Ally Pally and Highgate's abandoned station star in new children's book

Readers will recognise some of the local landmarks featuring in a new children's book.

Alexandra Park resident Kate Wilkinson has written Edie and the Box of Flits, with illustrations by Joe Berger.

The plot follows Edie who lives behind Alexandra Palace and whose dad runs the lost property office for London Transport . She finds a box on a seat on the Piccadilly Line and discovers inside a family of thumb-sized people.

Kate said: “I used to spend hours sitting on a bench at Highbury and Islington station waiting for my Overground connection and watching the busy and very savvy mice on the platforms hoovering up crumbs and rubbish.

"It made me think about parallel worlds in the tunnels and ghost stations and it inspired me to write this book.” 

As well as discovering some of north London’s hidden gems, such as the wilderness station at Highgate and other exciting "ghost places and secret corners", the author hopes the book will resonate with young readers.  

“It’s all about when your childhood is changing into ‘teen-hood’ and what happens to your friends, your imagination, and the games you used to play in the playground," she said.  

Edie and the Box of Flits, for children aged 8-11, is out now.