's in the name of progress. Indeed as a youngster or even a teenager I remember feeling very safe and protected in the area and knew all the shopkeepers and pub landlords quite well. Progress isn't always for the best!