Over the years he has been handed awards, lifetime achievements, honorary degrees and more awards. But one honour Bob Dylan is not going to get his aging hands on is the Freedom of Haringey. The North London borough recently turned down a request for Dylan to receive the accolade.
Dylan, who turned 70 this year, owns a home in the area (Crouch End to be precise) and is a frequent visitor to the area, as he often calls upon friend and Eurythmics guitarist Dave Stewart. The Daily Express reports that Dylan “fell in love [with Crouch End] in the eighties.
It was suggested that Dylan could accept the Freedom of Haringey whilst performing during his headlining set as part of London’s Feis Festival, on the weekend just gone (18-19 June), but council authorities moved to quash any chance of that happening.
A spokesperson for Haringey Council said, “We are grateful for (the) suggestion, but the Freedom of the Borough is usually reserved for individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to life in the borough.”
Trades council chairman Keith Flett said, “He has a long association with Haringey, and not only would the Freedom of the Borough recognise that, it would also put the borough on the map for Dylan fans.
“We are calling on councillors to re-think the decision.
“We reckon quite a few are actually Dylan fans themselves.”
In the meantime, Dylan went on to play Feis Festival anyway, to several good reviews – which are becoming pretty rare these days.
