Where in Barnet, under one roof, would you find a stained glass window, a fireman’s helmet, a 1936 school register and more besides? The answer is, of course, the Museum, (www.barnetmuseum) the elegant building situated in the heart of the town opposite Church House in Wood Street. It was here that Mike Jordan, Chairman of the Barnet and District Local History Society, hosted a visit from members of the Barnet Society on Monday 6th July.

For about two hours Mike led us through the nooks and crannies of the building, from the cool depths of the basement store where countless records and documents are carefully catalogued through the various public rooms pointing out items of special interest and feeding us gobbets of fascinating information. I liked his description of Barnet as “the motorway service station of the coaching age” with its stabling for 800 horses and its numerous inns and taverns. Equally memorable was the story connecting the early breathing machine developed at Barnet Hospital with Elizabeth Taylor. The disruptive effects of war, from the Battle of Barnet to the destruction of the air raids of the l940's, are well represented, but there is also much to attract those with an interest in domestic and community life of times past.

Mike outlined the varied work undertaken by the museum “staff” all of whom are volunteers. Visits to the museum by school parties together with the dispatch of speakers into the schools help nurture a continuing interest in how Barnet came to be. The collection is constantly growing and demanding to be displayed in innovative ways This requires an enormous amount of time and commitment from the volunteers who labour to make the museum a living entity.

It was disappointing that the visit was not better supported, but those who were there enjoyed an excellent afternoon. If you were unable to attend on this occasion, you can still help the museum, firstly by making your own visit  - see opening times below as visitor numbers boost the case for the museum’s continued existence, secondly by offering a few hours a week as a volunteer. Finally our thanks to Mike and his team, not just for our visit but for their ongoing work to keep alive the awareness of Barnet’s rich and diverse history.

MUSEUM OPENING TIMES
Tuesday Wednesday Thursday 2.30 pm to 4.30 pm
Saturday 10.30 am to 12.30 pm and 2 pm to 4 pm