Dave's ESL Cafe's Student Discussion Forums

[perspectives]

Hi,

Here're some puzzling questions from a song that impresses me a lot by The Clientele's Losing Haringey. I'd like to figure out the pictures without mistakes. I've never been to UK, and I have been googling for the pictures depicted in the song without any substantial help. Please help me out! Thanks in advance.

Here's lyrics link: http://theclientele.blogspot.com/2006/01/losing-haringey.html


1.The only question left to ask was what would happen after everything familiar collapsed, but for now the summer stretched between me and that moment. (paragraph 1)
What does the blue part mean?

2.... past the terrace of chip and kebab shops and laundrettes...(paragraph 3)
What does 'terrace' mean? Is it a house or the front?

3.Gravel-dashed houses alternated with square 60s offices....(pargraph 3). What is a gravel-dashed house? does it mean a house built in gravel? Or, a house damaged by gravel?

Besides, what is square 60s offices? Does 60s here mean 1960s or square 60s (60x60)?

4. The mouth of an avenue led me to the verge of a long, greasy A-road that rose up in the far distance, with symmetrical terraces falling steeply down then up again from a distant railway station. (paragraph 4)

What does 'greasy A-road'? I can guess that A-road is a road that looks like the alphabet A (Am I right?) But I have no idea of 'greasy' here. Does it mean 'nothing is there on that A-road?

Again, does 'terraces' here indicate 'buildings' or 'planes in terrace form'?

Thank you for your reading. Greatly appreciated.

[pugachevV]

I guess it's about the closing or demolition of Haringay Stadium in the Finsbury Park area of London, England. It used to be a venue for greyhound racing, ice hockey etc. At the beginning of this century it was redeveloped.

the summer stretched between me and that moment. I means that at the end of the summer everything familiar would collapse.

In UK a terrace is a single block of identical shops or houses. In the Finsbury Park area of London there are many people of Middle Eastern descent, hence the reference to "kebab shops". A chip shop is a shop that sells fish and chips.

Gravel-dashed... It's a cheap method of finishing the outside of houses that used to be popular in England for state-provided housing in the post-war years. It is basically a cement coating with gravel spread on top of it.
Square 60's offices A terrace of square offices built in the 1960's (or sooner in this case).

A long greasy A road. The roads in UK are designated by prefix letters. An M road is a motorway (A limited access high speed road like an Interstate, Autobahn, etc). An A road is a first class highway but not limited access. A B road is a local road.

Greasy when roads get wet on top of oily residue and dust from worn tires they become slippery or "greasy".
symmetrical terraces. Terraces that are made up of exactly similar parts facing each other or around an axis.

[perspectives]

Thank you so much for your detailed explanation, pugachevV.
However, I'm still not sure of the sentence--the summer stretched between me and that moment. I can understand your explanation of that, but does it mean that for now summer kind of lasted for a bit longer because the narrator didn't want it to end so soon?

I have another sentence that I don't understand. Here it is:
the air quality became so bad that by the evening the noise of nearby trains stuttered in in fits and starts, distorted through the shifting air.

What is shifting air?
What is distorted? the noise? If yes, what does it mean that noise distorted?

Thank you once again.

[pugachevV]

It means that the summer would occupy the time from now until the redevelopment of the stadium. So you can assume that the piece was written at the beginning of the summer or the late spring.

It says that the noise made by nearby trains was distorted because of air pollution that interfered with the transmission of sound, so that the trains could only be heard intermittently.

Shifting air is air moving or changing direction..
Distorted means the sound waves changed during transmission (As they moved through the air).

[perspectives]

Thank you so much, pugachevV! Where do you find the allusion to the demolition of the Harigey Stadium? Do you know any link to the interpretation of this song? If you do, please let me know. Thanks once again.

perspectives

[pugachevV]

It's called "Losing Haringay". Haringay is not a name that is common. I assume it has to do with the demolition of Haringay Stadium which was a popular venue in that part of London for many years.
I could be mistaken, but it makes sense to me.

Here's what it says in Wikipedia.com -
Despite running an impressive and broad ranging calendar of events from 1947 to 1958, the change in the fortunes of ice hockey in the UK and the straitened post-war circumstances meant limited commercial success for the Arena after the Second World War. The Arena hosted its final event on Tuesday, 28 October 1958. It was a sentimental occasion and promoter Jack Solomons headlined with a world class lightweight fight between Dave Charnley and Carlos Ortiz (who was to go on to become world champion). This is how The Times reported it:
� After 22 years Harringay Arena is closing. This evening we shall hear this great hall echo to cheers and see cigarette smoke swirl around the ring for the last time. The most important chapter in the history of British professional boxing is over.[24] �
Behind the scenes moves for the Arena's disposal had been going on for some time. International food retailer and manufacturer, Home & Colonial Stores Ltd were offered the site in 1957. They took possession of the building and the adjacent market hall in 1958. Works to convert the Arena to its new use were complete by February 1960.[25] It was henceforth put to use as a food storage facility for the next 20 years until its demolition in 1978.
Through the early 1980s an open air Sunday market was held on the site up until the site was developed for shopping. The initial development included principally warehouse style shopping including DIY, bathroom and food wholesale outlets. A Royal Mail sorting facility was also built which survived the later redevelopment.
Early in the 21st Century the whole site was redeveloped for retail shopping as the Arena Shopping Park hosting mid-market brands such as Next, Carphone Warehouse, Homebase and a large Fitness First gym.

[perspectives]

Greatly appreciated!! pugachevV. Wow! It's so nice that I can picture a city in UK through a song and with the help from a kind person like you. Now, I'm much more into this song with vivid images flashing along with the lyrics and the melody. Thank you very much! Without you, I could only see its silhoutte. Thank you very much.

[pugachevV]

You're welcome.