Palmers Green's longest running Play Street was in the news again this week, though for the wrong reason. An ugly incident when a non-resident drove "at some speed" past barriers in Devonshire Road designed to protect children from cars was picked up in this week's Enfield Gazette. The aggressive driver even returned later and the police were called.
However, the organisers of the play street say that this is only the second time that anything similar has happened in the three years that they have been running the play street, which is held once a month for two hours on a Sunday afternoon. During the two hours local residents are allowed to pass the barriers.
The success of the Devonshire Road scheme has inspired several more streets in and around Palmers Green to set up their own play streets, and we now have the biggest concentration of play streets in London. Which is why the charity London Play chose Palmers Green for a pilot Play Quarter project.
The next Devonshire Road play street, on 19th March, will be a special open event, where parents and children from other streets are invited along to talk and play.