Ally-Pally, as it's often affectionately referred to by locals, Alexandra Pallace was constructed in the 19th century and was originally named "The Palace of the People". It was named after Alexandra, Princess of Denmark and wife of Prince Albert Edward.
It was eventually made "free to the public forever" by an Act of Parliament in the 1900s, which holds till the present day under the London Borough of Haringey. The BBC leased part of the palace in the 1930's and broadcasted their first regular TV transmissions from there. The studios and tower from whence the signal was transmitted across the nation, still survive till the present day.
Nowadays, the palace and the park around it, "Alexandra Park" is mainly used for entertainment and recreation purposes. This includes concerts, social events and a myriad of activities like karate, dance classes, cultural shows and so on. There is an ice rink in the building as well as a large pub with a generous outdoor sitting area. I've been to Ally-Pally so many times over the years but, oddly enough, I've never been inside the palace! Well, I have been in the pub part a couple of times either to grab a coffee or use the toilet facilities.
I have, however, used the park any times. I've travelled there to take part in photography walks, record videos, or just chill at the cafe opposite the lake there. It's one of the places I travel to in summer to relax in London. The environment is very chilled out. If you're a fan of ice cream, they serve some really good ice cream at the cafe.
Apparently the park was originally intended to be developed, but I am glad they never got round to doing that partly because they were intercepted by the government at the time with the aforementioned Act of Parliament. Ally-Pally, sitting on one of the highest peaks in the city, if not the highest, is now one of the UK's most important buildings in my opinion. It was made a Grade 2 listed building in 1996. That has not stopped developers from trying to "upgrade* it, in typical London fashion, into an "entertainment complex", which was to include a hotel and, without a doubt, a bunch of metal and glass eyesores. Thankfully this attempt was defeated by a court case brought by members of the public in 2007. Hurray for London.
Peace & Love,
Adé.