Category: Barnet History

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Barnet’s rich history and literary connections brought to life in a new play which explores Charles Dickens’ associations with the town

Imagining how the great Victorian novelist Charles Dickens might have spent an evening in the bar at the Red Lion public house in Barnet is the highlight of a new production at The Bull Theatre.

Dickens was said to have gained inspiration for his writing from his visits to North London so the challenge for Barnet playwrights Sarah Munford and Claire Fisher was to visualise what happened when the famous author stayed overnight in the town.

Rehearsals are well under way for Between the Lines: Dickens Comes to Barnet which the Blue Door Theatre Company is to present at The Bull Theatre, High Street. Barnet, for three nights in late April.

Dickens is forced to spend the night at the Red Lion because the road back to London is snowed up and that creates the occasion for some fascinating interaction with an array of the town’s colourful characters – some of whom have a tale to tell.

Peggy, the Red Lion’s landlady played by Naomi Richards (above), has a back history worthy of a Dickens novel and her revelations about her previous connections with the author, played by Chris Browning, are a salutary reminder of his own chequered past.

Before taking on the Red Lion, Peggy was a prostitute, one of many who was said to have been taken off the streets of London with Dickens’ help, and for her guest, by now an old man walking with a stick, his night in Barnet becomes a trip down memory lane. 

The life and times of Dickens’ fellow travellers play out against a background of some of Barnet’s low life including the Barnet Belles, a group of prostitutes who are based across the road at the Bull public house.

Sarah Munford (right) said she hoped her play would encourage the audience to form their own view about Dickens and whether perhaps he had been misogynistic towards women.

“Perhaps questions should be asked about the way Dickens treated his wife, how he tried to get her committed to an asylum after giving birth to ten children, and about his long-term affair with Nelly Ternan.”

Claire Fisher (left) who collaborated with Sarah, said she had enjoyed writing the crowd scenes and she has her own role in the play as nurse Sally Swaddle, the local midwife.

The history of Barnet offers an array of script lines – including a meeting of the guardians at Barnet Workhouse, which was on the site of Barnet House in Wellhouse Lane.

A tense scene develops when a blacksmith’s widow from Finchley and her son face some tough questions about their future.

Another reminder of an earlier visit to Barnet when Dickens was said to have gained inspiration from the steps outside the former Victoria Bakery – steps which become the location in Oliver Twist where Oliver met the Artful Dodger.

That flashback is in the hands of Abel Able (Ross Wilson) who takes on the role of an Artful Dodger lookalike who again captures Dickens’ attention.

Once again props for the production are in the capable hands of sculptor and artist Cos Gerolemou, who has worked behind the scenes on so many of the company’s productions.

He came up with the idea of a sucking pig which has pride of place on the mantlepiece above the fire in the bar of the Red Lion.

For artistic director Siobhan Dunne (above left) – concentrating with Sarah Munford at an evening rehearsal – an annual challenge for the Blue Door Theatre Company is present an original play with a theme based around the history of Barnet and its literary connections.

Her success directing the company speaks for itself: last year’s production, Mary Livingstone, I Presume, based on events surrounding the year Dr David Livingstone lived on Hadley Green, was a sell-out.

Equally popular were original productions on the 1471 Battle of Barnet and the history of once celebrated Barnet Fair.

Barnet's Blue Door Theatre Company explores Charles Dickens' literary associations with Barnet in new production at The Bull Theatre

Between the Lines: Dickens Comes to Barnet features original live songs by composer Nick Godwin of The Silencerz.

There will be four productions, Thursday 23 April and Friday 24 April at 7.30pm; Saturday 25 April at 2pm and 7.30pm

Tickets £15 + booking fee via www.thebulltheare.com

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Barnet Vale residents a step nearer the day when Tudor Park’s derelict cricket pavilion might be open again for community use

A determined community effort in Barnet Vale to rescue and renovate an abandoned former cricket pavilion at Tudor Park has achieved a major objective – and to celebrate there are new artist’s impressions of what the renovated building might look like.

After lengthy negotiations, Barnet Council has finally agreed the terms of a 50-year lease with the Friends of Tudor Park and Pavilion, paving the way for the launch of a fund-raising appeal.

A binding agreement with the council would give the friends three years to present a detailed planning application to the council for rebuilding and improving a dilapidated structure which is currently closed to the public and is in desperate need of repair.

Once the paperwork is complete and the lease has been signed, the friends can start fund raising and making appeals to the National Lottery Community Fund, local charities and other groups for financial support towards a possible target of £800,000 to £1million.

Barnet Council has already agreed a £200,000 grant from community infrastructure funds.

Simon Cohen, chair of the friends’ committee who in 2020 initiated the campaign to save the 106-year-old pavilion for community use, outlined the terms of the lease at an exhibition of the latest images.

There would be no rent to pay for the first five years; £500 a year for the following five years; then increasing at £500 a year to year 20, followed by further increases in line with inflation.

A business plan prepared by the committee proposed that the pavilion would be open for community use and a variety of activities seven days a week from 9am to 9pm. A wide range of local groups have already expressed interest in making use of the building.

Committee vice chair Simon Kaufman outlined the latest proposals and images.

Consultations with the community showed the largest support was for the refurbished pavilion to include a café, overlooking the existing Tudor Park children’s playground, with accessible public toilets, indoor and outdoor seating areas and wheelchair access.

The main hall in the pavilion would be multi-functional with additional activity spaces, more toilets, lockers and storage for space for equipment.

There would be space in the central area to seat 50 people which could be expanded to take 80 people and even as many as 120 people with sliding internal walls.

Dogged community campaign in Barnet Vale to save abandoned cricket pavilion in Tudor Park a step closer with Barnet Council agreeing a 50-year lease

Instead of the metal bars which currently close off access to the pavilion the refurbished building might feature external decorative steel panels – as seen above – which could feature motifs reflecting local history and events.

The original portico of the pavilion would be preserved but along with major structural repairs, much of the interior and exterior would need to be rebuilt with installation of new windows and doors.

All those attending the presentation were urged to keep giving their opinions and making suggestions as to how they would like to see the pavilion renovated and repurposed for the use of the community.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

For almost 60 years Barnet’s Puddenecks Club has been hosting events including a meal and entertainment for the town’s elderly residents

Entertaining groups of Barnet’s senior citizens to a monthly supper evening is one of the many activities organised by one of the town’s oldest charities, the Puddenecks Club.

The Puddenecks are volunteers whose mission is to hold events which help elderly residents overcome the loneliness of being home alone.

Guest evenings in the winter months are followed by barbeques in the summer and there is a chance to keep fit at a weekly exercise class.

Like so many other community groups the club is keen to recruit additional volunteers and helpers and especially car drivers who can assist with transporting elderly guests and with fundraising.

Committee member Victor Valloti – seen above with guest Lesley Keating – said the club realised that the popularity of a monthly evening meal demonstrated of the importance of not forgetting the elderly.

Volunteers collect each of those attending an event directly from their homes and then drive them back again at the end of the evening.

“So many of the elderly, especially widows and those living alone don’t like going out on their own in the evening and our aim is to take the edge off that loneliness,” said club secretary Roger Moore.

Club members and volunteers are maintaining a contribution to the community which started in 1958 when a group of Sunday lunchtime drinkers got together in the now demolished Swan and Two Necks public house in High Road, Whetstone.

They decided to meet once a month for a steak and kidney pudding and then hold a meeting to decide how best to help older people in Barnet – hence their name, Puddenecks.

“We pride ourselves on making sure that any elderly resident we invite out is picked up at their home and then returned safely,” said Mr Moore (right) seen above signing up a new volunteer driver Larry Williams at the club’s February night out which was an evening meal with a Spanish theme at the Old Fold Manor Golf Club.

“It is quite an exercise collecting 75 or so senior citizens from their homes and then getting them back again but we know how much our efforts are appreciated.

“Many of those we collect from their homes are widows or other elderly ladies living on their own and they are just so fearful of going out on dark winter evenings, so we feel what we do is a real contribution to the community.

“We follow our monthly evenings out in the winter months with a couple of summer barbecues at Totteridge Millhillians Cricket Club.” 

Another of the precautions taken by the club to ensure the safety of their elderly guests is to invite along two volunteers from the Barnet division of the St John Ambulance Brigade.

“We realise that at one of our events we might need some medical support one day and we are so grateful for the support of their brigade’s volunteers.”

For the guests the great attraction of a meal out with the Puddenecks is the chance to chat with friends said Jenny Windsor (above, second from left) with Tony Cardosi, Angela Casali, Sandra Gallardo and Terry Gleeson.

“It is so important for us all to get out of the house and have a real chinwag with our friends. What the Puddenecks do for Barnet’s elderly cannot be praised enough,” said Jenny.

One of Barnet's oldest charities the Puddenecks Club is appealing for more volunteers to help with its evening meals and entertaintment for elderly residents

Mr Moore arrived at the club’s February evening after collecting Gillian Collison from her home. She could not wait to join her friends.

He said the club was launching an appeal for new members – and especially car drivers – because they felt there was low public awareness within Barnet for what the Puddenecks did.

Anyone who is interested in joining is asked to make contact by emailing roger.moore@puddenecksclub.org.uk or visit their website for more details www.puddenecksclub.org.uk

Each year the club raises upwards of around £40,000 to finance its activities.

A golf day at the Old Fold Golf Club in September followed by a dinner and auction is one the main fund-raising events.

There is also an annual charity dinner with a guest speaker, and these are backed up with donations and raffles, including an annual Christmas raffle at Ye Olde Monken Holt public house in Barnet High Street.

Mr Moore said the value of the club’s support for the elderly was underlined during the covid emergency when the Puddenecks delivered 100 portions of fish and chips to 100 residents twice a month.

“For those who can’t get to our guest evenings we continue to deliver 20 or so portions of fish and chips every two or three months.

“We also have an exercise class for an hour every week in the Wesley Hall – and that attracts 40 or so people who are instructed by a professional tutor.”

Probably the most eagerly anticipated event is the Puddenecks’ Christmas dinner where volunteers at the Totteridge Millhillians Cricket Club cook two meals, for a sitting at 12 noon and then another at 5pm.

Posted on by — 5 Comments

Queen Elizabeth’s School – a Barnet brand name that will soon be appearing on new international schools in India and Dubai

QE Boys, established by Queen Elizabeth in 1573 as a free grammar for the “boys and youth” of Barnet, is about to begin a new chapter in its history with the opening in August of the first two of three new international schools bearing the brand name “Queen Elizabeth’s School”.

Enrolment started in November at one the new schools opening in August – Queen Elizabeth’s School, Dubai Sports City (see artist’s impression above).

Some leading independent schools have already established international branches.

QE Barnet, is the first UK state-maintained school to open affiliated schools overseas, starting in the United Arab Emirates and India.

Queen Elizabeth's School Barnet about to become an international brand with new Queen Elizabeth schools in India and Dubai

Queen Elizabeth’s School, at Gurugram, near Delhi – see artist’s impression above – is the second of the two schools opening in August.

It is in the northern Indian state of Haryana, and it will be followed by another in India at Gift City, another new financial and technology hub in Gujarat province.

Any revenues received from a partnership with Global Education Holdings Ltd will be invested in furthering educational opportunities at QE in Barnet, says the school’s website.

The location of these new international fee-paying schools for boys and girls under the Queen Elizabeth brand reflects the high number of children of Indian heritage who are being educated at QE Boys.

A report in The Times (9.2.2026) into why white British pupils are falling behind in the race for a grammar school place singled out QE Barnet.

Requests by the newspaper under the Freedom of Information Act had revealed that in the last academic year (2024-25) only two boys from an intake of 192 at QE Barnet were identified as white British, down from nine in 2019-20.

The number of boys admitted to QE who were from Indian heritage had increased from 103 in 2019-20 to 120 in 2024-25.

Queen Elizabeth’s School attracted 3,300 applications for the 192 places which were available that year – a level of demand which reflects its ranking in the Sunday Times 2026 school guide as state secondary school of the year.

Since it reverted from being a comprehensive to grammar school status in 1994, and reintroduced an entrance examination, QE Boys has become heavily oversubscribed.

Its high intake of boys from Indian families who pass the entrance exam is a result of what The Times described as the emphasis which Indian heritage families place on tutoring children, often starting at the age of six.

Former QE pupils from Barnet who now live in Dubai – where 90 per cent of the population are expatriates – have been lending their support for the opening of the Queen Elizabeth’s School at Dubai Sports City.

In a video presentation describing how the new school would draw on QE Boys “incredible heritage”, the founding principal Dan Clark said he had hosted an event in Dubai for Old Elizabethans.

He said that these former pupils had “an exceptional sense of pride” about having been educated at QE in Barnet and they were “desperate to get involved” in a project which would allow children in Dubai to benefit from the experience of the “most academically successful state-maintained school in the UK”.

“I have been wondering whether Queen Elizabeth thought that a school she founded in Barnet would go on to be one of the UK’s – and the world’s – most successful academic institutions.”

Mr Clark expressed his personal delight at being able to bring the “incredible heritage” of QE to Dubai, one of the “world’s most exciting cities and one of the world’s top ten destination cities for education”.

QE headmaster Neil Enright said that he and his staff in Barnet would “play a key role in shaping and guiding the new schools, ensuring that they are worthy of bearing the proud name of Queen Elizabeth’s School”.

Management of the commercial relationship with Global Education will be in the hands of a new subsidiary, Friends of Queen Elizabeth’s International Enterprises Ltd which would ensure that the charity and the school benefited from the income generated by the new international schools.

Global Education is a UK registered education business with 60,000 students in a portfolio of establishments across 12 different countries operating as “successful education brands”.

“The new Queen Elizabeth’s Schools in India and other markets will bear the QE name and branding and will draw upon QE Barnet’s ethos and educational methodology, taking inspiration from and aspiring to its record of academic excellence and achievement.”

QE Barnet is described as being “a perfect partner” for Global Education as it seeks to offer first-class British-style schooling in international settings.

In welcoming the new partnership, Mr Enright says QE Barnet looks forward to working with Global Education to “open and grow QE branded schools internationally, and to the opportunities that students will enjoy as a result.”

In its report investigating the way white British pupils are failing to get grammar school places, The Times said that its Freedom of Information requests indicated that the girls’ grammar school Henrietta Barnet in Hampstead Garden Suburb took one white British pupil and 62 of Indian heritage in the academic year 2024-25 when there were 3,000 applications for 104 places.

Unlike QE Boys Barnet, Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School, Barnet, which was established in 1888, has remained a non-selective comprehensive school and continues to offer places within a wide catchment area around High Barnet.

By contrast QE Boys attracts pupils from across north and west London, Hertfordshire and further afield and administers its own selection process.

There has been discussion among education experts as to whether there should be reform of a system which allows applicants to apply to successful grammar schools regardless of where they lived.

Mark Fenton, chief executive of the Grammar School Heads Association, told The Times that schools were obliged to assess all applicants regardless of where they lived and this was a regulation which some grammar school leaders would like to see reformed.    

Posted on by — 3 Comments

New theories over elusive site of the Battle of Barnet are to be tested with possible metal detecting investigations and drone surveys

Fresh attempt possible with metal detecting and drone surveys to find elusive site of Battle of Barnet

Plans are being finalised for a fresh attempt to determine the site of the 1471 Battle of Barnet which has remained unidentified despite previous searches and an extensive archaeological excavation.

A team of metal detectors has already been enlisted, and an experienced drone pilot will carry out aerial investigations to look out for signs of ancient soil disturbance.

Barnet school pupils will be encouraged to take part in a project which the organisers hope will reveal more about the location – and potential burial grounds – after what was one of the most significant battles of the Wars of the Roses.

Preparations for the investigation are being co-ordinated by Brian Carroll (above, left) who is author of The Search for the Battlefield, and fellow researcher Barry Swain, who were photographed at Hadley Highstone which commemorates the battle.

They hope to announce more details about the areas they intend to search in the lead up to the 555th anniversary of the battle on Tuesday 14 April.

 After the failure over a decade or more to locate the site, Brian and Barry have spent countless hours examining the many historical accounts of the battle and have developed new theories about the route taken by the Yorkist army as it left London and headed for Barnet to meet the Lancastrians.

Schools to be approached to see if their pupils would like to take an interest and perhaps participate in the project are in New Barnet close to where the Yorkists might have passed and then returned to London after their victory.

They include the Jewish Community Secondary School, Livingstone Primary School and Cromer Road Primary School. 

Metal detecting and drone surveys with ground penetrating radar might be possible on land around the schools including perhaps playgrounds and playing fields.

“What we are hoping to do is look at areas around Barnet which have not been thoroughly probed in the past,” said Brian.

“We think previous searches, such as the most recent archaeological excavation around Kitts End Lane, were probably misplaced.

“If, as seems likely, the Lancastrians – who had arrived first – were well entrenched on the high plateau around Monken Hadley then, if we are right, the Yorkists approaching from London might well have approached from the ground below King George’s Fields.”

Brian and Barry are the founder members of the Barnet Tourist Board, which they established to help promote Barnet – and its connections to the Wars of the Roses – through the publication of booklets and videos.

“If we could establish the actual site of the battle – and answer a centuries old mystery – then Barnet would change overnight attracting tourists not only from this country but also from all over the world,” said Barry.

“Over the years we have heard so many reports of people finding items which might have been linked to the battle such as swords, cannon balls and shot.

“Perhaps it is not surprising that so many artefacts have been discovered when you think that this was a major battle fought by up to 30,000 men and that 2,000 to 3,000 were killed, or perhaps many more.

“We know there is so much more to be found and we hope our project will keep the important history of Barnet alive, so we hope as many people as possible will join us in a once in a lifetime adventure to find the site of this elusive battlefield.”

The Barnet Tourist Board has produced a video “In Search of the Battlefield” in support of its attempt to launch a new investigation to find precisely where the battle took place and those who were killed might have been buried:

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Barnet pub with a tradition of community and creative engagement included in sale of 30 licensed premises by Hertford brewers McMullen’s

Sebright Arms in Alston Road is one of three Barnet public houses which the Hertford family-owned brewers McMullen’s have sold to Punch Pubs & Co.

Two others included in the sale of a total of 30 pubs are the Kings Head in Barnet High Street and the Queens Arms, next to the Everyman cinema.

James Croft, Punch Pubs’ strategy and commercial director, said the company was delighted to have acquired a collection of pubs with such strong community roots and the focus would be to continue to invest in their licensed premises and to support their publicans and managers.

McMullen’s joint managing director Tom McMullen was confident Punch Pubs was committed to supporting the Sebright Arms and other pubs included in the sale.

“Punch Pubs have indicated a willingness to invest £4 million in the 30 pubs we have sold and to protect their long-term future.”

These assurances have been welcomed by the Sebright Arms Community Group which says Punch Pubs have “responded positively” in recognising “the Sebright’s established place at the heart of the local community”.

Ken Rowland, co-chair of the Barnet Residents Association, had been encouraged by the “proactive engagement” by Punch Pubs.

Because of previous uncertainty about its long-term future, the Sebright was registered with Barnet Council as an asset of community value, a safeguard which continues until 2027.

“The Sebright holds particular significance in Barnet,” said Mr Rowland.

“It has long served as a creative and community driven hub, hosting open microphone nights, quiz evenings, charity fund raising events and a wide range of residential led activities.

“Its role extends well beyond that of a traditional pub, providing a welcoming space where friendships are formed and local talent is supported.”

Mr Rowland said Punch Pubs’ reassurances were especially significant as the Sebright prepares to host its largest charity event to date on July 11, a celebration of the life and legacy of Graeme Hall, a much-loved regular and key figure in the Barnet music scene.

More than 25 acts have already committed to performing, reflecting the depth of affection and respect he inspired.

News of the sale of the Queens Arms and the Kings Head follows a temporary closure of the two pubs last year while waiting for new tenants and the BRA says it hopes they thrive under new ownership.

Other McMullen’s pubs included in the sale to Punch Pubs are the Builder’s Arms, Potters Bar, and the Windsor Castle, East Finchley.

All 30 were described by Punch Pubs as having strong trading histories, distinctive heritage and established positions.

Sebright Arms, Alston Road, one of three Barnet pubs sold by Hertford bewers McMullen's to Punch Pubs

In his statement Tom McMullen said it had been important to transfer the pubs to a new owner who possessed both the “scale and strategic direction” to offer tenants improved support and willingness to provide the pubs the financial commitment they deserved.

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Bid to safeguard Black Horse public house for community use amid continuing doubts about its future despite Star Pubs’ re-assurances

An attempt is being made to safeguard the long-term future of a Barnet landmark, the Black Horse public house, which has been closed to the public since mid-September last year.

Barnet Council is being asked to declare the building an asset of community value which would ensure the community had a chance to buy the property should there be an attempt to sell it for redevelopment.

Star Pubs, which said before Christmas that it hoped to find a new tenant starting in the New Year, has admitted that the company, which is part of Heineken UK, is still has no nearer to saying when the pub might re-open.

“The Black Horse is a much-loved pub, and we are committed to keeping it as such,” said Star Inns in a statement to the Barnet Society.

“We remain keen to re-open it as soon as possible but are unable to provide timings at this stage.

“As soon as we have more information, we will be happy to share it.”

The application for an asset of community value order has been submitted in the name of the Barnet parish church of St John the Baptist on behalf of the community, says Olly Gough.

Olly, who is to be a Labour candidate for the May elections to Barnet Council, has organised a petition to the save pub which has attracted over 3,500 signatures.

https://www.change.org/p/save-the-black-horse-chipping-barnet-list-it-as-an-asset-of-community-value

Barnet Council has eight weeks to make a decision on the application and, if approved, Olly says the ACV order would given the community “a real say in the pub’s future and help protect it as a proper local”.

In his campaign to save the pub, Olly has been publicising one of the early pictures of the Black Horse back in the day when a horse drinking trough and lamppost formed an effective mini roundabout at the Ravenscroft Park junction of Wood Street and Stapylton Road.

He says the strength of support for the petition reflects the news coverage which has been given to his campaign by the BBC, London Evening Standard, Barnet Post, Morning Advertiser and the Barnet Society.

“Thanks to everyone who has backed this campaign. Fingers cross for a good outcome.”

An ACV was issued in March 2024 to safeguard the future of the Prince of Wales public house in East Barnet which was closed by the Stonegate Group but was finally rescued and re-opened by the Heartwood Collection group of inns and hotels.

Once an ACV is registered, an owner wishing to sell the asset or to lease it for more than 25 years, is legally obliged to notify the relevant local authority.

Barnet Council will then inform those making the application – in this case the Barnet parish church – which would signal an interim moratorium period of six weeks during which the community could express an interest in taking on the asset.

If a community does express an interest in taking on the Black Horse, then a full moratorium is triggered and the property may not be sold on the market for a six-month period, which would give time for the formation of a residents’ group to consider their options.

Posted on by — 4 Comments

Loss of pub motto from new signs at The Gate, Arkley, prompts memories of some of the pub’s famous – and infamous – customers  

New signs outside The Gate public house at Arkley have resulted in the disappearance of a much-loved historical pub motto which used to adorn a miniature five-bar gate that has been the inn’s trademark for probably a couple of centuries.

Motorists stuck at the traffic lights at the junction of Barnet Road and Hendon Wood Lane — or passengers on the 107 bus – are said to have learned the words off by heart:

                           THIS GATE HANGS HIGH

                              AND HINDERS NONE

                               REFRESH AND PAY

                                AND TRAVEL ON

The Gate public house is included in Barnet Council’s local heritage list as being a landmark of significant architectural interest and the loss of the motto – which was painted on both sides of the miniature gate – has disappointed both residents and passers-by.

When asked by the Barnet Society, The Gate’s management said they had no intention of replacing the missing words – the suggestion seemed to be that after a new coat of white paint the mini gate now stands out more clearly and suits the modern, stylish lettering on the side of the wall.

The installation of a small five-bar gate as a pub sign dates back to when it was known as The Bell.

It was opened in the mid seventeenth century and was mentioned in a War Office survey of 1756 as being kept by John Williams.

A drawing of 1807 shows the inn as a thatched cottage with a porch and a gate alongside, close to the wall.

The gate’s purpose was to keep cattle and horses within the common which then stretched to the town of Barnet two miles distant.

Legend has it that when the gate was removed a replica was added to the inn sign.

At the time, the pub was often described as the Bell at the Gate or the Bell and Gate and the above picture (1898-1903) – from the Barnet Museum photographic collection – shows a replica gate above a sign depicting a bell.

The first words of the historical pub motto do differ – instead of “This gate hangs high” it sometimes says, “This gate hangs well.”

Replica gates with the motto are often displayed on inns on turnpike toll roads, meaning the gate is well maintained, does not block the traffic and requires a small payment for refreshments before travellers can continue on their journey.

In other cases – as at Arkley – the gate appears above inns on rural roads where a gate was used to keep animals in the owner’s land or within a common.

Over the years The Gate has served some notable characters – perhaps the most chilling was the American homeopath Dr Crippen who was hanged in 1910 at Pentonville Prison for the murder of his second wife.

In an article published in 1957 in the spring issue of Hertfordshire Countryside, Dorothy Prince, the daughter of a former licensee of the Bell Inn at Barnet Gate, recalled that when her father took on the pub in 1908 it still retained a good deal of its Victorian character.

Newly painted signs at The Gate public house Arkley fail to include the words of historic pub motto and prompt memories of famous -- and infamous -- customers

The postcard above – from Barnet Museum’s collection – promotes the then proprietor, J. Prince, Dorothy’s father

Motorists, who were rarely seen in those days, were regarded by Mr Prince as being “eccentric or flighty” as ordinary folk preferred their “bicycles or a nice little pony and trap for their country outings”.

One afternoon Dorothy’s sister served a meal in the parlour to a “small and furtive man, with a drooping moustache” and she remembered that his companion “seemed much younger and rather nervous”.

“A few months later the whole country was startled and horrified by the news of a dreadful crime. Pictures appeared in the newspapers, and my sister recognised her parlour customers.

“The man with drooping moustache was Dr Crippen and the young lady was his friend, Ethel le Neve.”

Dorothy recalled that one summer afternoon a party of very lively people alighted from several carriages and ordered tea to be served in the garden.

“Trooping on to the velvety lawn, they moved the tables and chairs and then started to dance – to dance in a way that seemed strange and fairy-like to my childish eyes. Soon the news leaked out.

“It was a party of dancers from the Russian Ballet, then appearing at Covent Garden, and I was told afterwards that I had probably seen the great Pavlova dancing.”

In later years The Gate became a regular haunt of the British film actor, Trevor Howard, who lived nearby in Rowley Lane.

Barnet Council’s local heritage list describes the association in rather more brutal words: “It is said that Trevor Howard drank himself to death in the pub”.

More recently social media posts recall visitors and regulars seeing other celebrities in the pub including the Irish American actor Patrick McGoohan, the actress Claire Bloom and another nearby resident, Tony Blackburn, the disc jockey and television presenter.

Posted on by — Leave a comment

Arkley’s two leading football teams met up for a local derby which put the village on the map and revived memories of past encounters  

Arkley has a new claim to fame – its top two football clubs are now in the same division and when they play each other their home matches are thought to be the closest local derby among leading English football leagues.

Until this season Liverpool and Everton held that honour because of what previously was the close proximity of their stadiums.

Local football fans believe that Arkley village may now have become the setting for perhaps the hottest local derby in the top eight tiers of English football.

The two clubs are based less than a mile apart.

Hadley FC’s stadium and clubhouse is in Brickfield Lane, next to Arkley village hall, and London Lions FC are a ten-minute walk away in Rowley Lane.

London Lions won promotion this season to the Southern League Division One Central and their first away fixture to Hadley ended in a 2-1 victory after they snatched the winning goal a minute from the end.

Hadley, hit recently by a bad run of injuries, had been hoping for a win and were in high spirits during the warmup – see above, from left to right, Hermes Gbio, Hedley Ogbebor, Jordan Edwards and Hadley goalkeeper coach Tim Teixeira.

London Lions under their skipper for the day Adam Lipman – see above with long-time Lions supporter Paul Woolfson – were disappointed when Hadley were deservedly 1-0 up at the end of the first half after striker Lenny Asamoah had made no mistake from close range.

Zan Appleson-Fidler equalised for the Lions in the 60th minute and a minute from time Daniel Creese clinched the match for the visitors from six yards.

Veteran London Lions fan Neville Zeller (87) – above right with Darren Zeller – is no stranger to the local football scene. He has been a supporter of the club since he was 15.

The last time the two teams met was in 2014 when Hadley ran out 4-0 winners in a Spartan South Midlands League Premier Division match.

A decade ago, the two clubs were both ground sharing – Hadley at Potters Bar Town and London Lions at Hemel Hempstead Town but after ground improvements both returned to Barnet.

Hadley FC president Tristan Smith – above – is hoping for a better result when the two teams meet again at the London Lions’ stadium in Rowley Lane on 28 March.

Arkley became the permanent home of Hadley FC – which was established in 1882 and is the oldest football club playing in Barnet – after the club secured a long-term lease on the sports ground at Brickfield Lane in 2016 – where the regular chant is now “Come on You Bricks.”

Since 2016 the club has spent £1.3 million in improvements to its ground and facilities, including the installation of an all-weather training pitch.

The latest addition are new changing rooms which have been in use since the start of the season, and which were funded with the help of grants from the Football Foundation and Barnet Council.

Despite having been hampered since early November by having up to 13 players unavailable through injuries, club director Oliver Deed – far right above with club chairman Steve Gray and first team coach Mick Hore – is hopeful Hadley might make it to the playoffs for promotion.

“We reached the first round of the FA Trophy, as we did last season, and although we are mid table, we have still got a chance of reaching the playoffs in 2026. It’ll but tough, but we are hopeful.”

Arkley's two top football teams Hadley FC and London Lions FC clash in local derby which gives village a new claim to fame.

For club members perhaps the next phase in the club’s development programme might be improvements to the bar and seating area in their clubhouse at Hadley Pavilion.   

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Sad loss of an imposing Victorian villa built when New Barnet was developed after the opening of its main line railway station

One of New Barnet’s last remaining large Victorian villas – 33 Lyonsdown Road – is being demolished much to the disappointment of community and heritage groups who fear it will be replaced by blocks of flats.

There is no certainty about future development of this prime site as two planning applications by the owners Abbeytown Ltd have been rejected by Barnet Council.

A spirited campaign was launched in 2017 to try to secure the restoration of what was considered one of the last and best examples of the imposing private villas and terraced houses which were constructed after the opening of New Barnet station in 1850.

After failing to secure approval for a five-storey block of flats – and losing two planning appeals – Abbeytown was granted permission in 2022 to demolish 33 Lyonsdown under permitted development rights.

Demolition contractors have finally moved heavy equipment onto the site, and the roof of the building was off within a matter of days.

In his monthly newsletter the Chipping Barnet MP Dan Tomlinson said that residents had raised concerns about the state of the property at a consultation event in Barnet Vale. He said he was “pleased to report that demolition work started this week”.

Robin Bishop, who leads for the Barnet Society on planning and the environment, was appalled by the sad loss of one of the few surviving buildings from the first Victorian settlement at New Barnet.

“Despite being on Barnet’s heritage list, a quirk in the planning law has allowed the owner, Abbeytown, to demolish it without reference to the planning committee.

“For five years the local community, together with the society, fought off earlier plans to replace 33 Lyonsdown with characterless blocks of flats.

“We raised substantial funds for top level legal advice and even designed a more acceptable scheme to retain and extend the villa, all without success.

“A new planning application is doubtless already in the pipeline.”

33 Lyonsdown had a chequered history variously having been a private home, an outpost of London’s Foundling Hospital, a women’s refuge and a base for missionary priests.

In her time as the Chipping Barnet MP, Dame Theresa Villiers, intervened to prevent the demolition, writing to the development company Abbeytown at the offices of estate agents Martyn Gerrard.

She supported the society’s campaign arguing that it was “sad to see such a beautifully designed villa, which was such a feature of New Barnet”, being threatened with demolition.

Simon Kaufman Architects prepared a full feasibility study and visibility assessment to demonstrate a more conservation-led approach to retain a building that had become a heritage landmark.

Under the proposal, the existing building would have been converted into apartments, retaining its original richly detailed stone porch, panelled entrance hall and other original feature.

This would have delivered a comparable floor area and improved sales values when set against total redevelopment.

Alongside the restoration, there was a proposal for a modest new-build block within the grounds which would have mirrored key proportions and materials while maintaining distance from neighbouring properties.

Simon Kaufman insisted this alternative vision was supported with site plans, financial appraisals, and heritage justification, and those opposing demolition had been anxious to engage with the owner to promote a design-led conservation strategy that would have protected the unnecessary loss of an important local building.      

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Star Pubs say Black Horse in High Barnet is unlikely to re-open until 2026 as hunt is still on for a new publican

Black Horse pub in High Barnet unlikely to re-open until 2026 as hunt is still on to find a new tenant after pub closed in September

Any hopes on the part of former customers that The Black Horse public house might re-open in time for Christmas and the New Year have been all but ruled out by Star Pubs.

A statement from the company made it clear it is “unlikely” the pub will re-open this year, but the company said efforts are being stepped up to find a new tenant.

The Black Horse closed in September on the departure of the previous tenant.

Continuing uncertainty about its future has attracted well over 3,000 signatures to a petition promoting a campaign to get the pub listed as an asset of community value.

Posts on social media have expressed strong support for a co-ordinated attempt to persuade Barnet Council to safeguard the future of one of High Barnet’s “most cherished pubs”.

In its latest statement, Star Pubs acknowledges the depth of local concern about what locals fear might become an indefinite closure.

“We are keen to re-open the Black Horse as soon as possible and we plan to advertise details on our website as soon as we are able.

“It is unlikely the pub will reopen this year but as soon as we have more details to share with you, we will of course let you know.”

Said to have been founded in 1720 as a coaching inn, The Black Horse – at the junction of Wood Street and Union Street – had its own stables which were converted into a small micro-brewery before becoming the pub’s kitchen.

The name Black Horse is steeped in the history of former coaching towns like Barnet and inns with that name were a trusted stop for travellers and their horses.   

The pub’s significance locally – and its echoes of coaching inns and associations with Barnet Fair – has attracted widespread publicity and support for the petition – https://www.change.org/p/save-the-black-horse-chipping-barnet-list-it-as-an-asset-of-community-value

Barnet Council have indicated that a formal application will have to be made to apply for The Black Horse to be declared an asset of community value and that will involve more than simply adding names to a petition.

Posted on by

Safeguards agreed by Barnet Council add greater protection for Quinta Village Green and could help to restore derelict youth club

Quinta village green and derelict Quinta youth club one step closer to being brought under residents' control after Barnet Council agrees asset of community value protection.

Quinta Village Green and the abandoned former Quinta Youth Club are one step closer to being brought under the control of a group of residents living in and around Mays Lane, Barnet, who have been campaigning for years to safeguard their open space and reopen a derelict clubhouse.

Barnet Council has agreed to list the whole site as an asset of community value, a safeguard which the Quinta Village Green Association hopes will be the first step towards establishing new facilities for the community.

ACV status for the green and clubhouse gives the community the right to apply for a potential community asset transfer which would allow a residents’ organisation to manage and operate the land and building for the benefit of the community.

An application is now being made to register the association as a community interest company which could develop and maintain community facilities on a non-for-profit basis.

Councillor Barry Rawlings, leader of Barnet Council, agreed to list the green and clubhouse as an ACV after meeting representatives of the village green association.

They outlined their vision for reviving the youth club building and enhancing the village green as a community-led hub.

Gina Theodorou, chair of the association, said the membership was thrilled that the importance of the green and club had been recognised and that the council had shared their vision that this was a place where people could come together.

“We can now start planning for a sustainable future with the hope that ACV status will ultimately lead to a full community asset transfer, ensuring the site remains protected and accessible for generations to come.”

She thanked Councillors Rawlings and Councillor Zahra Beg (Underhill) and Paul Frost from Barnet Council for their support.

The site was registered as a village green in 2010 following a public inquiry. Residents had argued that it should be preserved as an open space for community use and maintained by the council.

Local volunteers built the clubhouse in the 1960s and it served first as a youth club and community hub, later becoming a nursery and meeting place.

It has been vacant since 2006 when it was boarded up but in recent years residents have become increasingly concerned about continuing vandalism and anti-social behaviour around the building.

Planning approval was given in 2021 for use of the clubhouse to be changed from community use to become a store for the library service for schools in the Borough of Barnet but the proposed refurbishment did not take place, and the building has fallen further into disrepair.

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Former public house The Jester – the haunted house of New Barnet – is finally levelled by demolition contractors

After a seven-year campaign New Barnet community activist Ros Howarth finally says farewell to the last remnants of the abandoned public house The Jester which was left wrecked after a fire in 2018.

Demolition contractors have spent several days levelling the derelict pub which had remained an eyesore after protracted disputes over its future and then a series of contested planning applications.

Approval was given in May last year for the site – at the junction of Northfield Road and Grove Road – to be redeveloped with a three-storey children’s nursery and three houses.

Built in 1958 as a result of a petition from residents, The Jester became a well frequented pub and restaurant.

The fire seven years ago – photograph above by Oliver Jennings – was said at the time to have been a heart-breaking blow for the community.

Ros Howarth and other campaigners fought tirelessly for the construction of a replacement public house or some other community building to benefit the locality.

“It’s a bitter-sweet moment,” she said.

“Everyone around here has been delighted to see it being demolished but we are disappointed. We wanted a new community pub or cafe.

“Instead, approval has been given for a private children’s nursery with up to 100 places.

“We already have three council-run nurseries within walking distance, and we don’t think there will be the demand for a private nursery.”

The final go ahead for the demolition of what had been dubbed New Barnet’s haunted house was a relief for Barnet Councillors.

East Barnet Councillor Simon Radford – above far right, with Councillor Phil Cohen and Councillor Edith David – said he and his colleagues shared the disappointment of nearby residents that the owners of the site had not opted to construct a new community pub.

“While we won’t be getting pub, we will have a children’s nursery which is certainly better than the haunted house which has stood there for the last seven years.”

Councillor Radford paid tribute to the resolve shown by the community.

“Ros Howarth has been a tremendous advocate for their campaign to get a replacement for the pub, and they demonstrated there was a viable alternative.”

Ros Howarth – founder of the Justice for Jester Facebook page – said she doubted whether a private nursery with up to 100 places would be viable.

Construction work is due to last for 18 months with the development completed by the spring of 2027.

The fear of nearby residents was that the new building – see developer’s image above – might at some stage be converted into flats.

Even if there was sufficient demand for a nursery, they were concerned that the site lacked sufficient car park spaces for 27 members of staff and visiting parents.

Parking was already a problem in surrounding roads, and an added problem was that Northfield Road was the main approach road for the nearby Jewish Community Secondary School which was served by a dozen or more coaches every day.

“All the new nursery school will have is a few dropping off places, so we think that with the amount of local traffic this isn’t going to be the safest place for small children.”  

The Jester public house, wrecked and abandoned after a fire in 2018 is finally demolished to make way for a new children's nursery in New Barnet

A start was made on demolishing the pub after the fire in 2018, but Barnet Council stepped in to halt the work – and that was the start of what seemed to be a never-ending saga of changes in ownership, court cases, appeals and futile planning applications.

Posted on by — 6 Comments

Star Pubs say “high level of interest” in re-opening Black Horse but mounting local concern over pub’s continued closure

Star Pubs want to re-open Black Horse public house as soon possible but concern over continued closure prompts petition to safeguard its future

Such is the depth of local concern over the continued closure of the Black Horse public house that a petition has been launched to gather support for its future to be safeguarded by Barnet Council with an order to declare it an asset of community value.

Owners Star Pubs, part of Heineken UK, told the Barnet Society that they are keen to re-open the Black Horse as soon as possible.

“The Black Horse is a great pub.

“We are in the process of recruiting a new operator and we are getting a high level of interest.”

Star Pubs operates 2,400 leased and tenanted pubs across the country and the last leaseholder of the Black Horse vacated the pub in mid-September.

Within a few days well over 1,000 people have signed the petition calling for the pub to be listed as an asset of community value. It has been organised in the name of Olly Gough – www.change.org/p/save-the-black-horse-chipping-barnet-list-it-as-an-asset-of-community-value

It says the current closure is a reminder that “times are tougher than ever” for pubs and that Chipping Barnet cannot risk losing one of its most cherished pubs.

Said to have been established in 1720, the Black Horse is described as having “real social importance to the local community” and if it ceased to be a pub it could become a place for social gatherings, recreation or cultural events.

Chipping Barnet MP Dan Tomlinson, says he has already alerted Barnet

Council to the continued closure.

“Given the status of the Black horse as a locally listed building within the Wood Street Conservation Area, I sought assurances that the council would retain the building and that any future development would be sensitive to its heritage status – which the council confirmed would be the case.”

An application for ACV status would need considerable support from the community.

Chipping Barnet ward Councillor Emma Whysall, who has expressed her concern over the pub’s closure, together with the Barnet Residents Association, are urging regular customers to band together to see if they can get sufficient backing for an application.

An ACV declaration was made by the council last year after the closure of the Prince of Wales, the last pub in East Barnet village, and it was added to Barnet’s list of buildings considered to be community assets.

However, the ACV was overtaken by Stonegate Group’s sale of the pub to the Heartwood Collection which runs a chain of licensed premises with dining areas, and which re-opened the Prince of Wales in May after what was said to have been “a multi-million pound” investment.

East Barnet Residents Association raised a petition with over 3,000 signatures in support of the ACV application.

Posted on by

After staging Shakespeare’s tragedy Macbeth, High Barnet drama group to explore Charles Dickens’ rich literary association with Barnet and Finchley

Artistic director Siobhan Dunne takes the applause at the final performance of Macbeth at The Bull Theatre…and already she is planning the next production by the Blue Door Company, High Barnet’s highly acclaimed drama group.

Charles Dickens Comes to Barnet is to be the story line for another of Blue Door’s locally inspired plays which build on the town’s rich history and literary connections.

Writing and scripting for the new play is due to start in November ready for a premier performance at The Bull Theatre in April next year.

After a run of highly popular productions which have explored the impact of the Battle of Barnet, the importance of Barnet Fair and most recently the year that Dr David Livingstone lived at a cottage on Hadley Green, the new drama will explore Dickens’ connections with both Finchley and Barnet and bring to life local links to immortal Dickens’ characters such as Oliver Twist and Mrs Gamp.

Packed audiences at The Bull Theatre for the group’s imaginative and daring production of Macbeth demonstrated the strength and versability of High Barnet’s community theatre company which brings together total beginners alongside members with decades of performance experience, backed up by dedicated local professional artists.

On the closing night, Francesco Giacon, who played Macbeth, led the thanks to Ms Dunne for her inspirational leadership and declared:

“We encounter ye with our hearts’ thanks” – based on the line from the play when Macbeth greets his guests at the banquet and says to the first murderer, “See, they encounter thee with their hearts’ thanks.”

In response, Ms Dunne reflected the pride of the Blue Door Theatre Company in having pulled off their own original presentation of a Shakespeare classic. 

“We recognise it has been a real privilege to perform Macbeth here in Barnet.”

“We manage two shows a year and we have so many people to thank for helping us to keep community theatre alive in the town.”

Ms Dunne appealed to the audience – and the residents of Barnet and beyond – to recognise the challenge they faced in keeping the lights on at a venue which was 40 years’ old, and which was in need of an upgrade.  

A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to raise a minimum of £10,000 towards the cost of updating theatrical equipment and protecting the future of The Bull Theatre.

www.gofundme.com/f/support-the-bull-theatre

 Blue Door’s production of Macbeth was another milestone for Blue Door. It was the first time Ms Dunne had led a full theatrical company in staging Shakespeare’s play about the destructive consequences of unchecked ambition and power.

With the help of their production team, Blue Door delivered a stunning performance which conjured up a supernatural atmosphere full of music, sound and eye-catching projections.

Composer Nick Godwin created an original music score for the chorus and musicians who won a special round of applause (see above) – Helen Brown (violin), Nick Godwin (guitar, bouzouki, bodhran, mandolin) and Ned Wilkins (bass ukelele).

In her programme introduction to The Tragedie of Macbeth, Ms Dunne reveals that their next production will explore the relationship that Charles Dickens had with Barnet and Finchley called – Between the Lines.   

Work on writing the script will start in November – a joint task for Claire Fisher, who played Lady Macbeth, and whose play Mary Livingstone, I Presume was staged earlier this year, and Sarah Munford, who was one of the three witches in Macbeth and who has been a regular cast member in productions by Blue Door and its sister company The Bull Players.

Rehearsals are due to start in January ready for the play to be staged next April.

Dickens paid many visits to Finchley and Barnet and the time he spent in the locality proved a great inspiration when writing his novels.

On a number of occasions, he was said to have taken his wife to dine at The Red Lion during the 1830s.

At the time he was writing Oliver Twist and Oliver is said to have met the Artful Dodger in Barnet High Street on the steps of what was the former Victoria Bakery.

It was there that Oliver “sat, with bleeding feet and covered with dust, upon a doorstep” after he had “limped slowly into the little town of Barnet”.

While crouching in the High Street, Oliver wondered at the “great number of public houses (every other house in Barnet was a tavern large or small), gazing listlessly at the coaches as they passed through”.

Highly acclaimed production of Macbeth at Bull Theatre, Barnet, to be followed next year by a drama with storyline about how Charles Dickens Came to Barnet

Ms Dunne – with Claire Fisher (above left) – said the Dickens’ play will definitely reflect the historic importance of the licensed trade in Barnet; so, expect references to The Mitre and The Bull as well as The Red Lion.    

There is also a strong chance that Dickens visited the former Barnet Union Workhouse – although this is disputed by some historians – and that this was the workhouse depicted in Oliver Twist.

A friend had urged Dickens to visit the workhouse after hearing one of its young inmates “ask for more”.

Barnet gets its own mention in Dickens’s Dictionary of London (1879): “A pretty and still tolerably rural suburb, but on the north side of London and on clay…The best part of Barnet, from a residential point of view, is the ring of villas round the common”.

Finchley also has strong connections with Dickens’ work. In 1843 he lived at Cobley’s Farm on Bow Lane while writing Martin Chuzzlewit and used to visit the Green Man in East Finchley.

It is recorded that during his walks in the lanes around Finchley with the writer John Forster that Dickens conceived the immortal character Mrs Gamp. 

Posted on by — 3 Comments

Full English breakfasts are on the march up the Great North Road as Hole in the Wall Cafe plans to transfer to Dory’s Cafe in High Barnet

Kevin Callaghan, proprietor of the Hole in the Wall Cafe – said to be Barnet’s oldest cafe – is temporarily transferring his business to the premises of the former Dory’s Cafe, another local institution, which ceased trading in the summer. 

The Hole in the Wall, established in 1935 and hidden behind hoardings on the Great North Road, is to be demolished along with other buildings on the Meadow Works industrial estate at Pricklers Hill.

The closure of Dory’s Cafe in August was the end of an era.

Opened in 1954, it had been run by three generations of the same family and its closure followed the retirement of its proprietors Guiliano Cardosi and Angela Casali.

Mr Callaghan has secured a lease on the former Dory’s Cafe – to be renamed Corner Cafe – and he will transfer the business on a date to be announced once all the legalities are complete.

The existing Meadow Works complex of industrial and commercial premises is to be replaced with a new self-storage depot which will include new premises for the Hole in the Wall Cafe along with co-working spaces.

Mr Callaghan and his staff have earned a well-deserved reputation for their full English breakfasts and lunch menu.

Over the decades the Hole in the Wall, where Mr Callaghan first started working 20 years ago, has become a well-used pit stop for lorry drivers and motorists heading out of London.

The closure of Dory’s Cafe prompted tributes across social media and a flood of memories of full English breakfasts, tasty snacks and friendly welcome – a reputation to be proud of.

Mr Callaghan is delighted that the Hole in the Wall will have a new home once the Meadow Works industrial estate gets a new lease of life.

Proprietor of Barnet's oldest cafe The Hole in the Wall is moving up the Great North Road to former Dory's Cafe in High Barnet while new premises are built.

Developers Compound Real Estate say they are awaiting planning permission but do have approval in principle for a new state-of-the-art self-storage facility and co-working spaces, fronting on to the Great North Road, which will be available to support local small businesses and entrepreneurs.

A cluster of ageing and dilapidated light industrial buildings will be demolished to make way for the new development.

One of the last to move out is a furniture maker which has been based at Meadow Works for the last nine years.

Proprietor Sebastian said that he was disappointed to be leaving as it had been difficult to find new premises and rents were high.

“We have managed to find another workshop in Waltham Abbey but that just shows how few affordable workspaces there are around Barnet. It’s not easy for small businesses in woodworking and carpentry.”     

Posted on by — 17 Comments

Planning inspector is being asked to reconsider Barnet Council’s rejection of plans for Barnet Football Club’s return to Underhill

Barnet Football Club has launched an appeal against the refusal of Barnet Council to approve an application to build a new stadium at Underhill.

A public inquiry before a planning inspector will give the club a chance to explain what it believes are the reasons why a new football ground should be permitted on playing fields close to the club’s previous stadium.

Despite being within the Green Belt, the club hopes an inspector will overturn the planning department’s advice that a new stadium in a “valued local park” would result in “substantial and irreversible harm to the openness and function of the Green Belt”.

BringBarnetBack, the group which is campaigning to bring the club back to a site as close as possible to its original home at Underhill, believe every effort should be made to secure a full public hearing.

When the application was considered by the strategic planning committee in July, members voted by 6-0 to reject the plan (with three councillors abstaining).

Councillor Barry Rawlings, leader of the council, told the Barnet Society that planning officials were now assessing the grounds of which the club had launched its appeal.

As the debate about whether Barnet FC should return to Underhill – from its current base at The Hive, Harrow – was now “a live issue” once again he was restricted in what he could say.

But he wanted to emphasise that his door as council leader remained open if the club did come forward with other alternative sites for a new stadium in or around High Barnet.

“It is difficult because of the proximity of the Green Belt, but as a council we would be prepared to look at other sites suggested by the club, such as a ground shared with another club or land already designated for sport.”

A survey conducted by the Barnet Society among community groups and councillors before decision in July, showed that the town was split down the middle over whether a 7,000-seat stadium should be built on Barnet Playing Fields.

Underhill Councillor Zahra Beg, who spoke out against the application in July, said she remained opposed to using the playing fields for a football stadium, but she was anxious to understand the grounds on which the club was appealing.

Planning inspector being asked to reconsider Barnet Council's refusal to grant planning permission for new stadium for Barnet Football Club at Underhill.

In view of promotion to League Two of the Football League, BringBarnetBack believe the club’s current success – it is currently placed 10th in the League – strengthens the case for securing a return to Underhill which they argue would provide a tremendous boost to match attendances and boost the High Barnet economy.

Posted on by

Clearing out charred remains piled up inside is next step in restoring historic Hadley Green mansion gutted by fire last May

Work is about to begin removing charred debris from inside a fire-ravaged Georgian house on Hadley Green after completion of a delicate operation to construct a framework of scaffolding and supports to stabilise the outer walls.

A massive fire over the May bank holiday gutted Hollybush House leaving only the shell of the Grade II listed building and its chimney stacks.

As the outer structure was considered so unsafe, access to the interior of the house – even by fire investigators – has had to wait until the scaffolding was finished.

Upper brickwork, especially at the rear of the building was left in such a fragile state there was a fear of outer walls collapsing.

Once the charred remains have been removed it will be possible to make a full assessment of the state of the building and contractors will be able to secure the brickwork and make a start on repairs and restoration.

The owners of Hollybush House, which was built in around 1790, say they are determined to ensure full restoration as they recognise its importance as part of the historic heritage of Monken Hadley.

Myshkin Clarke Hall, lead architect for the project, told the Barnet Society the owners of the house were committed to putting it back as it was.

Fire investigators would enter the building together with the clear-out crew.

He thought it would take two or three months to remove all the debris which would give them a chance to see how bad the damage was and then they could start repairing the brickwork.

An intricate web of scaffolding and internal supports had been necessary to secure the walls. The aim was to retain the original façade.

Brickwork on the front façade had survived quite well but was precarious at the rear and around the chimney stacks as the mortar had been damaged in the fire. Some of the bricks were cracked and would need to be removed and replaced.

Long term it might take two to two and half years to build a new roof, complete the reconstruction and finish off all the interior installations.

Work about to begin removing charred debris piled high inside Georgian house on Hadley Green gutted in fire last May.

Ten fire engines and 70 firefighters tackled the blaze which broke out at around 1am on May bank holiday.

Hollybush House, which it is thought went for an estimated £4.5 million when last sold in 2020, was in the process of being renovated and refurbished. A new roof had only recently been completed together with new windows.

Posted on by

Leading pioneer in renewable energy – and fellow of Women’s Engineering Society – is guest of honour on return visit to QE Girls’ School  

An award-winning engineer in the development of offshore wind technologies, visiting professor Emily Spearman – who grew up in High Barnet – returned to Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School to present prizes at the annual celebration of excellence.

Securing an A in GCSE mathematics at QE Girls in 1996 had been the springboard for Emily’s career – a career that included her nomination last year as one of “100 women brilliant in renewable energy.”  

She was delighted to congratulate Ejona Hasani – above, left – on winning the school’s 2025 trustees’ prize for outstanding achievements in maths.

Ejona – also an Abbott prize winner – is taking up a place at Warwick University to study economics.

Recalling her five years studying at QE Girls, where she remembered rushing through the corridors from one class to the next, Emily said was a chance to reflect on what school life had taught her – lessons she was keen to pass on to the pupils of today.

She had a strong sense of purpose; she knew what she liked and didn’t; she found English and history hard work; but was always curious and she gained an A in maths GCSE which secured her a place at Woodhouse sixth form college and then Nottingham University.

“One of the teachers in the maths department at QE (Mrs Sheena Duncan) recognised my potential.  She believed in me and recognised in me what others hadn’t. Through her support I have been able to achieve what I have.”

Pupils always had to fight for themselves, find sponsors and advocates, as everything achieved was a springboard to the next achievement.

“QE Girls was my springboard to college and university.”

Emily, who became an environmental officer for her university, found herself at the age of 21 as the only woman on an oil rig off Aberdeen, assisting in research and the collection of deep-sea data.

Other assignments included making environmental assessments on major construction projects across the world and, after eight years, she returned to academic life gaining an MBA in global energy at Warwick University.

Currently she is a senior leader of a BP offshore wind company, where she is working on offshore technologies such as drones and robots, and a visiting professor in energy and power at Loughborough University.

Emily’s return for the prize giving was a chance to meet up with Nigel Royden (above, left), her history teacher at QE Girls in the early 1990s, who taught at the school for 36 years, and who was presented with a long service award on his retirement.

Members of the Spearman family are no strangers to QE Girls: her father Jeffrey was chair of the school governors when the school hall was rebuilt after being destroyed in an arson attack in 1991 and her sister Jessica was also subsequently a chair of the school trustees.

Former QE Girls' School pupil, now leading pioneer in renewable energy,, presented awards at annual celebration of excellence.

Head teacher Violet Walker (far right) welcomed the Mayor of Barnet, Councillor Danny Rich.

As guests mingled after the presentation, Emily – at the suggestion of the Barnet Society – agreed that given her role in the development of renewable energy –and as a judge in climate change awards – perhaps she would like schools to do more to encourage a greater interest in the subject.

One idea would be for an annual prize for the pupil devising the most imaginative strategy for tackling climate change – a suggestion Mrs Walker agreed was a possible innovation.

Posted on by — 2 Comments

From toy shop to branch Post Office – another franchised business moves into Barnet High Street

Barnet’s Crown Post Office, which is about to become a franchise operation, will move across the High Street at some point in November to new premises in a former toy shop.

Once it becomes a franchise – as from Thursday 11 September – the branch will offer customers longer opening hours to include Saturday afternoons and Sundays (11am to 4pm).

Toy Galaxy, at 112 High Street, which closed some months ago, is to be refitted as a Post Office branch and stationery store.

It will have two open plan serving positions, four self-service machines and, initially, two additional counters.

There will be level access to the new Post Office through an automatic entrance. Inside there will be low-level serving counters, a low-level writing desk and hearing loops.

The new branch will be managed by the UOE store group (Universal Office Equipment UK) which already operates a chain of franchised Post Offices around London and the Home Counties, including Potters Bar and East Finchley.

Elliott Jacobs, who is chief executive of UOE and Postmaster for the franchised business, told the Barnet Society that the empty Toy Galaxy shop would be undergoing a “major refurbishment”.

His company was proud to be enhancing the delivery of an essential service with a seven-day a week Post Office and retail stationery store.

As part of the closure process, the Post Office is to carry out a six-week consultation exercise during which customers can give their opinions on the siting of the new location, ease of access, and any other feedback. 

After always having had its own Post Office – trading for more than a century from an imposing Edwardian building close to the parish church – Barnet is one of the last 108 town centres across the country to lose its Crown office.

This follows the Post Office’s decision to cease all retail operations and offer redundancy payments to existing staff – all of whom at the Barnet Crown Office, said to number around nine, are thought to have accepted the offer.

Barnet Post Office, which was rebuilt during the reign of King Edward VII, re-opened in 1905.

It was designed by the architect Jasper Wagner and displays – right at the top – the King’s motif ER.

An early post card illustrates the prominent position of the building in the High Street and hints at its significance as the town’s Post Office.

Barnet had a distinguished history having been a regular stopping off point for mail coaches heading out of London for Scotland and the north.

Set in the wall, just to the right of the letter box, is one of the original boundary stones of the ancient parish of Chipping Barnet.

Barnet's Crown Post Office becomes a franchise business and is to move across the High Street to a vacant toy shop and offer a seven-day service.

Its massive wooden front door also has a story to tell – set within the frame is a small grille and window.

Local folk lore has it that police constables patrolling the High Street sometimes popped into the Post Office late in the evening and at night – and could peep through it unobserved to keep an eye out for any nefarious activity.    

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Work underway to stabilise precarious brickwork in fire-ravaged Hadley Green house before reconstruction starts

A massive crane has been brought in by contractors to help install scaffolding and internal braces to stabilise the walls of a large Georgian house on Hadley Green which was gutted in a disastrous fire over the May bank holiday.

Seventy firefighters supported by ten fire engines fought the blaze at Hollybush House, but the roof collapsed and all that was left was the shell of the Grade II listed building and its chimney stack.

Plans are now being prepared for the repair and restoration of the house, which was built in around 1790 and which the owners say they recognise is an important part of the historic heritage of Monken Hadley.

An application has been submitted to Barnet Council for the post-fire reconstruction, including repairs to the walls, high-level masonry, windows, doors and roofs and the reinstatement of historic stairs and rooms.

Work starts on reconstructing Hollybush House, a Georgian property on Hadley Green which was gutted in dramatic May bank holiday fire.

A report to the council by architects and historic building consultants Donald Insall Associates says masonry at a high level and in some areas at the rear of the property was left structurally unstable and needed to be stabilised.

Work is due to start on the reconstruction in October and should be completed by March 2027.

Because the internal floors and fabric of the building were totally destroyed, the architects say it will only be possible to recreate the original appearance of the house.

The rebuilding would go “as far as it is possible” to restore the significance of the Grade II listed building and its contribution to the character and appearance of the Monken Hadley Conservation Area.

Hollybush House is one of several Grade II-listed buildings along the east side of Hadley Green, including Wilbraham Almshouses and Grandon to the north-

east, and Livingstone Cottage, Monken Cottage, Monkenholt, and Fairholt to the south-west.

The houses along Hadley Green Road are all located within the registered battlefield for the 1471 Battle of Barnet, a defining conflict of the Wars of the Roses.

Hollybush House is described in the consultants’ report as a modest country house formed of an amalgamation of 18th century domestic buildings and later additions.

It is thought that the site began as an early-18th century cottage, which was extended in the late-18th century with a classic Georgian country house façade.

The main house, which retained the majority of the historic features and decoration, suffered the worst damage.

However, there are some surviving historic items – a few sashes, shutters, and doors – which were temporarily removed for repair and refurbishment, but the loss of original historic fabric meant that the significance of the house had been permanently diminished.

Soon after the current owners purchased Hollybush House in 2020, they applied for planning permission to restore the building.

After 18 months of restoration work, which included installing a new roof and windows, the refurbishment was due to have been completed sometime in early 2026 – until fire broke out in one of the rooms in the early hours of Bank holiday Monday and spread to the roof.

Posted on by — 2 Comments

Chipping Barnet MP promoted to Treasury junior minister – a chance to demonstrate his commitment to tackling economic insecurity

A little over a year after being elected Labour MP for Chipping Barnet, Dan Tomlinson has been promoted to become a junior minister at the Treasury.

In a reshuffle announced by the Prime Minister on the day MPs returned to Westminster, Mr Tomlinson was appointed Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury.

His promotion from the backbenches to assist in the development of Labour policies to rebuild the economy reflects his previous experience as an economist with think-tanks working on ways to boost living standards and tackle poverty.

For the past year Mr Tomlinson – seen above when campaigning against the closure of High Barnet post office – has been one of Sir Keir Starmer’s backbench champions of economic growth.

His appointment to the ministerial ranks followed in the wake of the promotion of Darren Jones who was moved from the Treasury to a new cabinet post of Chief Secretary to the Prime Minister.

Mr Jones, who was Chief Secretary to the Treasury, has been replaced by James Murray, previously the Exchequer Secretary – the post now taken by Mr Tomlinson.

In the general election in July last year, Mr Tomlinson, at the age of 31, defeated the long-standing Conservative MP, Theresa Villiers (who was made a Dame Commander in Rishi Sunak’s resignation honours) and he became Chipping Barnet’s first Labour MP for over 70 years.  

He broke the Conservatives’ hold on what had been one of their safest seats and followed in the steps of an illustrious Labour predecessor Stephen Taylor MP, who won the newly created constituency of Barnet in the 1945 Labour landslide and who became an influential adviser on the creation of the National Health Service.

After studying philosophy, politics and economics at Oxford University, Mr Tomlinson joined the Treasury and moved to the Resolution Foundation in 2015 becoming a senior economist on housing, employment, public spending and living standards.

In 2022, he joined the Joseph Rowntree Foundation as principal policy adviser leading their research and advice on aspects of economic insecurity.

From 2018 to 2022, he served as a councillor in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets.

After being elected to Westminster, he was listed as one of eight newly-elected Labour MPs who would become advocates on the need to improve social housing – a cause which he has told his constituents was influenced by his own childhood experiences, having grown up on free school meals and having been homeless for a time as a child.

From the start, he indicated that he was determined to use his expertise to work with Keir Starmer, and the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves, to tackle the cost- of-living crisis – and after only 14 months as an MP, he has the chance to put his experience to the test.

Posted on by

Work to start soon on a new studio for Barnet Guild of Artists – a continuing legacy of Whalebones benefactor Gwyneth Cowing

Members of Barnet Guild of Artists are preparing for their 74th annual show in October – in what might become their final year in their unique and much-loved art studio.

Tucked away in the woods at Whalebones, off Wood Street, the timber framed studio was built by the late Miss Gwyneth Cowing who left it for the artists’ use.

The guild have been rebuilding their membership after a difficult few years following the cancellation of activities during the covid pandemic and uncertainty surrounding plans for the redevelopment of much of the Whalebones estate.

Helen Leake, the guild’s membership secretary – see above – says they will be very sorry to leave Miss Cowing’s original studio which holds so many happy memories for generations of local artists.

If all goes to plan the guild is due to move into a replacement studio towards the end of 2026 on a site in Wellhouse Lane, next to Well Cottage and directly opposite the bus terminus outside Barnet Hospital.

New premises for the artists are to be built by Hill Residential, and the Gwyneth Cowing Will Trust, which were granted planning permission last year to build 114 new houses on fields adjoining Whalebones House.

A lease on the proposed new building is about to be signed by the guild which has acquired charitable status given its enhanced responsibilities.

By moving into a new premises, with a much bigger art studio, full disabled access and modern facilities, the guild will have the opportunity to widen their appeal and work with other arts groups.

“We do want to engage much more with the wider community and our new premises will give us the chance to work with other organisations and arrange community sessions for local artists,” said Helen Leake.

The guild now has a membership of 128 artists and is appealing for a treasurer and new trustees to help with the administration.

Members are currently preparing for their annual exhibition to be staged again at the Wesley Hall during the last week of October.

Seen at work in the well-lit Whalebones studio – under the watchful eye of Gwyneth Cowing’s portrait on the wall – are from left to right, Helen Leake. Carole Wilson and Victoria Vickers.

Recent works completed by guild members are about to go on display at the Open Door Cafe at Christ Church in St Albans Road.

An ambitious project completed by guild members under the leadership of Toni Smith was the painting of a large mural on an external wall of Brunswick Park Primary and Nursey School in Osidge Lane.

The mural is of a tree and owls and the school’s colours.

One member who helped with the project was Mark Wiltshire, above.

Such was the size of the mural – measuring four metres by five metre – that scaffolding has to be erected to provide access.  

For more information on the guild’s activities see www.barnetguildofartists.com

Posted on by — 26 Comments

End of an era in Barnet town centre: Dory’s closes after 71 years in business leaving customers dismayed by the loss of a welcoming cafe  

Dory’s, High Barnet’s celebrated family run cafe which provided refreshments and a warm welcome for generations of satisfied customers, has closed for business after the retirement of its proprietors Guiliano Cardosi and Angela Casali.

Surprise at the sudden loss of a town centre institution prompted tributes across social media and a flood of fond memories of the three generations who have produced a constant supply of full English breakfasts, hot meals, snacks and endless rounds of teas and coffees.

People unaware of the closure lined up to read notice of the sad news to customers and friends:

“After 71 wonderful years of serving our community, we would like to share the news that Dory’s, our family run business, will be closing its doors.”  

Angela Casali (above, far right in the family photo) told the Barnet Society that she and her brother had decided to retire.

“Sadly, running a cafe does not appeal to the next generation of the family”.

Her grandfather Ottorino Pellicci opened the cafe in 1954 on taking over from the Mancini family.

Dory’s was the name chosen for the cafe – the name by which Ottorino was known – at the corner of Bruce Road and St Albans, a prime location next door to the former site of Barnet Market.

So far, no decision has been taken about the future of the cafe, a business which was rightly proud of its claim to be the oldest family business trading in Barnet town centre.

Guiliano (above, front row, far let) and Angela said they were “incredibly grateful for the support, loyalty, relationships and memories built over the years”.

They were constantly surprised by who came through the front door of the cafe – sometimes someone who remembered their grandfather or perhaps a television star or celebrity.

When the cafe’s doors closed on Thursday 31 July word spread quickly – but not fast enough for a steady flow of customers turning up next day hoping for some refreshments.

They were all shocked by the news and dismayed by what they thought was the end of an era.

David Clark (above) said that although he had only been a customer for the last three years, he thought it was a tragedy Barnet was losing such a vital community hub.

“Whenever you went into Dory’s you ended up talking to other people – that was its secret, it was such a friendly place.

“You really couldn’t expect not to start up a conversation, so I will miss it. For me, Barnet will never be the same again.”

The week after Ottorino and his wife Crimene opened for business in 1954, Barnet’s cattle market closed, but the subsequent success of Barnet’s stalls market ensured a regular clientele.

The couple’s daughter Dorina (who died in 2021) and her husband Tony Cardosi (centre, front row in family photo above) took over the business and were then succeeded by their son and daughter Guiliano and Angela.

After 71 years trading in High Barnet, Dory's family run cafe closes for business to dismay of generations of customers.

Angela (above, fourth from the left) has fond memories of helping her mother and father when stalls filled the former cattle market (now the site of a car park).

“Back in those days trade was so good we used to get queues outside our door.   

The closure of Dory’s marks another sad loss among the dwindling number of family and independent businesses in High Barnet town centre.

Dory’s demise follows the closure of the Victoria bakery and Julian’s hardware shop.

Peter Wanders, proprietor Wanders shoe shop, is now thought to be the oldest trading name.

He opened his shop in September 1986 followed a year later by the arrival of Vajsur (Vince) Gadhavi at Smokers’ Paradise, now the Paper Shop.

Peter and Vince both had fond memories of the extended family which ran Dory’s and the welcome they offered. 

“It was renowned for being a proper working man’s cafe,” said Vince. “Sometimes there would be customers waiting outside ready for Dory’s to open at 5am.

“My paper shop is open from 6am, but Dory’s was always busy by then, so we are all really going to miss the early morning comings and goings just across the High Street.”  

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Future use of High Barnet’s historic Tudor Hall uncertain once again after Barnet Museum trustees withdraw their offer 

Barnet Museum’s trustees have had to withdraw their bid to save High Barnet’s historic Tudor Hall for community use because of a lack of financial resources to repair and then maintain the building.

An offer to purchase the hall – which is on the market with a guide price of £1 million – was accepted by Barnet and Southgate College earlier this year.

Prospective funding for the purchase had been secured from the Hadley Trust and the sale appeared to be going through subject to contract.

There was considerable relief among voluntary groups within the town when the museum obtained an exclusive right to buy what was originally the schoolhouse for a free grammar school granted a charter by Queen Elizabeth in 1573 and which later became part of Barnet College.

Bitter disappointment as Barnet Museum trustees have to abandon their bid to buy High Barnet's historic Tudor Hall for community use.

The hall, which is a grade II listed building by Historic England, is surplus to the college’s requirement and is on offer on a leasehold basis with vacant possession.

But the Trustees of the Barnet Museum and Local History Society say they are now “bitterly disappointed” to have announce that they cannot proceed with the transaction.

The Barnet Society understands that another offer to buy the hall for £1 million has been made to the college from a similar charity/community group.

When the hall was first put on the market in December 2023, the sales agents Colliers said it had received an offer of £1 million to purchase the building for educational use.

This led Barnet Museum to appeal to Barnet Council to declare the building an asset of community value so as to give the museum a chance to buy the hall for the use of the wider community.

After examining the cost of repairing, staffing and maintaining the building, the museum trustees say they have had to face the reality of being unable to find “additional funding within the available timescale”.

There were extensive discussions among the trustees and other interested groups as to how to maintain the Tudor Hall for community use but the stumbling block was the lack of additional finance.

Ambitious ideas included the possibility of the hall becoming a dedicated museum for the Wars of the Roses — centred on the town being the site of the 1471 Battle of Barnet — but the estimates were that a full refurbishment might cost up to £500,000.

The hall’s main room – see above – has on occasion been used for public events, but ongoing cost of simply maintaining the hall and keeping it available for public use was likely to be in the regional of £50,000 a year.

In their statement the museum trustees – John Hall, Scott Harrison and Guy Wheatcroft – say they have informed the college they cannot proceed with the transaction.

A feasibility study – which included a visit to what was the dormitory of the former schoolhouse – provided a “careful estimate” of further costs for repair, repurposing, staff and maintenance.

“Our attempt to source additional funding within the available timescale has shown the difficulties facing the heritage sector at this time, and the museum as a charity is not in a position to take on this burden of risk.

“The outcome if of course bitterly disappointing since the availability of such funding would have supported the opening of Tudor Hall to the community as a ‘Tudor Jewel’.

“We are very grateful to all those who have worked extremely hard to investigate Tudor Hall and prepare the feasibility study with such care and professionalism, and especially to the Hadley Trust for its generous offer to fund the purchase, subject to the condition of viability which sadly it has not been possible to satisfy.

“May we also extend our sincere thanks to those who participated in the public consultation meetings or volunteered help in many ways to support this important community initiative.”

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Barnet Medieval Festival becoming a premier event in Wars of the Roses celebrations – and a fun day out for the whole family

Mock battles with weapons made from foam were one of the highlights for children attending the annual Barnet Medieval Festival at its new and enlarged site on farmland in Galley Lane.

A range of inter-active attractions for youngsters of all ages – including training for jousts on the battlefield, fencing, archery and axe throwing – reinforced the festival’s appeal as a popular family fun day out and an engaging community event.

After a record participation among military re-enactors and medieval traders — and the best-ever attendance — the festival organisers are already thinking ahead to 2026.

Barnet is well on the way towards establishing its festival as a premier event in the calendar of Wars of the Roses celebrations.

Crowds lined the event field for a packed programme including the much-anticipated re-enactments of the Battle of St Albans (1461) and – see above – the Battle of Barnet (1471).

Almost 500 re-enactors representing 40 different households and military companies – some from as far afield as Devon and Scotland – were brought together by the Wars of the Roses Federation.

Displays of medieval firepower were another of the highlights.

Master gunner Ben Godden, who was the compere for the display, and his wife Linda Godden, the festival event co-ordinator from the House of Bayard, were delighted to be back in Barnet after the cancellation of last year’s festival due to waterlogged ground.

“This has easily been the best ever festival,” said Linda.

“We can all see how popular it’s become. We had a very good crowd even when we had a little rain on Saturday but the turn out all day on Sunday was a record.

“We are all looking forward to next year already.”

For travelling players Myal Pyper – who kept the crowds entertained with medieval music – their second visit to Barnet had exceeded their expectations.

“We thought the atmosphere was wonderful the first time we came, but this year it’s been even more enjoyable.

“What is so special is that people come up and ask such interesting questions which makes it all worthwhile.

“It’s obviously a great community event as so many people seem to know each other and are busy chatting away and enjoying the day out.”

Another popular re-enactor away from the battlefield in the medieval campsite was Flossie, a 14th century warrener, who was looking after two ferrets to send down rabbit warrens.

Her two ferrets – Filthy and Grunt – had no shortage of admirers.

Flossie (in real life Felicity Pattenden from Norwich) said rabbit ferreters would have accompanied a medieval army and hunted as they went along to provide them with a supply of meat and fur.

Probably the youngest medieval re-enactor was 15-month-old Zina – from the 3rd company of Tudors — with her parents Eleri and Alex from Wolverhampton, who were enjoying a rest in their tent.

Zina was dressed in a linen shift over a double-sided linen kirtle; Eleri was wearing a linen shift with kirtle and a linen bonnet; and Alex was wearing split-leg hose, linen shift and skull cap.

“In Tudor times Alex would have been in the fighting force, and I would have been considered a camp follower, one of the women who looked after the men,” said Eleri.

Two re-enactors taking a well-deserved rest in a nobleman’s tent were Steve, a medieval archer, and Marion, who were from the Plymouth Medieval Society.

“It’s our first time in Barnet. It has been a really well organised festival with plenty of space for all the medieval tents. We do hope to be back next year.”

Inter-active events for youngsters including mock battles reinforced Barnet Medieval Festival's reputation for a family fun day out.

For farmers Daniel and Fiona Lewis – proprietors of Lewis of London Ice Cream at Fold Farm – hosting their first medieval festival had been a great experience and they too were looking ahead to think how it might be expanded and improved.

“This is a great event for the military re-enactors with lots of space for their displays, tents and activities,” said Daniel.

“We have loved seeing how much fun it is for the youngsters, training to be knights and then having a go in the battlefield. Wherever you looked there was something happening, even everyone having a go at medieval dancing.

“Perhaps in future we could get even more themed events and activities for the children. Another innovation might be more themed food. I really do think the festival has great potential for the future.”

For festival director Dr Susan Skedd there was a sense of mission accomplished.

“It really has been overwhelming to see so many people coming along to the festival and clearly having a wonderful time. It has made it so worthwhile for all the volunteers who put so much into making the festival such a success.”

Posted on by — 3 Comments

Franchise operator announces plans to keep Barnet Post Office at the heart of the High Street and local community

Franchise operator announced for Barnet Post Office with UOE retail group pledging to keep it at the heart of the Barnet community.

The UOE Store group which operates a chain of franchised Post Offices around London and the Home Counties – including at Potters Bar and East Finchley — is to take over the operation of Barnet Post Office.

The High Street branch is one of the last 108 Crown offices which are being closed by the Post Office when it ceases its retail operations later this year.

In a statement UOE says Barnet is one of 30 post offices being transferred to the company in August as it expands its network.

Elliot Jacobs, who is chief executive and Postmaster for the franchised business, told the Barnet Society that the UOE network was “really proud to be taking on Barnet Post Office and enhancing this essential service at the heart of the community”.

“As a local independent business, we’re here for the long term – excited to play our part in the vibrant Barnet community.”

By 2026 the additional 30 branches will be “transformed into UOE’s award-winning format – integrating essential Post Office services with trusted retail experiences that put community at the heart of the High Street.”

Already included in the UOE network are Post Offices and banking hubs at Potters Bar, East Finchley, Camden, Crouch End, Hertford, Muswell Hill, Stoke Newington, Ware and the Ware banking hub.

Among the 30 to join the group in August – as well as Barnet – are post offices in Golders Green and Hampstead,  

The Barnet Society understands that the Post Office will remain in its current High Street premises initially for at least year.

UOE says its franchised Post Offices offer a range of other services: stationery, greeting cards, packaging, craft supplies, as well as printing, copying, scanning, binding, laminating, faxing and digital passport photos.

The group says its mission statement is that together UOE and the Post Office will “deliver a retail experience that’s rooted in trust, driven by purpose, and built for the future of the High Street.”

Mr Jacobs says that by late 2025 UOE will have a 40-branch network which will combine “high-footfall Post Office locations with UOE’s award-winning retail format – creating modern, multi-service stores that meet the evolving needs of customers and reinvigorate the High Street.”

He believes the “integrated UOE store and Post Office model” is a concept that has proved to be successful commercially and remains community focused.”

UOE expects its 40 franchised Post Offices will be attracting over 9 million customer visits in 2026 and many might open seven days a week.

Posted on by

Ten fire engines and 70 firefighters tackled blaze that swept through historic house being renovated on Hadley Green

Fire engines and crews from around north London were called to a massive fire which engulfed one of the large Georgian houses beside Hadley Green.

Such was the ferocity of the blaze that for several hours water had to be pumped from Brewers’ Pond just across the green.

Hours after the fire was brought under control just before 5am on Bank Holiday Monday morning, a fire crew on turntable ladder was still damping down smouldering roof timbers.

Hollybush House, a Grade II listed mansion which it is thought went for an estimated £4.5 million when last sold in 2020, was in the process of being renovated and refurbished. A new roof had recently been completed and new windows installed.

Ten fire engines and 70 firefighters were called to the fire in Hadley Green Road, close to the junction with Sydney Chapman Way at around 1am.

Next door neighbour Richard Holmes, who lives in another historic property attached to Hollybush House, was woken by fire crews at 1.10am. 

“I was in bed, fast asleep and was amazed to find what was happening. It was what firefighters call a ten-pump shout, there were fire engines everywhere.

“They were lined up all along the road. The fire crew on the top of the turntable ladder were being supplied with additional water from Brewers’ Pond just across the green.

“The crews did a great job. They managed to stop the fire at the wall of my house which is attached to Hollybush House.

“At one point they feared they might have to take the slates off my roof, but they have now said it is ok. There is no sign of the fire having spread to my roof timbers. I have had the all-clear.”

Mr Holmes’ house, close to the Wilbraham’s alms houses, has a blue plaque commemorating the time when Fanny and Anthony Trollope resided at the property.

Nearby on the other side of Hollybush House is Livingstone Cottage where the Victorian explorer Dr David Livingstone and his wife Mary lived in 1857.

Hollybush House, built in the late 1700s, was in the process of being renovated by Seacon Ltd, specialists in refurbishment projects.

Work began at the house – which is surrounded by protective hoardings – 18 months ago. The property had nine bedrooms.

London Fire Brigade — which released this picture on Twitter of the scene at the height of the fire — said later In a statement, that the entire roof, as well as the first and ground floors, were alight and that subsequently the building suffered a partial collapse, but there were no reports of any injuries.

Helping to guide the crew on the turntable ladder was one of two drones being operated by London Fire Brigade.

Roads leading across the eastern side of Hadley Green and through Monken Hadley all had to be cordoned off.

The crew that operated the pump taking water from Brewers Pond – which was once part of Hadley Brewery — said that even after two to three hours the level of the pond was about the same.

“It seems the pond must be replenished naturally all the time by the ground water level or a spring,” said one of the crew.

Fire engines and firefighters from around North London tackled blaze which swept through historic house being renovated on Hadley Green.

 

Crews from New Barnet, Southgate, Finchley and other surrounding fire stations were called in to tackle the blaze.

Posted on by

Community gardens developed over 70 years ago together with meadows and hedgerows are now a wildlife haven

Tucked away at a wildlife site in the Barnet green belt is an enchanting array of community gardens which were developed in the 1950s, and which played a part in the early development of organic gardening.

Brookdale Wildlife Garden Community was established in 1951 when a group of a wartime allotment holders from Islington secured the lease of a ten-acre field on farmland owned by the Byng family at Wrotham Park.

Together with her friends who were also keen gardeners, Hilda Brooke, had grown fruit and vegetables on Hampstead Heath on what were known as “Dig for Victory” allotments.

When Hampstead Heath was reinstated after World War Two, they had to find a new site.

They moved to Barnet with the help and support of the Soil Association which was founded in 1946 to campaign for sustainable food production because of concern about the impact of intensive farming and resulting soil erosion and depletion.

An entire ten-acre field – which had formed part of a wartime decoy airfield to the north of Barnet — was leased to the exiled group of gardeners by Lady Elizabeth Byng for a first annual rent of £20.

Today, rather than concentrating on cultivation of produce, the Brookdale plot holders cherish their cluster of community gardens which have become a haven for wildlife.

Their individual gardens, community meadows and an ancient hedgerow — which are a designated wildlife site and are protected by an area tree preservation order — were visited recently (see above) by members of the Barnet Environment Centre who maintain the nature reserve in Byng Road.

During a tour of the gardens, they admired several of the small clay-lined ponds which are ideal for aquatic plants, attract dragon flies and provide a home for among others for frogs and great crested newts.  

After so many years of care and attention each plot is distinctive and in the case of Michael Bruce – who has the distinction of being Brookdale’s longest tenant – his garden is a much-cherished refuge from the hustle and bustle of everyday life in Islington.

Michael has a much-loved summer house, well-tended borders and numerous features which he has developed during 33 years at Brookdale.

An archway at the end of his plot looks out onto a community meadow. Just visible in the far distance is an obelisk, which Michael made from wood and which he brings in each winter to avoid unnecessary wear and tear during bad weather.

Christine Klein, who is a member of the Barnet Society and has been a plot holder since 2017, enjoys her personal haven of tranquillity and encourages the growth of wildflowers and shrubs.

“Unfortunately, I find it too difficult to grow vegetables. We get rabbits, muntjac and foxes visiting the plots and it would be hard work keeping them at bay.”

Just a step away from one of the community meadows is a former World War Two control bunker, a relic of the days when the site was a one of the decoy airfields intended to attract enemy bombers destined for the RAF Fighter Station at Northolt.

John Nicholls, a former vice chair of the group’s organising committee, seen above with his daughter Becky Nicholls, Brookdale’s membership secretary, said the bunker would have been a centre of operations for the decoy airfield.

“Dummy planes and painted canvases would have been laid out on the grass. We know that at night there were lights laid out to make it look like a landing strip.

“One story which we have been told is that the Germans found out it was a dummy airfield and even dropped a wooden bomb on the field to let everyone know.”

An official history of the decoy airfields says that the fuselages of about half a dozen Hurricanes mounted on wheels and with engines removed were used at Barnet.

Airmen moved about the field periodically at night riding bicycles fitted with lights to imitate aircraft movements.

Wartime gardeners from Hampstead Heath set up a group of community gardens at Barnet in the early 1950s which are now a wildlife haven.

The challenge today for Becky Nicholls is to ensure the long-term future of their garden community after all the efforts over the years by her father and her mother Anna (above).

Whatever the pressures might be on the green belt, the group believe their wildlife credentials and charitable status should give them an assured future.

Brookdale was awarded “wildlife site” status within the Hertsmere local development plan in 1997 and the gardens are covered by an area tree protection order.    

Currently Brookdale has 60 full members and eight associates.    

“We are open to new members and in recent years more of the plots have been taken by people living in and around Barnet,” said Becky.

“This does ensure the gardens are used more regularly than is sometimes the case with those members who still live in Islington or further afield.

“We are happy to welcome volunteers, especially young people doing the Duke of Edinburgh award scheme, to help with the management of the habitat which takes a lot of effort.”

For further information contact Becky Nicholls at email bmnicholls101@gmail.com        

Posted on by — 1 Comment

Ample space for car parking and a free shuttle bus service for visitors to Barnet Medieval Festival over June 7 and 8 weekend

Moving the Barnet Medieval Festival – to be held on Saturday and Sunday June 7 and 8 – to a new site on farmland off Galley Lane has attracted heightened interest among military re-enactors who are looking forward to having more space for Wars of the Roses camp sites and displays.

Promotion of this year’s festival – which is being supported by a free shuttle bus service from The Spires shopping centre – is in full swing.

Festival director Dr Susan Skedd – seen above with supporter Peter Brown – believes the stage is set for what could be the largest medieval camp and re-enactment display staged in the town since the start of recent events to commemorate the 1471 Battle of Barnet.

A 12-acre field at Fold Farm – home of Lewis of London Ice Cream – offers access via Galley Lane which can be approached by re-enactors and visitors without having pay the ULEZ charge.

Moving to a new site for Barnet Medieval Festival -- to be held on Saturday and Sunday June 7 and 8 -- is attracting heightened interest among military re-enactors.

A free shuttle bus to the festival site will leave every 15 minutes from a stop in  Stapylton Road at the rear of The Spires between 10.30am and 6pm – pre-booking advised via www.barnetmedievalfestival.org

There will be a full programme on Saturday and Sunday of battle re-enactments, displays by mounted knights in combat, cannon firing and archery together with living history encampments and a medieval market, craft stalls and food and drink.

A special feature will be an exhibition of medieval art by Graham Turner.

Organisers hope the enlarged festival site at a new location with ample space for car parking will make up for the disappointment following the forced cancellation of the event last summer.

Dr Skedd said the move from the Byng Road playing fields to farmland off Galley Lane has given the organising committee an ideal opportunity to grow the festival and widen its appeal.

Entry is free for children under 12 years; £5 for children aged 12 to 17; £10 for adults.

Tickets sold on the gate or in advance via the website.