Despite a cold, grey day the Mayor of Barnet Councillor Alison Moore got the annual Barnet Christmas Fayre off to a flying start by cutting the ribbon in the middle of the High Street.
She was delighted to be opening the centre piece of the town’s pre-Christmas festivities and an event that was on the road to a full recovery after missing out in 2020 because of the social distancing restrictions of the covid pandemic.
“The Christmas Fayre is so important to local fund raising in the run-up to Christmas and after a couple of difficult years it is great to see it back bigger and better.”
Stalls and attractions stretched all along the High Street – from a funfair at the St Albans Road junction, passed more stalls and attractions in The Spires and Wesley Hall, and on to carols and bell ringing at the parish church and this year’s children’s show at The Bull Theatre, The Grinch’s Christmas Adventure.
Collections were in aid the mayor’s chosen charities – Homeless Action in Barnet, Barnet Food Hub and Space2Grow Children’s and Young People’s Fund.
Councillor Moore said that when she selected her charities during the summer, she did not envisage how important support for the homeless and food banks would become during the coming winter.
“All three charities will be pivotal in meeting the challenges we face as a borough over the coming months.
“Sadly, such support will be needed more than ever,” said Councillor Moore.
Under their leader Alan King, the band of the Barnet Boys’ Brigade and Girls’ Association provided music for the official opening and accompanied the guests to the events tent in courtyard of Barnet and Southgate College.
Theresa Villiers, MP for Chipping Barnet, stressed the importance of the Christmas Fayre in helping to boost trade in the High Street.
“Town centres like Barnet are a brilliant place to buy Christmas present and support our local shops.”
She joined the mayor in congratulating The Bull Theatre and the Barnet Borough Arts Council for all their efforts in organising the fayre and helping to raise funds for the mayor’s chosen charities.
Eight classic and vintage cars were one of the many popular attractions – a display organised for the second year by Barnet Classic Car Club.
Howard Pryor had no shortage of young admirers, young and old, for the oldest and newest cars in the display – his 1904 B-type Cadillac and a nine-month-old Ferrari Scuderia SF90, owned by his son Raymond.
For the last nine years, Mr Pryor -- formerly a long-time resident of Park Road, Barnet – has entered the Cadillac into the annual London to Brighton Veteran Car Run.
“My Cadillac is one cylinder, ten horsepower – and my son’s Ferrari has 1,000 horsepower – that’s progress for you.”
Another admirer of the classic cars was The Grinch (Albi Fenner) who was out and about in the High Street publicising this year’s children’s show at The Bull Theatre.
The fayre was a valuable opportunity for the Friends of Tudor Park Pavilion who are campaigning for the restoration of the park’s original cricket pavilion.
Earlier this year Barnet Council awarded the friends £200,000 in funding for use within the next two years – and several steps are about to be taken to get the project off the ground.
Simon Kaufman (above, centre) – with Hilary Chamberlain and John Hay – said they are about to apply for charitable status and then follow that up with an application for Lottery funding.
Once the project is formally established, negotiations can begin with Barnet Council over a lease for the pavilion and that will be followed by more fund raising and the preparation of plans for the refurbishment of the building.
Another local project which was given a boost was Grow, the agroecological farm and outdoor learning hub at Totteridge Academy.
Councillor Moore – see here with Sarah Alun-Jones – praised Grow’s achievements and congratulated them on the produce they had for sale, ranging from dried flowers to vegetables and pots of Dollis Valley honey.
A new addition to the children’s fun fair was a fun house – which almost filled one side of the High Street at the St Albans Road junction.
At the High Street entrance to The Spires – at buskers’ corner – passers-by were entertained by a succession of young musicians, including a brother and sister duo.
Abbi Smith (18), a pupil at Mount Grace Potters Bar, appeared for the first time with her brother Aaron (19). “It was the first time he had played in public, and was very good,” said Abbi.
