‘The Annie’ is the oldest working pub in N17, and a stone’s throw from White Hart Lane stadium, home to Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. Spurs fans have been regulars ever since 1882 when EL Sprylions, a bible teacher at nearby All Hallows Church, first set up THFC for grammar-school boys attending his classes.

Historical records from the Bruce Castle Archive reveal that the pub, listed as the Hope and Anchor in the 1851 Census (reference: HO107/1702 f360, p30), was first managed by William Saunders, a beer retailer. A decade later, in the 1861 Census, it appears as the Antwerp Arms (reference: RG9/794, f77, p20), with Charles Mason as the Beer Maker and Beer Seller.

Long-standing and much-loved landlords of The Antwerp Arms include the O’Brien family who owned the pub from 1896 into the 1940s, and Joan and John Walker who welcomed guests from the 60s to the 80s.

In 2011, when The Antwerp Arms faced the threat of being converted into flats, the Bruce Castle Village Association (BCVA) leveraged the Localism Act to list it as an Asset of Community Value (ACV). This initiative culminated in the community purchasing the pub through shares and a Social Investment Business (SIB) Capital Assets grant in March 2015.