Tag: People and personalities

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Spring water continues to flow without interruption at Barnet’s historic Physic Well despite summer months with no rain

While many natural ponds around the town have dried out due to the prolonged drought and successive heatwaves, the water level at High Barnet’s historic Physic Well has remained constant.

When visitors descended the wellhouse steps at the monthly open day, they were shown the two tanks filled by mineral water from a spring which was first mentioned in a Tudor guidebook in the late 16th century.

In almost 20 years since Barnet Museum first started campaigning to get the wellhouse restored and re-opened, volunteers – including Bob Langley above – say the water level has rarely ever changed.

Occasionally during exceptionally wet weather the well tanks overflow a little, but otherwise the water level always remains at a constant depth.

All around High Barnet numerous ponds filled by surface water have dried out.

Joslin’s Pond on Hadley Green, where generations of children have fed the ducks, has been reduced to an expanse of mud with the duck house beached in the middle.

Hadley Green’s largest pond, Brewery Pond, next to site of the former Hadley Brewery, is filled by a spring and although the water level is much lower than usual it provides a refuge for ducks and other wildlife.

After re-opening in 2018 following repairs, Barnet Physic Well, famous for its chalybeate spring water, has become a popular attraction on its monthly open days on Saturday afternoons between February and November.

Once fashionable to drink the water was sold in London and attracted gentry to Barnet because it was said to have healing and other medicinal qualities.

The well’s most famous visitor – and consumer – was the renowned diarist Samuel Pepys who after lunch at the Red Lion in 1664, continued to the well “and there I drunk three glasses and went and walked and came back and drunk two more”.

Among the open day visitors were Eamonn Brady who as a child lived opposite in Well Road and who had never been inside the well house or seen what the well looked like.

“When I was a child in the 1960s the wellhouse was always padlocked.

“We used to play football on the green outside so what went on inside the well house was always mystery” said Mr Brady – above second from right with well guide Charlie, second from the left.

“Soon after we moved from Well Road to Potters Bar, so I never got the chance to look inside. As you can imagine this was something I had to put right.”

Mr Brady was fascinated to descend into the well chamber and learn more about its history.

He recalled a family story about how his grandma and aunt, who lived next door in Well Road, saying that one night they separately saw a black shadow cross the landing of their houses.

“They both described an old-fashioned man with a hat on, and we have always wondered whether it was the ghost of Samuel Pepys.”

Open days at the Physic Well are always a moment of great pride for Mike Jordan who led the campaign to get the well house restored and re-opened.

Mr Jordan – seen here with a mural celebrating Barnet history which was donated by Waterstones bookshop – was chairman of trustees at Barnet Museum for 14 years and on retirement was appointed president.

For many years the Physic Well, which is in Well Approach, a short walk from Barnet Hospital, was in such a sorry state that the building was placed on Historic England’s at-risk register.

The well house was constructed in 1937 to protect the dis-used well and its spring. Restoring the building to its full mock-Tudor glory and making it safe for visitors cost £150,000. It is now in the care of Barnet Museum.

“My main commitment nowadays is the well,” said Mr Jordan.

“When we open the doors on a Saturday afternoon every month, we are always so pleased to welcome visitors to what is one of the best-preserved medicinal wells in the country.

“We spent so much time with Barnet Council and Historic England rescuing the wellhouse the sense of achievement is really gratifying. If I leave anything to Barnet, it is helping to preserve the Physic Well for the future.”

Five heatwaves and two months without rain has dried out the ponds on Hadley Green except for the Brewery Pond which is fed by a spring and is next to the site of the former brewery which had its own artesian well.

Hadley Brewery, opened in around 1700, was demolished in 1978.

Unlike the duck house on Joslin’s Pond, which is beached on the mud, the duck house at the Brewery Pond is still afloat – the duck houses were purchased in 2018 by Keith Chapman of Hadley Residents Association.

Joslin’s Pond was named after William Joslin, who lived in one of the Georgian cottages next to the green and who in the 1880s ran a nearby bakery.

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Family stories of life in Barnet during Second World War brought back to life in autumn production at The Bull Theatre

Cast members are going through their storylines before rehearsals start in September at The Bull Theatre for a new play which aims to portray the life and times of the townspeople of Barnet during the Second World War.

Much of the action revolves around the wartime comings and goings at Barnet Odeon (now the Everyman) – both in the cinema and a bomb shelter where patrons and staff gathered during air raids.

In mid-October the Blue Door Theatre Company will be staging four performances at The Bull of A Nightingale Sang in Barnet – all about the blitz and beyond.

Director Siobhan Dunne, see above right with cast members Val Golding (far left) and Jan Parker, said they hoped to capture the drama and uncertainty of wartime in Barnet.

“We have five writers working on the play and some of the scenes are based on verbatim stories of family memories and others are imagined scenarios.

“But because we are portraying wartime experiences not all the story lines have a resolution so that adds to the drama and poignancy of the production.”

Jan Parker has the role of Mrs Sprat who is a wartime dealer in the black market and operates with her son.

“Mrs Sprat is the brains behind her black-market business swapping and selling things like eggs for cigarettes or whatever.

“We see her selling a chicken in the bomb shelter – the very kind of activity frowned upon during the war.”

By contrast Val Golding’s role as Mrs Leonard is a reminder of the legacy of the First World War.  Her husband was killed at the Somme, and she is very upset by the renewed outbreak of war across Europe.

Ms Dunne said they had all jumped at the chance to build a production around Barnet in the 1940s and extend Blue Door’s well-earned reputation for delivering sell-out shows that celebrate the town’s history.

There will be four performances – Thursday 15 October, 7.30pm; Friday 16 October, 7.30pm; Saturday 17 October, 2pm and 7.30pm. Tickets at £19 plus booking fee now available via www.thebulltheatre.com

Drama portraying life and times of townspeople of Barnet during Second World War to start rehearsals at The Bull theatre in September

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Fund raising campaign for Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice backed by Barnet councillors and a deputy mayor of London

A time capsule was buried in the grounds of Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice in Byng Road, Barnet, as part of the celebrations to mark its 20th anniversary.

Twenty messages from children and families supported by the hospice were placed in the capsule to help commemorate its work.

High Barnet’s two councillors and a deputy mayor of London attended the event to help launch the annual campaign, From That Moment, to raise £1 million towards the hospice’s running costs.

See above, from left to right, Philip Roethenbaugh, Noah’s Ark director of fund raising and communications, Councillor James Esses, Sophie Andrews, Noah’s Ark chief executive, Joanna McCartney, Deputy Mayor of London for Children and Families, and Councillor Emma Whysall.

Noah’s Ark’s operating costs exceed £7 million a year.

The From That Moment fund-raising campaign will run from 1 September to 12 October with match-funding partners ensuring that every donation – up to £500,000 – will be doubled in value.

Groups and organisations are being encouraged to think of fund-raising ideas and organise events.

Two events aimed at individuals offering support are Step-tember by walking, running, cycling or swimming 90 miles in September or by taking part in the Walking 9-5 Challenge aimed at step-counting in businesses.

Time capsule buried at Noah's Ark Children's Hospice to celebrate 20th anniversary and start of new fund raising campaign.

Councillor Whysall (Labour) – above, far right, who has been a High Barnet ward councillor since 2022, said her visit and tour of Noah’s Ark had been an opportunity to see its inspirational work.

“We are so lucky to have such an amazing centre in the heart of our community for 20 years – let us hope that Noah’s Ark continues to prosper with the support of the community for another 20 years.”

Councillor Esses (Conservative), who was elected in the May council elections, said his wish was that no child ever needed hospice care.

“For those children that do and end up at Noah’s Ark, I know they are in a truly special place; filled with warmth, care, compassion, and even laughter and joy.

“So much has been achieved in the first 20 years of Noah’s Ark and it is a privilege to join them to celebrate this milestone.

“I have no doubt that they will go from strength to strength in the next 20 years.”

The importance of fund raising was stressed by chief executive Sophie Andrews who explained that for the last four years Noah’s Ark had relied on incredible support from the community during the autumn fund raising appeal.

Children’s hospices are under increasing financial pressure as demand for services continues to grow.

Two thirds of children’s hospices in England ended the year operating at a deficit and Noah’s Ark relies on voluntary donations for 76 per cent of its income.

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Dollis Valley redevelopment delayed yet again after Barnet Council loses out on £58 million Greater London housing grant

Barnet Council has had to abandon an immediate go ahead for the final stage of the Dollis Valley redevelopment following the sudden withdrawal of a £58.85 million grant from the Greater London Authority for building new affordable homes.

A council cabinet decision two weeks ago to proceed with the construction of 208 new homes – despite protests from some of the residents – has been called in for further discussion.

As a result, the council has failed to meet the GLA’s deadline of July 31 for approving the project.

Conservative councillors demanded that the cabinet’s decision should be called in – and therefore postponed – because of their concerns about the financial viability of the scheme and the lack of adequate consultation with residents.

Council officials will now have to draw up fresh proposals for the completion of what has become the Brook Valley Gardens estate.

Vacant blocks of flats and maisonettes – see above – have been awaiting demolition for the last three years and this fresh postponement is only the latest setback in a long, drawn-out saga.

A group of Brook Valley Gardens residents – where 60 per cent of the 400 homes are privately owned – have fought a sustained campaign against the council’s decision to finish off the estate with 208 affordable homes.

They say this would result in the estate having 60 per cent of homes for social rent which they argue is a breach of the undertakings they were given when they bought their homes and were told it would be 60 per cent privately owned.

Under the scheme approved by the cabinet on July 21 the council said it had reached an agreement with developers Vistry to construct 208 affordable homes which would be managed for the council by Barnet Homes.

To qualify for access to £58.85 million of GLA affordable housing grant the scheme had to be approved by July 31.

In confirming the funding was no longer available, the GLA said there was no longer “sufficient certainty” the grant conditions could be met and there were other schemes around London which could qualify.   

Barnet Council has to abandon immediate completion of Dollis Valley redeveopment following withdrawal of GLA affordable housing grant of £58 million in another setback to troubled scheme.

Demolition of the block of flats and maisonettes deemed unfit for occupation and a start on the construction of the new homes was due to begin in September.  

When approving this plan two weeks ago, the cabinet meeting acknowledged the “potential guilt” felt by some councillors for letting down the private owners.

What cabinet members and council officials had not taken into account was the determination of the private residents’ group to press for the decision to be called in.

Once this action was taken by Conservative councillors, council officials were no longer in a position to give the guarantees which were needed by the GLA over access to the £58.85 million grant.

A full report on the setback is to be considered by the council’s call-in sub-committee on Tuesday 4 August.

Residents who have been consulted by the Dollis Valley Partnership Board have welcomed the news that the grant is “no longer available” and say it has strengthened their argument for the council to start again and undertake meaningful discussions with them.

Among the financial issues facing the call-in sub-committee will be the demand for more information about the council’s contribution to finishing off the Dollis Valley estate – said to be another £40 million.

Unless the deal with Vistry can be renegotiated, the council might be left with no other option but to demolish the vacant blocks and clear the site with the hope that conditions in the housing market might improve or that the site can be sold to a private developer.

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Appeal to Barnet residents to train as volunteer advisers for local drop-in sessions held by Citizens Advice Barnet

Citizens Advice Barnet launches recruitment campaign for residents to train as voluntees for drop-in advice sessions at Chipping Barnet Library and St James Church, New Barnet

Citizens Advice Barnet has launched a recruitment campaign for new volunteers and is keen to appoint new advisers for its two local drop-in advice sessions at Chipping Barnet Library in Stapylton Road and at Jim’s Café at St James Church, New Barnet.

No previous experience is required, and new recruits are offered full training as volunteer advisers.

Citizens Advice Barnet is undertaking its biggest recruitment drive and is aiming to recruit 25 people into its advice services team who hold advice sessions across the borough – see above stall run by Mallika and Samuel.

The two local sessions are held every other week with the next drop-in at Chipping Barnet Library on Tuesday 11 August (10am to 1pm) and at Jim’s Café, St James Church, New Barnet, on Wednesday 12 August (9.30am to 12.30pm).

All volunteers will be given full training to equip them to give high-quality advice on a range of problems.

Due to the extensive training needed, the minimum commitment for the role is two working days a week for at least nine months.

Nadya Bari, head of advice services, says that many more people need advice than they are able to help and to address this Citizens Advice Barnet has launched its biggest recruitment drive.

Benefits from volunteering include gaining “nationally recognised, sought after training”, being part of a welcoming and supportive team, and securing life skills and hand-on experience.

Volunteers who later move on to other occupations and employment said they learned so much about advice work and the privilege of being part of an organisation dedicated to helping people.

To find out more information and apply to volunteer, visit: https://barnetcab.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer/

Or volunteer@barnetcab.org.uk

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New play at The Bull Theatre aims to celebrate life and times of townspeople of Barnet during the Second World War

Wartime comings and goings among patrons and staff at Barnet Odeon contribute to storylines in the latest production by the Blue Door Theatre Company to be staged at The Bull Theatre in October.

A Nightingale Sang in Barnet – all about the blitz and beyond – is based on memories and tales about life in Barnet in the 1940s during World War II.

Barnet Odeon – now the Everyman – opened in 1935 and the cinema became a popular venue during the war years.

The newly built picture house and a dusty, makeshift air raid shelter are two of the settings for what director Siobhan Dunne says will be backdrops allowing the cast to weave “a rich tapestry of verbatim stories and imagined events”.

For at least four members of the Blue Door company, the new production is a personal affair as they have family stories of life in Barnet during the Second World War.

They aim to recreate a Barnet where some say they continued to hear the nightingale sing when life in the town was “ruled by the skies, the sirens, the thrum and the silence”.

Ms Dunne said they had all jumped at the chance to build a production around Barnet of the 1940s and extend Blue Door’s well-earned reputation for delivering sell-out shows that reflect the town’s history.

“We visit the newly built Odeon. A flickering projector mirroring the heartbeats of people who work and visit the picture house of dreams.

“A magic lantern bringing light to break the shadows, respite for all the strangers brought together as a family in a dusty, makeshift shelter.” 

Writing what is billed as a “fascinating and moving production full of war time drama and classic songs” has been a team effort by Sarah Munford, Hannah Gerolemou, Rafaela Golding, Claire Fisher, Dominique Carruthers-Reeve, Francesco Giacon and Brigid Hekster.

Music has been arranged by Nick Godwin.

There will be four performances – Thursday 15 October, 7.30pm; Friday 16 October, 7.30pm; Saturday 17 October, 2pm and 7.30pm. Tickets at £19 plus booking fee now available via www.thebulltheatre.com

A photograph from the Barnet Museum collection shows a children’s street party in Crescent Road, New Barnet, celebrating Victory in Europe Day on 8 May 1945.

What would they have eaten is the question which was posed when the photograph was reproduced in the museum’s 2018 calendar.

“There would have probably been a lot of sandwiches and at least one ‘eggless’ fruit cake since eggs were rationed.

“It is likely that hoarded tinned fruit and similar treasures would also have appeared at this party.

“Certainly, the happy young mothers portrayed would have pooled their rations and exercised a great deal of ingenuity to make a treat that the children would remember for a very long time.”

Barnet Museum’s photograph of Barnet Odeon – see above – is dated 1937. The cinema was opened on 15 May 1935 before an audience of 1,110, including the architect, Edgar Simmons.

Its façade is an example of Art Deco architecture, and it was awarded Grade II listing in 1989.

There were four local cinemas in the 1940s and 1950s – the Odeon; Cinema Palace which opened in Barnet High Street in 1912 and was later known as the Barnet Cinema and then the Gaumont; New Barnet Kinema in Lytton Road which later became the Regal; and the Dominion, opened in 1938 in East Barnet village to come the Essoldo in 1950.

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Spare land around New Barnet bowling green becomes a community garden under Barnet Council scheme to take advantage of under-used space 

A new community garden has been established in New Barnet through a partnership between a church and a bowls club.

A blessing to celebrate the opening of the garden at the East Barnet Valley Bowls Club was conducted by the Reverend Sharon Ejinkonye, the newly installed vicar at St James Church, New Barnet.

Produce from the garden will be offered to needy residents visiting Jim’s Café, a Wednesday morning community advice centre and coffee morning organised by the church.

The partnership came about because the bowls club, next to Victoria Recreation Ground, New Barnet, had spare land and the church was looking for a new site for its community garden.

In her blessing to celebrate the opening of the new garden, Sharon thanked Barnet Council and the bowls club for sharing their vision and creating a space where they could work together nourishing plants and vegetables.

Jeremy Alford – see above with Sharon – who helped co-ordinate the development of the new garden said it was a replacement for a previous community garden in the former St James vicarage.

“When we lost that garden at the old vicarage, we realised the bowls club had spare land on an ideal site where we could work together and we have now adopted the space.”

A garden shed purchased with a grant from the National Gardens Scheme was moved successfully from the vicarage to the bowls club.

Every Tuesday morning volunteers care for the garden which was developed with raised beds and stocked with the help of grants from the Faiths Forum for London and the National City Park Foundation.

East Barnet Valley Bowls Club hosts community garden for St James Church New Barnet taking advantage of spare land for new community initiative

Bowls club secretary David Mulford – see above with Sharon – said it was the ideal solution to use their vacant garden to host a community garden for the church.

An extra bonus was that following the reseeding of the club’s green, there was plenty of surplus soil to build up the new beds for the garden.

Work started developing the garden last November and despite the summer drought, they are hoping for a good crop of vegetables, including tomatoes, runner beans, sweet corn, garlic and other crops.

Now that the community garden is a visible presence in Victoria Recreation Ground, the bowls club and church are hoping users and visitors to the park and leisure centre will get involved.

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First summer pick your own flowers day at Grow, Totteridge Academy school farm, where monster crop of pumpkins is under cultivation

A bumper crop of 1,000 or more pumpkins is expected at Grow, the school farm at The Totteridge Academy, where volunteers are having to water the crops to cope with the drought during the summer holidays.

Eve Rogers, the newly-appointed managing director of the farm – see above – surveyed the crop in one of several large plots devoted to pumpkins.

The aim is to have them all ready to harvest in time for Grow’s Pumpkin Time celebration on Saturday 24 October – just one of several summer events being held at the farm.

“Given the length of the drought, our volunteer watering teams have been tremendous.

“They start at 7am and we could not have survived without them as there is no irrigation system for the farm and the watering has to be done by hand.”

Already looking like a possible prize winner for the largest pumpkin is a rapidly maturing squash which has been grown by one of the families benefiting from Grow’s popular community programme supporting low-income families with no outdoor space.

“This amazing pumpkin has been grown by a grow-cook-share family and children who come every week to look after vegetables in their raised bed,” said Eve.

Grow supports families living below the poverty line with a project helping them to grow, cook and share their own produce.

The farm’s first Pick Your Own Flowers event proved highly successful with families allowed to walk through the farm and choose their flowers.

Three more are planned for the rest of the summer – on Saturday 8 August, Saturday 5 September and Saturday 19 September.

A new event in Grow’s summer calendar are weekends for volunteering when parents and children can visit the farm and help with the cultivation – starting on Sunday 23 August.

At the first of this summer’s Pick Your Own events a stream of visitors left the farm in Barnet Lane with bunches of flowers and vegetables.

“Here I am coming away with two wonderful bunches of the freshest possible flowers,” said Jo, see above left, with Grow Farm trustee Sam.

“Totteridge Academy cannot be praised enough for encouraging what is a great initiative – a school farm supported by the local community.”

Grown, school farm at Totteridge Academy holds its first pick your own flowers event and prepares for a monster harvest of pumpkins

Another happy purchaser was Robert with a bag of tomatoes and another of new potatoes.

“I have an allotment myself and I now have allotment envy seeing what wonderful fruit and vegetables are being produced here by Grow.

“I have to admit I am jealous just looking around the farm at all their crops. It is an amazing achievement by the Totteridge Academy pupils, parents and volunteers.”

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New museum at Trent Park reveals wartime espionage secrets of fashionable country house which once entertained London high society

A decade long campaign to get Trent Park House open to the public was celebrated with the official opening of the House of Secrets, a new museum within the house which reveals the secrets of espionage during World War II.

Actress and comedian Helen Lederer – above – sat at the listening station in the basement where her grandfather listened in to the conversations of top German generals to gather information for the British war effort.

Over 80 German generals were held at the former stately house as prisoners of war.

During the 1920s and 1930s Trent Park was visited regularly by British Prime Ministers and royalty who were the guests of Sir Philip Sassoon, one of the wealthiest men in the country.

For several years the fate of the house and grounds – on the border between Enfield and Barnet – hung in the balance after it was vacated by Middlesex University and purchased by the Berkeley Group which obtained planning permission in 2017 to build 262 houses and flats on the site.

A campaign to preserve the house and open it for public benefit had already been launched in 2014 by Enfield councillor Jason Charalambous.

A trust was formed to establish a museum at the house, which had witnessed so many pivotal events and which had made such a significant contribution to wartime espionage and deception.

For Mr Charalambous – above – founding trustee and chair, the official opening of the Trent Park House of Secrets was a magnificent illustration of what could be achieved by a campaign which drew widespread support across Enfield, Barnet and further afield.

“It is truly heart warming to see the museum take shape and for Trent Park House to be restored and accessible to the public – our vision of a decade ago has finally become a reality.”

He said negotiations with the Berkeley Group were tough to start with but had ended really well and there was now a “wonderful partnership” of which the developers could be proud.

The shell of Trent Park House was restored by the Berkeley Group, and the upper floors are being converted into 17 apartments.

The has museum has taken over both the ground floor, which has been refitted to recreate Sir Philip Sassoon’s grand state receptions room, and the basement, where there has been a painstaking reconstruction of the concealed wartime listening rooms.

“Secret listeners”, many of whom were German-speaking Jewish refugees, recorded conversations between captured German officers and produced crucial intelligence for the Allies.

Helen Lederer’s Czechoslovakian grandfather Ernst spent the First World War in the trenches alongside German and Italian soldiers.

He sent his son to England and arrived himself in 1939 with his wife and daughter following on of the last trains out of Czechoslovakia.

He was recruited by the British Intelligence Corps and posted to Trent Park. Among his tasks was to act as a stool pigeon, to mix among the German generals and manipulate their conversations to tease out information.

Ms Lederer – see above with Dr Giuseppe Albano, museum director and trustee Francesca Mendes – said returning to the house for the opening, and sitting where her grandfather listened in to conversations, had brought her out in goose pimples once again.

Ernst took the secret that he was a secret listener to the grave. To imagine how he must have felt listening in to conversations of the captive German generals was “as important and it was humbling”.

The recreated listening rooms, which are on either side of the basement, were linked to a complex network of miniaturised bugging devices, hidden in every corner including walls, light fittings, plant pots, window ledges, the billiard table and even garden benches.

The German generals held as prisoners of war were encouraged to relax in relative comfort, unaware the site was bugged, and their conversations were providing intelligence.

Under the direction of Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Kendrick, the secret listeners gained critical information from a conversation between a Luftwaffe pilot and a U-boat petty officer about how German Enigma cipher machines coded instructions to U-boats at sea.

In March 1943 a whisphered conversation between two generals, Ludwig Cruwell and Wilhelm von Thoma, revealed that German scientists were developing weapons which could travel “15 km into the stratosphere”. British scientific intelligence staff realised the Germans were developing ballist weapons, V! and V2 rockets.

The state rooms on the ground floor have been restored to their 1930s opulence, with artwork and furnishing belonging to the Sassoon banking family which has been returned for the first time since 1939.

During the 1930s Trent Park became one of the most fashionable houses of the era with Edward VIII and Winston Churchill among those entertained at weekends with artists, writers and entertainers including Rex Whistler, George Bernard Shaw, Noel Coward, T.E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia), Charlie Chaplin and Fred Astaire.

The original Trent Park House, with a landscape modelled by Humphry Repton, passed to the Bevan family, who remodelled it into a Victorian mansion.

The house was bought by Sir Edward Sassoon, whose son Philip inherited it in 1912 and remodelled it on the lines of an early Georgian country house.

After Philip died in June 1939, the house was requisitioned the following September and became a site used for holding prisoners of war including high-ranking Germans, of whom more than 100 passed through the house.

David Cholmondeley, the 7th Marquess of Cholmondeley – the great-nephew of Sir Philip – is co-chair of the museum trust.

He said that after a decade of fundraising and restoration work, the trustees were thrilled that the extraordinary stories of Trent Park House could be revealed and inspire and inform future generations.

Museum director Dr Guiseppe Albano (above) said he hoped the opening of the house to the public (from Tuesday 21 July) would prove especially popular in the local community and become an attractive and interesting visit for local schools and history groups.

For more information: enquiries@trentparkhouse.org.uk

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A well-attended open-air service in Ravenscroft Park was held by Christ Church, Barnet, to reach out to the community     

Ravenscroft Park was the setting for an outdoor service held by Christ Church, Barnet, allowing the congregation and passersby to take advantage of a sunny Sunday morning.

“Church in the Park” was the first service of its kind organised by Christ Church as part of its ongoing commitment to reach out to the community.

Worshippers were invited to stay on for a picnic lunch under the shade of the park’s mature trees – and an ice cream van was on hand as well.

Andy Rimmer, the Christ Church vicar, said it was the first time they had organised an open-air service.

They were determined to take advantage of the exceptional summer weather.

Open-air service held by Christ Church Barnet in Ravenscroft Park takes advantage of exceptional summe weather

“Our ‘Church in the Park’ event builds on our church in the community programme.”

In recent years Christ Church has organised well attended Christmas carol concerts in Ravenscroft Park.  

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Another accolade for staff at Chipping Barnet Foodbank as key campaigner receives top award for work combatting low pay

Pioneering work on behalf of the low paid by Bob Bevil, who is a lead campaigner for Chipping Barnet Foodbank, has won national recognition.

He was presented with a Living Wage Champion of the Year Award at the annual awards ceremony held by the Living Wage Foundation.

Mr Bevil (centre) is seen above with Matthew Bolton (left), chief executive and lead organiser of Citizens UK, and Bruce Daisley, host of the awards.

The award recognised his role in campaigning to encourage the London Borough of Barnet to become an accredited real living wage employer which means Barnet Council now pays more an hour than the legal minimum under the government’s national living wage.

The higher rates will benefit hundreds of sub-contracted professionals across the borough, especially essential care workers.

His next challenge is to help step up the campaign to persuade Barnet’s largest employer, the Royal Free Foundation Trust, to follow the borough council’s example and provide an increase in the pay of hospital workers across the borough.

The legal minimum wage, known as the national living wage, is £12.71 per hour, whereas the real living wage, as calculated by the Living Wage Foundation, is £13.45 per hour across the UK and £14.80 per hour in London.

Nearly 17,000 accredited employers across the country pay higher rates on a voluntary basis.

Chipping Barnet Foodbank, through the advocacy of Bob Bevil, is at the forefront of campaigning across the borough to try to reduce dependency on foodbanks by increasing the wage rates of low-paid workers.

After he was presented with his award, Mr Bevil said the accreditation of Barnet Council as a real living wage employer had provided a big economic boost for the borough and they were hoping to persuade the Royal Free Trust, the borough’s largest employer to follow suit.

There was recognition at the awards ceremony that demand for emergency food parcels has increased because of the cost-of-living crisis.

Poor wage levels were largely responsible which was why the progress being made in Barnet was so important in a borough with “very few” accredited real living wage employers in the borough.

Graham Griffiths, director of the Living Wage Foundation, congratulated Mr Bevil and the living wage campaign team in Barnet for helping to transform the lives of local employees.

A full-time worker paid the £13.45 real living wage receives £1,400 in additional wages each year compared to those on the legal minimum and for a full-time worker in London this figure rises to over £4,000 a year.

Since it began 25 years ago, the real living wage has secured over £4.1 billion of pay rises for low paid workers which had made a “profound difference” to millions of people.

Award for Beb Bevil, who is advocacy and campaigning lead for Chipping Barnet Foodbank for his work combatting low pay -- his award is for living wage champion of the year

Chipping Barnet Foodbank – one of over 20 across the borough – helped to organise an all-day conference in 2024 to discuss concern about the levels of malnutrition among local people seeking support.

Mr Bevil – seen above with foodbank manager Victoria Miller and the Chipping Barnet MP Dan Tomlinson – joined other speakers in arguing that assisting those on low incomes was the only way to improve the life of those whose food intake was insufficient to meet the needs for normal health.

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The Barnet Society mourns the passing of its remarkable President

Aubrey Rose CBE, proud President of the Barnet Society, died on 26th June 2026 aged 99. He was a great supporter of the Society, always ready with encouragement and advice. He helped secure The Bull as a community resource, and his experience of town planning was a help to the Society’s planning and environmental work. Jenny Remfry, our Vice President, writes the following appreciation:

The Barnet Society committee sometimes met at Aubrey’s house, Monken Holt on Hadley Green. In 1995, as part of the celebrations of the Barnet Society’s 50th anniversary, we held a garden party there.

He was elected President in 2005, succeeding Sir Sydney Chapman MP, who had been unseated by Theresa Villiers in the 2005 General Election, and Gwyneth Cowing, the Society’s Co-founder and first President. 

Aubrey was modest in appearance and gentle in manner, but jovial and very sociable. He was a wise man to whom one could take one’s problems. He would listen intently, think deeply, then answer in a kindly way.     

Aubrey was born in 1926. His parents had come as immigrants from Poland to London’s East End in the early 20th century, and their experience gave Aubrey a sympathy for immigrants, particularly those from Commonwealth countries. In the 1940s, after a couple of years in the army, Aubrey became a lawyer the hard way, starting as an articled clerk while studying for the exams to become a solicitor. In 1951, at the age of 25, he set up his own practice – half a room furnished with a desk, one chair and a filing cabinet – in Fleet Street.

His first client was a young woman and her aunt who were opening a dress shop. The young woman was Sheila, whom he married in 1954 and with whom he lived happily until her death in 2007. He built up his business, taking on assistants and partners and was the Senior Partner from 1971 to 1995.

Aubrey tells the story of his life as a solicitor with great humour in his book ‘Brief Encounters of a Legal Kind’ published in 1997. Many of his early clients came from Poland, Ireland and the Caribbean. But that was just the start of a remarkable career.

In the 1950s, one of his clients was a confidence trickster – the father of John le Carré. In the 1960s, he advised on the development of Carnaby Street in the heart of ‘Swinging London’.

In the 1970s he was the legal advisor to the Hosein brothers accused of kidnapping Mrs Muriel McKay.

In the 1980s he advised the enquiry into the Brixton riots that led to the Scarman Report.

In the 1990s he was involved in the legal conundrum of whether the London Electricity Board had the right to build an electricity substation under Leicester Square. (In the end, they did.)  Also in the 1990s, Aubrey was involved in the setting up of the National Lottery.

It was in the 1970s that Aubrey moved with his family to Monken Holt. My first contact with him was in 1979.  His elder son, David, had died of cancer, leaving a large collection of interesting abstract paintings. Aubrey was desolated and determined that his son would not be forgotten. He came to the Old Bull and arranged with Pam Edwards to use the gallery to exhibit David’s works. After that, Aubrey became a great supporter of the Old Bull and chaired a committee to raise money for the proposed theatre that was opened in 1988.

Although a practising Jew in the Liberal tradition and serving on the Board of Deputies of British Jews for over 50 years, Aubrey was ecumenical in his outlook. He often came to the Parish Church on Christmas Day, and was a member of the Council of Christians and Jews. He was the first Jewish Commissioner on the Commission for Racial Equality and its Deputy Chairman in 1995. He was the only Jewish trustee of Barnet’s Hyde Trust.

He also supported Cherry Lodge, a Nurses’ Association, the Jewish Association of Spiritual Healers, and was a Freeman of the City of London. In 1997 he was honoured with the CBE for his work in the community.

Aubrey published several books and was proud to be a member of the Society of Authors, and to receive an honorary doctorate from London Metropolitan University in 2000. The book he wrote in 1997 about his son David – ‘Journey into Immortality’ was well received. This was followed by an autobiography – ‘Rainbow Never Ends’ in 2006 – and ‘Letters to my Wife’ as a tribute to Sheila. More recently, he has written books for children, such as ‘Sea Olympics’ published in 2012.  

Aubrey loved giving talks, many of them on life in the old East End. More recently, he made contributions to the Barnet U3A. He is fondly remembered by the members he introduced to the fundamentals of Bridge, and intrigued others by giving talks on faith healing and the spirit world. 

Aubrey’s funeral was held on 30th June at the Western Cemetery, Bulls Cross, attended by his family, colleagues and many friends. In her eulogy, Aubrey’s daughter Esther spoke of his gentleness. During his lifetime he gave help, advice and encouragement to hundreds of people, many of whom became lifelong friends. He was, she said, extremely perceptive and observant, with views on all sorts of things, but he expressed them with grace, kindness and restraint. He always saw the best.   

Barnet has lost a remarkable man.

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High Barnet hostelry The Black Horse is welcoming customers once again after a surprise initiative to rescue threatened pub

Standing proud in the re-opened garden of the Black Horse public house are three former regular customers who have taken on the lease of what they hope will once again become a popular community pub.

When everything looked bleak last September after a sudden closure of the premises – and while worried residents succeeded in getting the pub listed as an asset of community value – the local trio were working away behind the scenes to mount their rescue bid.

Without any fanfare the three regulars – above, from left to right Danny Daly, Simon Anderson and Martin Taylor – started putting together a business plan and began negotiating with Star Pubs, part of the Heineken group.

Months went by because of legal complications following the pub’s closure last year, but the trio pressed on establishing Barnet Community Pubs Ltd to take on the tenancy.

“We three all live within a five-minute walk of The Black Horse, we understand what the locality wants, and Star Pubs realised we were really serious about wanting to run a proper community pub,” said Simon Anderson.

“We have secured a first year’s tenancy, and we finally got the keys on June 8 and here we are a fortnight later serving drinks.”

Barnet Community Pubs has taken on a staff of 12, led by a new general manager, Phoebe Thickson – see above with Archie Taylor (left) and Arni Nolan.

The new tenants say they plan a soft re-opening of the pub, taking it step by step, and, after some reconstruction work, hope to re-open the kitchen within the next six weeks so that they can offer a new simple menu of well-prepared food.

“We are keen to establish a family pub which knows what its customers like. “All 12 of our staff live within walking distance and our new manager Phoebe was formerly an assistant manager at The Black Horse, so she knows many of the former customers.

“We are a fully tied house. We have seven beers and four of those are cask ales which we know is what the locals want and appreciate.”

After being closed since last September the Black Horse public house has re-opened after three regular customers successful bid to re-open popular High Barnet community pub

Scaffolding outside the pub, which was installed when Star Pubs carried out some essential repairs, will have to remain for several more weeks because brickwork on the frontage of the building needs attention.

Simon said they were determined in the coming months to prove to Star Pubs the success of the business.

Once they had established themselves, they hoped to get a longer lease. Barnet Community Pubs might even take on other licensed premises if opportunities arose.

“Star Pubs have been really good to work with. I think they appreciated that what we were proposing was a community pub that had every chance of succeeding.”

The trio behind the initiative, who invested their own money in fitting out the pub, believe they have a good skills match to make The Black Horse a going concern.

Martin has considerable expertise in finance and sorted out much of the paperwork and agreements with public utilities.

“We turned round the pub in a couple of weeks, newly redecorated and with the garden re-opened.”

Simon has a track record in hospitality. He previously owned The Albion in Islington which was an award-winning pub.

Danny, who has experience in publishing and promotion, said that although they did not want to go public on their plans, they were helped by the petition that was launched to save The Black Horse and then the declaration by Barnet Council that it was an asset of community value.

“All that community support and loyalty worked in our favour when negotiating with Star Pubs.

“It’s great to see The Black Horse open again – our nightmare vision was that we might lose the pub and see the site redeveloped with a block of flats.”

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Praise for “amazing generosity” of classic and vintage car owners and supporters in raising money for Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice  

Ten classic and vintage cars lined up outside Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice in Byng Road for the handover of a cheque for the proceeds of the 13th annual show held in May by Barnet Classic Car Club.

Match funding from sponsors increased the money raised at the show and other club events to a total of £9,397.70.

Club committee member Chris Frost handed over the cheque to Faye Armitage, Noah’s Ark’s community engagement officer, who praised their support for the children’s hospice which she said was always more generous than the year before.

“The classic car owners and enthusiasts do an amazing job fundraising on our behalf.”

The club’s contribution of just over £5,500 included match funding of £1,500 from the Royal Bank of Canada whose staff were among volunteers who assisted at the show staged on the top floor of The Spires car park.

Chris Frost – seen above handing the cheque to Faye Armitage – said Classic Car Club and Barnet Rotary Club members were full of admiration for the contribution made by Noah’s Ark – “a children’s hospice is a vital resource for our community”.

Cars processed to the presentation from the playing fields car park in Byng Road.

The presentation followed closely on national children’s hospice awareness week.

Barnet Classic Car Club hands over cheque for proceeds from 13th annual show to Noah's Ark Children's Hospice and praised for their generosity

Noah’s Ark gets 76 per cent of its income from voluntary donations and fundraising – support which is especially vital at a time when the children’s hospice sector is facing an estimated £310 million funding gap.

Currently 91 per cent of children’s hospices in England – including Noah’s Ark – are operating at a deficit.

Noah’s Ark, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, has announced a new three-year strategy aimed at reaching more families and securing a sustainable future.

Across its catchment area – the London boroughs of Barnet, Camden, Enfield, Haringey and Islington and Hertsmere – an estimated 5,700 children may now be eligible for support provided by the hospice.

Essential services to babies, children and young people who meet the acceptance criteria currently cost over £7 million a year.      

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Blacked out parking signs thought to be indication of anger and frustration at Barnet Council’s pay-by-phone parking charges in Mays Lane

Anger among Underhill residents over Barnet Council’s imposition of parking charges outside a parade of shops in Mays Lane is said to be a likely reason why parking signs have been obliterated with black paint.

After six months of protests and petitions the council’s cabinet has finally agreed to re-think the scheme – and there is every indication the parking restrictions and charges will be dramatically scaled back.

Instead of all-day charging the council is examining a proposal to limit this to one hour – between 2pm and 3pm – when a pay-by-phone parking charge would apply.

If the council agrees, parking would again be free in the service road in front of the six shops, except for the one hour when charges would apply.

Parking restrictions at the Mays Lane parade would then be in line with the adjoining CPZ where there is a 2pm to 3pm restriction when parking is only permitted by residents with parking permits.

A one-hour ban in the early afternoon is intended to prevent all-day free parking – and the same principle would apply outside the Mays Lane shops preventing cars being left all day.

Almost immediately when the parking charges were introduced at the start of the year, Mays Lane traders complained bitterly about a dramatic loss in business as regular customers, who made brief stops outside the shops, were intimidated by the restrictions and pay-by-phone charging.

Charges apply from Monday to Saturday, from 8am to 6.30pm, for a maximum stay of one hour – a requirement which the traders claim is out of all proportion and is intended solely to boost the council’s income from parking charges.

At a meeting of the council’s cabinet (15.6.2026), Councillor Alan Schneiderman who leads on the environment and climate change, indicated that the council was “minded” to lift all-day charging and opt instead for a one-hour restriction to discourage all day parking.

Council officials have been asked to examine the practicalities of bringing this into effect and a decision will be made within 20 days (by mid-July).

A petition calling on the council to think again was presented by Gina Theodorou on behalf of the Quinta Green Residents Association and Underhill Residents Group.

She said the six shops on the parade depended on customers being able to make brief stops in the service road, but they were now faced with having to pay the highest parking charges in the borough when many of their customers resisted using the pay-by-phone system.

Blacked out parking charge signs in Mays Lane a sign of local anger over imposition by Barnet Council of pay-by-phone parking outside parade of shops.

The impact of the charges had been dramatic:

Coopers of Barnet had received countless complaints and the restrictions felt like the “final straw” after 40 years’ business in Mays Lane.

Mays Pets – the last remaining independent pet shop in the borough – had lost 50 per cent of its takings and had been forced to lay off staff.

Much as she did not condone vandalism, Ms Theodorou thought the painting over of the parking signs reflected “the depth of local anger” when other parades of shops had free periods and when the restrictions failed to align with the nearby CPZ.

“Please instruct officials to carry out an immediate review and engage with the traders – once the shops are gone, they cannot be replaced.”

Ms Theodorou was supported by the newly elected Underhill Councillor Josh Tapper who proposed a continuing restriction with charging between 2pm and 3pm but otherwise free parking which would incentivise local people to use the shops while discouraging all-day parking.

Councillor Schneiderman explained that the rationale for introducing parking charges outside the Mays Lane shop was that the service road was midway between two CPZs and if it was left uncontrolled, there was a danger people would park there free all day.

However, he accepted that the idea of limiting charging to an hour – and bringing it into line with the CPZ – “did make sense”.

Councillors were keen to listen, and he hoped the solution which had been suggested would prove acceptable.

Ms Theodorou agreed that local business would be prepared to look at the compromise which had been proposed.

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Volunteer guardians of Chipping Barnet’s open spaces, countryside and community initiatives praised by MP Dan Tomlinson

Volunteers who look after the countryside and manage outdoor activities met their MP Dan Tomlinson at a reception at the House of Commons where he congratulated them for all they did to preserve the greenery which he said was such an attractive feature of the Chipping Barnet constituency.

What linked his guests was that they were all nature lovers determined to help others enjoy the natural world – whether it was growing fruit and vegetables, caring for the natural environment or protecting the green belt.

Seven allotment sites in the constituency had representatives at the reception as well volunteers from Barnet Environment Centre in Byng Road and the campaign to keep Dollis Brook clear of litter.

Another guest was award-winning Wendy Alcock, founder of Incredible Edible Barnet, a community group which encourages home cultivation in gardens and on un-used land.

“What people love about Barnet are our green spaces and all of you are the corner stone in protecting them,” said Mr Tomlinson.

A team of supporters from GROW, the school farm at The Totteridge Academy, were delighted to hear the MP’s praise for a project which produces fruit and vegetables for the school kitchen as well for sale to the community.

Team Grow – above, from left to right, Sam (trustee), Dan Tomlinson, Tara (communications lead), Marta (senior grower) and Lynn, volunteer – were keen to use their meeting with their MP to help promote a series of events at the farm in Barnet Lane: Open Day on June 27; Pick Your Own Flowers on 25 July, 8 August and 5 September; and Pumpkin Time on 24 October.

Mr Tomlinson reminded his guests that after his recent launch of a community action network for his constituency he was hoping to help promote initiatives where local people could get together to assist with non-partisan campaigns and projects.

His search for a project met an immediate response from leading members of Friends of Tudor Park and Pavilion who have launched a bid to rescue and renovate the abandoned former cricket pavilion in Barnet Vale.

He told their deputation – above, from left to right, Simon Kaufman, Alexander Cohen, Dan Tomlinson, Hannah Lawrence and Simon Cohen – that he was very supportive of their campaign to save the pavilion.

“I will be looking to see what more I can do as their MP to help get the project off the ground.”

Currently the abandoned pavilion is considered unsafe and is cordoned off but what concerns the activists is that the building is deteriorating quite rapidly – a crack in the western elevation has expanded to two inches in width within a year.

“A structural engineer has told us that this crack needs to be repointed to stabilise the building otherwise it could become a risk to public safety,” said Mr Kaufman.

“We are frustrated by the length of time it is taking Barnet Council to finalise the paperwork for the Friends to sign an agreement to lease the building, so any help from our MP would be much appreciated.”

MP Dan Tomlinson praises nature lovers who care for green spaces in his Chipping Barnet constituency and who encourage home cultivation of fruit and vegetables

Robin Bishop, who leads for the Barnet Society on planning and the environment, (above right with Barnet Society member Kim Ambridge) used the reception as a chance to impress on Mr Tomlinson the need for action over the long-standing proposal to create a regional park to the west of Barnet.

A large swathe of green belt and metropolitan open land stretching west from Arkley and south to Mill Hill was earmarked as a possible regional park in the Barnet strategy plan for 2019-2030.

Given all the pressure for new housing – and the likelihood that substantial parts of Barnet’s green belt could be designated ‘grey belt’ for residential development – Mr Bishop said a regional park designation could safeguard farmland and open spaces and open them up to the public.

“A regional park designation would become a significant planning consideration, to which any planning inspector would have to give it due weight. It is proposed in Barnet’s Local Plan, but so far nothing has been done about it,” said Mr Bishop.

“Safeguarding this open land from development is the only way we can preserve a green gap between Barnet and Borehamwood.”    

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After another record year for Barnet Medieval Festival, Wars of the Roses re-enactors are hoping to lay on an even better display next summer

An expanded site for Barnet Medieval Festival with a much larger battlefield for re-enactments and displays won high praise from a record attendance of well over 600 Wars of the Roses enthusiasts.

Re-enactments of the Second Battle of St Albans and the Battle of Barnet filled the arena with ample space all around for crowds of spectators and living history exhibits.

Such was the enthusiasm for what is fast becoming one of the premier engagements in the calendar of Wars of the Roses celebrations that re-enactors and medieval traders left Barnet at the end of the two-day event declaring they were confident the long-term prospects for the festival could not be better.

Given its location in accessible Green Belt fields off Galley Lane at the Lewis of London Ice Cream Farm, the festival’s setting – lined with woods and uninterrupted views – is regarded as having a close resemblance to the countryside north of Barnet where the Yorkists fought the Lancastrians in 1471.

Innovations this year included many more events for children.

A period costume competition was won by Princess Sophia whose dress caught the eye of Queen Elizabeth who judged the competition with Edward IV.

Linda Godden, event co-ordinator from the House of Bayard, expressed her delight at the way the festival – now in its seventh year – has continued to expand and grow in popularity.

“Even with the bad weather on Saturday, the re-enactors sensed the strength of loyalty among the festival supporters and local community.

“It is such encouraging atmosphere, which is why we all want to keep coming back for the Barnet festival.”

A third eight-acre field has now been set aside for re-enactments – increasing the total site to 20 acres – and the extra space has made all the difference by allowing room for larger displays with mounted knights in full armour joining the battles.

“The site is fantastic with the extra land, and hopefully we can grow the festival with even more re-enactors and medieval traders.

“What we desperately need are more local volunteers to help the festival organisers,” said Ms Godden.

Among the new attractions was a display of birds of prey – with barn own Buzbee delighting the crowd with his aerial dexterity at the command of his handler Kevin Lochner of Hawking About.

Buzbee was hand-reared and cannot hunt in the wild so eats defrosted mice.

Events for children included a mock battle which was conducted with the help of parents, under the capable control of Ico Willis of The Past Presents.

A period costume and fancy-dress competition was judged by King Edward IV (Will Carr) and Queen Elizabeth (Eleanor Eden).  

With better weather for the second day of the festival, the highlight of the morning was the re-enactment of the Second Battle of St Albans.

Expert commentary on the Lancastrians’ victory was provided by Rupert Hammerton-Fraser (above) and Allan Harley, both members of the Beaufort Company, one of the 40 different households represented at the festival.

Re-enactors have high praise for expanded site for Barnet Medieval Festival with enlarged arena for re-enactments of Battles of St Albans and Barnet

They were back in action for the re-enactment of the Battle of Barnet which rounded off the weekend in spectacular fashion with spectators still arriving late in the afternoon, crowding around the battlefield arena.

Daniel Lewis, proprietor of the Lewis of London Ice Cream farm, said he and his family had been bowled over by the growing popularity of the festival.

“I’m already getting excited thinking about next year’s festival. It’s been so rewarding to see that all the additional space has been put to such good use with extra displays and encampments and events for children.

“We doubled the size of the site this year and I am hoping there can be even more entertainment for the public next year.”

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Expanded battlefield lay-out and record numbers of Wars of the Roses re-enactors boost this year’s Barnet Medieval Festival

Barnet Medieval Festival welcomed a record turnout of over 600 medieval military re-enactors who opened the two-day event – being held over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday June 6 and 7 – with a re-enactment of the Second Battle of St Albans.

Wars of the Roses enthusiasts and supporters have filled farmland off Galley Lane with tents and encampments entertaining crowds of visitors with a wide range of displays.

Now in its seventh year, the festival – over the two days of the weekend – is bigger than ever with an expanded lay-out and a much larger arena for battlefield events at the Lewis of London Ice Cream Farm.  

After the St Albans re-enactment, Councillor Parveen Rani, Mayor of Hertsmere joined the King Henry VI and Queen Margaret of Anjou to celebrate the Lancastrians’ victory over the Yorkists.

Councillor Rani (see above, far right) with her son and escort Pryanshu Kumar (far left) met re-enactors, including men from the Harrington Company, expressing her delight at meeting so many enthusiasts determined to relive and explain the Wars of the Roses.

“This is my first visit to the medieval festival, and it is so impressive,” said Councillor Rani.

“It is a great credit to the organisers that it has become such an important event, attracting medieval re-enactors from all over the country.”

Despite wind and rain forcing the cancellation of some events on Saturday, especially those for children, the battlefield arena was packed for a display of medieval firepower.

A long line up of 15th-century artillery, including handguns and canon, provided an impressive display of synchronised firing.

Visitors were welcomed with medieval music from the Merrie Noyse who stationed themselves beside the main refreshment marquee, appropriately named the Royal Feast Pavilion.

A plentiful supply of food, drink and ice creams was on offer, organised by Lewis of London and Ozzi’s Burrito Shack from Barnet High Street.

Daniel Lewis – seen above with his wife Fiona and assistant Holy Cornwell – said he was delighted Fold Farm (home of Lewis of London Ice Cream) was able to host the medieval festival for the second year running.

Dr Susan Skedd, festival director, met Councillor Rani and her son and escort Pryanshu Kumar on their arrival.

She said she hoped the weather would be better on Sunday.

There would be a full programme with re-enactments of the Second Battle of St Albans and the Battle of Barnet.

Other events will include a mock battle for children and a fancy dress and period costume competition for the under 12s.

Prizes will be awarded for the most historical and creative costumes.

Once again there is free parking onsite in Galley Lane, including disabled parking and taxi drop-off and a free shuttle bus running regularly from behind The Spires shopping centre in Stapylton Road.

Full information: www.barnetmedievalfestival.org

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Expanded Barnet Medieval Festival promising another premier event for Wars of the Roses re-enactors and spectators

Expanded programme planned for Barnet Medieval Festival with more mounted men at arms, a falconry display and competition for youngsters in period costomes and fancy dress

A new tee shirt commemorating the 555th anniversary of the Battle of Barnet will be on sale at the annual Barnet Medieval Festival over the weekend, on Saturday and Sunday June 6 and 7.

For the second year the festival is being held at its new and much larger site in the fields around the Lewis of London Ice Cream Farm in Galley Lane.

D Susan Skedd, the festival director – see above with volunteer Chris Nightingale – says the £15 new tee shirt is a special edition which she hopes will appeal to Wars of the Roses enthusiasts.

After record attendance and participation last year, the festival is becoming a premier event for among military re-enactors and medieval traders and there is again an expanded programme of events.

Twice as many mounted men at arms and their horses will be taking part this year and for the first time at the festival there will be falconry displays by the falconry team Hawking About.

Among the highlights each day will be the re-enactments of the Second Battle of St Albans 1461 (at 12noon) and the Battle of Barnet 1471 (at 4pm).

Younger visitors under 12 will be able to take part each day in a competition for the best period costume or fancy dress (judging at 1.30pm).

Prizes will be awarded for the most historical and creative costumes.

Tickets can be bought at the gate or in advance from the online shop before June 5: www.barnet-medieval-festival-committee.sumupstore.com

There will be free parking onsite in Galley Lane, including disabled parking and taxi drop-off and a free shuttle bus that will run regularly from behind The Spires in Stapylton Road.

Full information: www.barnetmedievalfestival.org

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Campaign to save and rebuild an abandoned clubhouse for benefit of Underhill residents gathers pace ahead of its sale by Barnet Council

Residents around Mays Lane are anxious to attract support for a community bid to take over the derelict former Quinta Youth Club which has been put up for sale by Barnet Council for £300,000.

Local groups have until October to submit offers and proposals to the council. Several eligible community interest organisations have already expressed interest.

Gina Theodorou (above), chair of the Quinta Village Green Residents Association, is appealing for a concerted push by the locality to help to secure and re-open the derelict club as a community hub and space.

“We fear Barnet Council may favour selling the abandoned building to an organisation from outside the area rather than a genuinely local community-led proposal.

“Our aim is to create a flexible new community building and integrate it into Quinta village green which is alongside and which we have already made sure is preserved for the use of our community.”

As a first step a community interest company is to be established by the residents’ association to develop a business plan.

An image, showing what a revived Quinta Club building might look like, has been issued in support of an appeal on Facebook and GoFundMe to help with the cost of planning and funding the application:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/save-the-quinta-club-for-the-whole-community

https://www.facebook.com/quinta.green.9/posts/pfbid0Z7oaBfVJP2sHuaZ1kcaYyYSJBMtoSDBP5QZts4jNrQCrM3iRFkvkFZZA2z9EGzaul

The club building – originally constructed by the Underhill community in the 1960s with the help of local tradesmen and residents – has been derelict for the last 20 years, raising concern among Mays Lane residents about continuing vandalism and anti-social behaviour.

Gina Theodorou – seen above with Rory (16) who is supporting the campaign for a new community space for local youngsters – is urging the community to rally round as quickly as possible so that a proposal can be submitted to the council by the deadline of October 17.

“In its heyday the Quinta Club was a wonderful community space – it was a youth centre, a meeting place for the elderly, for a nursery and for all sorts of exercise classes.

“We are becoming increasingly concerned because the council is getting expressions of interest from community groups outside the area– including religious organisations – and the priority for the council seems to be getting rid of the freehold for the best possible price.

“We want to keep the building as broad-based shared community asset, which is financially sustainable and offer affordable room hire, café, and space for family and youth activities.”  

It was at the request of residents’ association that the abandoned building was registered by the council as an asset of community value.

This has established a six-month moratorium during which the council may only sell the former club to a qualifying community interest group – a window of opportunity which lasts until October 17.

An open day will be held at the site in Mays Lane on Tuesday 30 June (from 11am to 2pm) when qualifying groups can view the property and ask questions, although there is a warning that viewing might be limited to “an external walk around on grounds of safety”.

To build up support for its GoFundMe appeal and a combined local response, Mrs Theodorou is hoping to draw on professional expertise within the community and wider backing from local politicians.

Dan Tomlinson, the MP for Chipping Barnet, launched a Community Action Network in March this year, aimed at “shaping and showcasing” projects proposed by the local residents in his constituency.

Mays Lane is within the council’s Underhill ward and one of its two councillors, Zahra Beg, is the newly elected Mayor of Barnet.   

Campaign to mount a bid for community to rebuild the Quinta Club in Mays Lane which Barnet Council has put on the market for £300,000 with deadline of October for community bids

Ms Theodorou says residents have been become alarmed at the state of the dereliction.

There are gaps in the boarding surrounding the derelict building and it has become a dumping ground for rubbish.

After its success in getting Quinta village green registered as a public open space, the residents’ association liaises with the council to ensure maintenance of the green and to ensure that fly tipping is removed.

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Chipping Barnet MP launches petition to support TfL’s bid to extend London Overground to New Barnet and increase train frequency

After starting his parliamentary career with a petition to keep station ticket offices open at New Barnet and Oakleigh Park, a campaign to increase the frequency of train services has now been launched by the Chipping Barnet MP Dan Tomlinson.

His new petition is seeking support for a proposal by Transport for London to extend the London Overground network to include the Great Northern lines from Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City and Hertford North.

If the takeover was approved and the lines became part of London Overground, TFL has plans to increase off-peak services from two to four trains an hour.

A total of 26 stations that would benefit from more trains include Brookmans Park, Potters Bar, Hadley Wood, New Barnet, Oakleigh Park and New Southgate.

Mr Tomlinson (above in 2023) was the prospective Labour candidate when he launched a constituency petition to boost support for a campaign against the closure of railway station ticket offices – a campaign which produced 750,000 objections across the country and forced a government climbdown.

He said the current frequency of trains to London from New Barnet and Oakleigh Park was “not good enough”.

If the line became part of London Overground, TfL hoped to offer a more frequent service which would benefit residents across the Chipping Barnet constituency.

The results of the petition – https://dantomlinson.org.uk/better-rail-barnet/

will be presented by Mr Tomlinson to the Mayor of London and the Secretary of State for Transport.

Chipping Barnet MP backs bid to get increased train frequency at New Barnet and Oakleigh Park and to lines Welwyn Garden City and Hertford North being taken over by London Overground.

Mr Tomlinson, who was appointed Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury in September last year, the issued a photograph of himself with the Deputy Mayor for Transport Seb Dance, Barnet Councillors and local campaigners.

TfL announced last December that it had submitted a business case to the Department of Transport for London Overground to take over the Great Northern inner services from Moorgate to Welwyn Garden City and Hertford North.

These services are currently operated by Govia Thameslink Railways which is now under public ownership – opening the door to a possible government hand over of control to London Overground.

A TfL make over for the lines could cost £47 million – which would increase to £70 million if Crews Hill station was upgraded as part of the construction of the proposed Crews Hill new town.

Options for increasing the frequency of both lines include an estimate of £239 million to increase off-peak services from two to four an hour and £310 million for increases in peak services of up to eight per hour and off-peak up to six per hour.

Currently TfL is refining its business case for a London Overground take over and a more frequent service.

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Live cartooning was highlight of the afternoon at North London Hospice shop to promote the sale of second-hand books

Cartoons and caricatures filled the front of the North London Hospice shop in Barnet High Street at the launch of an expanded book shop – all in aid of a new fund-raising push.

Assistant shop manager Dora Pavlou sat for Barnet caricaturist Simon Ellinas while fellow resident and cartoonist Genn Marshall was hard at work on the floor on his latest cartoon character.

They were all helping to raise money for the hospice and provide publicity for an enlarged bookshop at the rear of the shop.

Recent donations and house clearances have helped the North London Hospice build up a large stock of second-hand books ready for sale – paperbacks £1 and hardbacks £2.

Dora was delighted by her caricature by Simon whose work has been published widely, most recently in the Mail on Sunday and other national newspapers and magazines.

Glenn Marshall displayed a collection of his cartoon characters which filled the front of the shop.

There were some wry smiles for his depictions – all an indication of the wide range of Glenn’s published work in magazines such as Private Eye, Punch and the Spectator.

Cartoons and caricatures filled Barnet shopfront of North London Hospice to promote enlarged bookshop.

Another High Barnet resident, Professor Neil Martin organised the event. He is a volunteer at the shop responsible for sorting and pricing donated books.     

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Black Horse to re-open in mid-June after extensive repairs – but uncertain future for Builders Arms now on the market for £695,000

After the loss of several pubs around High Barnet in recent weeks, work has finally started on major repairs to the Black Horse in Wood Street, and it is due to re-open in mid-June after being closed since last September.

Scaffolding surrounds the building and local residents who feared the worst when metal grilles were installed across the doors and windows are delighted to hear the news.

With the approach of warm weather, they say they can’t wait for the re-opening of the pub’s garden which is popular weekend venue.

Star Pubs told the Barnet Society that additional building work has proved necessary and it will take longer than originally anticipated, but they hope the pub can re-open by mid-June.

A new tenant – described as “a local businessman” – has taken on the tenancy.

To the disappointment of some previous customers, Star Pubs say the Black Horse will not be reverting to a micro-brewery which had operated at the pub in the past and produced its own ales.

Earlier this year, because of concern about the future of the Black Horse, Barnet Council accepted a community request for the pub to be protected by an order declaring the building as asset of community value.

ACV protection allows the community to enter a bid if the pub is sold for redevelopment – protection already provided for three other nearby pubs, the Lord Nelson, Sebright Arms and Ye Olde Monken Holt, as well as the Prince of Wales in East Barnet.

Black Horse public house in Wood Street Barnet to re-open after nine-month closure but now closed Builders Arms in New Barnet for sale at £695,000

A petition has been launched to secure ACV protection for the Builders Arms in Albert Road, New Barnet, which closed in mid-April and is now on the market for £695,000.

A two-year struggle to keep going finally defeated the pub’s landlady who blamed a loss of trade on the disruption caused by ending up in the middle of a massive construction site.

Albert Road is the main access to the site where Fairview Homes are building eleven high-rise blocks of flats to provide 420 new homes, and the pub found itself marooned in the redevelopment.

Despite considerable local support, the landlady reluctantly decided to hand her tenancy back to the brewers Greene King raising local concern about the future of a pub praised by the Campaign for Real Ale.

Former customers and friends started the petition in an attempt to preserve what they say is a “much loved local institution”.

Greene King, which is reported to be planning to sell off 300 of its tenanted and managed pubs, put the Builders Arms on the market soon after it ceased trading in mid-April.

WTS, agents for the sale, say the building does offer the potential for alternative use, subject to planning consent, and the property might appeal to “local licensed operators, developers, builders and investors.”

Another recent pub closure was that of the Hadley House bar and restaurant in Barnet High Street, which in previous years was known as the King George and earlier as the King of Prussia – but another High Street hostelry, the King’s Head, which closed for a month for renovations is due to re-open on June 12.

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Control over Barnet Council remains with Labour after an agreement with the Conservatives results in key votes to end the uncertainty  

Labour has kept control of Barnet Council following a post-election pact with the Conservatives to ensure administration of the authority and services to residents continue without interruption.

A “very relieved” councillor Barry Rawlings (above right), who was re-elected to the post of Labour leader of the council, congratulated Underhill Labour councillor Zahra Beg on her appointment as the new Mayor of Barnet.

A tied result in the council elections on May 7 – with both Labour and the Conservatives gaining 31 seats – forced the two sides to get together and agree a voting procedure for the first meeting of the new council (19.5.2026).

With advice from the council’s chief executive Cath Shaw and her staff, councillor Rawlings and the Conservative leader, councillor Peter Zinkin, reached a co-operation agreement.

The deal accepted that as the outgoing Labour mayor councillor Danny Rich held a casting vote, the presumption should be that to preserve continuity Labour should retain control of the council.

However, under the agreement, it was agreed the first vote should be whether to appoint Conservative councillor Zinkin as leader.

This was defeated 32 votes to 31 votes on the casting voting of the council’s Green Party councillor Charli Thompson.

Once councillor Thompson had voted against councillor Zinkin and he had been defeated, the Conservatives councillors all abstained on the second vote which resulted in councillor Rawlings being re-elected as council leader for four years by 31 votes in favour, 31 abstentions and one vote against (Green).

In discussions which started immediately after an election result which had left the council with no overall control, councillor Rawlings said that he and councillor Zinkin had accepted they had to work together to avoid deadlock in council business and ensure services to residents continued without interruption.

The agreement with the Conservatives was designed to make sure the council didn’t slip into no political control given that one Green Party councillor held a casting vote.

Councillor Thompson, who won her seat for the Greens in Woodhouse ward, and who is a High Barnet resident, was cheered by her supporters in the public gallery for a series of interventions – see above – in which she challenged the way Labour and the Conservatives had done a deal “behind closed doors”.

She said that the Greens had secured 16 per cent of the total vote in the Barnet Borough elections yet their representative was being excluded – an act that would lead residents feeling disconnected from council decision making.

After the meeting her mother Christine Thompson (above left) joined in the congratulations for the stand her daughter had made in challenging the refusal of Labour and the Conservatives to allow her to work with them on improving adult social care and care of the disabled.

Barnet Council remains under control of Labour Party after post-election pact with the Conservatives to agree on key votes which resulted in re-lection of Labour leader councillor Barry Rawlings

Councillor Beg – seen above with the outgoing Mayor of Barnet Councillor Danny Rich – was praised by fellow councillors for the way she had shown real skill in working across communities and faiths within the borough.

Councillor Rich had opened the proceedings with an appeal to residents to support each other following recent hate attacks in Golders Green.

 A seventh of the borough’s population was Jewish and an eighth Muslim. “Our priority is to the safety of Barnet residents and bringing those responsible for these outrageous incidents to justice.”

He praised the visit by the King to Golders Green which had been “a profound gesture from His Majesty.”

Voting for a new council leader was preceded by a short debate. Councillor Ross Houston said he was proud to nominate councillor Rawlings for re-election based on his track record of dealing with significant challenges, including the delivery of 1,000 new council homes.

In acknowledging that the election left the council with no overall control, he said that the mayor’s casting vote was reserved for occasions when it was necessary for the administration to preserve continuity and the best result would be for councillor Rawlings to be re-elected.

Councillor Richard Cornelius, a former Conservative group leader, proposed councillor Zinkin, reminding the council that in the election the Conservatives had won the popular vote in the borough – gaining 102,246 votes (35.4 per cent), well above Labour’s vote 79,353 (27.5 per cent).

To laughter from fellow councillors, he said that he had never been a supporter of proportional representation but perhaps now was the time.

“It is important we get this right. An agreement has been made (with Labour) and we must make it work.

“We are looking forward to co-operating, and we can co-operate to make Barnet better. Let’s hope we can have some solid achievements, especially on housing.”

Councillor Zinkin thanked the council’s officers for helping the two parties through some “unusual and quite difficult” negotiations, but this had achieved the continuation of an “effective council” which was in the interests of residents.

Councillor Rawlings (above) agreed it had been difficult to achieve the agreement, but it was vital the council continued to run, and the electors had depended on the councillors to find a solution.  

But there was a pointed reminder that if Labour were to lose a seat to the Conservatives during the next four years, the tables might well be turned, the council would no longer be tied, and the Conservatives might take control.

Councillor Cornelius fired the warning shot: “We must make this agreement work…until the next council by-election.”

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Fighting for improved adult social care and support for the disabled are priorities for Barnet’s new Green Party councillor

Priorities for Barnet Council's new Green Party Councillor, who lives in High Barnet, will be fighting to improve adult social care and support for people with disabilities

Barnet’s newly-elected Green Party councillor, Charli Thompson – who lives in High Barnet – says her priority will be to tackle issues surrounding adult social care and disabilities rather than get involved in party political infighting.

With Labour and the Conservatives each having 31 councillors, Ms Thompson might well have a casting vote at future council meetings, but she has no intention of exploiting her position for political purposes.

“I realise I hold the balance of power, but I am not interested in forming a political alliance with either Labour or the Conservatives.

“My role as a councillor will be to listen to residents and their concerns, support their interests and align myself with Green Party policies.”

Her resolve to avoid playing party politics was put to the test when the council met for the first time (Tuesday 19 May) to decide whether Councillor Barry Rawlings should remain Labour leader and control the council or whether the post should go to the Conservative leader Peter Zinkin with control passing to the Conservatives.

She voted first against councillor Zinkin, who was defeated by 32 votest to 31, and then voted against councillor Rawlings who was re-elected leader for four years with 31 votes in favour, 31 absentions by Conservative councillors and only one vote (Green) against.

Ms Thompson topped the poll with 1,331 votes in the Woodhouse ward, taking a Labour seat, in the Barnet Council elections on May 7.

Support for Greens was strongest in the Barnet wards closest to inner London where the party is now in a majority in some London boroughs.   

Her first move on being elected was to approach Barnet’s Labour and Conservative groups to see if they would agree to her becoming a member of the council’s committee for adult social care.

“I am disabled myself and to my disappointment both parties have blocked my attempt to use my expertise as a campaigner on adult social care and disabilities to help improve council services.”

In 2019 Ms Thompson was signed off work as a freelance designer because of a worsening brain condition (Chiari malformation) and during the last few years she helped to care for her father, who died earlier this year, and her sister who is autistic and in supported living care.

“I went into politics because I became so disillusioned about the level of care.

“I want to use any influence I have to improve council services for adult social care and disabilities.

“It is not asking a lot to seek to use my expertise as a campaigner, and now a councillor, for the benefit of the community, but already Labour and the Conservatives say they won’t work with me.”

Ms Thompson, who stood previously for the Green Party in a by-election in the Whetstone ward in 2025, was attracted to politics when Jeremy Corbyn was elected leader of the Labour Party in 2015. She went on to become a Labour Party member.

“I found Corbyn inspiring, the way he connected with people who had been marginalised and gave them a voice.”

After Labour’s defeat in the 2019 general election, she didn’t want Corbyn to stand down. She voted for Rebecca Long-Bailey in the 2020 Labour leadership election which was won by Sir Keir Starmer.

Shortly after the 2024 general election she resigned from the Labour Party – and joined the Green Party –following the Starmer government’s withdrawal of winter fuel allowance for the elderly and military support for Israel over the war in Gaza.

Ms Thompson has had a lifetime association with High Barnet. She was born – Charlotte Thompson– at the former Victoria Maternity Hospital in Wood Street;  went to school at the former St Martha’s Convent; and then St Michael’s at North Finchley.    

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An afternoon extravaganza of cartoons and caricatures will celebrate opening of enlarged book department at the North London Hospice Barnet shop

A chance to see live cartooning, sit for a caricature or enter a raffle for a set of signed copies of the latest books are some of the highlights planned for the grand opening of an expanded bookshop at the North London Hospice shop in Barnet High Street.

After recent donations and house clearances the shop has built up a large stock of second-hand books ready for sale – paperbacks £1 and hardbacks £2.

Over thirty copies of newly published books – all signed by authors – will be prizes in a raffle to be held during the official opening at 12.30pm on Friday 22 May.

Cartoonist Glenn Marshall – of Private Eye, Punch and The Spectator fame – has already been hard at work in preparation for the opening.

His depiction of Hamlet, Batman and other literary figures will be on display as he takes his position at the front of the shop and demonstrates the work of a cartoonist.

A fellow High Barnet resident and well-known caricaturist, Simon Elinas, will be pen in hand ready to draw caricatures.

Simon, who trained as a graphic designer, has provided illustrations for a wide range of newspapers and magazines.

During lockdown he started drawing a caricature of a celebrity connected with all 272 tube stations on the London Underground.

Working behind the scenes planning the launch has been another High Barnet resident, Professor Neil Martin, who has been a lead volunteer at the shop responsible for sorting and pricing donated books – see above with some of the hospice staff, Dora Pavlou, assistant shop manager, Emily Cronin, retail development manager, Professor Neil Martin and Maxine Aldridge, assistant shop manager.

Neil said he agreed to help sorting books donated to the North London Hospice six months ago after a massive donation of 60 boxes of books from a house clearance.

“We have been fortunate with recent house clearances, and we had so many books donated we decided to turn a section of the shop into a proper book shop.

“After all Barnet is the largest of the North London Hospice’s 21 shops and we have done well recently – we resold one valuable donated book for £250 and a bookseller paid £400 for a whole series of books.

North London Hospice opening an enlarged book department with aftrnoon event featuring live cartooning, a caricuturist and raffle for signed copies of new books.

A highlight of the opening will be the raffle – tickets are £1 each – and the signed copies of over 30 new books, worth around £500, have been sorted by assistant shop manager Steve Fletcher (see above).

First prize will be a set of signed books; second prize any 20 books from the bookshop; and a third prize of any ten books.

Neil, a professor of psychology, has donated signed copies of some of his 13 books on psychology, horror and crime.

Confirmed books for the raffle include:

Joel Morris, TV comedy writer (Cunk/Mitchell & Webb/Viz)/podcaster/author (Ladybird spoofs, Philomena Cunk)

James Henry, Green Wing & TV & radio comedy scriptwriter (Pagans)

Dr Nicky Brunswick, psychologist (Dyslexia- A Beginner’s Guide)

Matthew Sweet, broadcaster, TV drama writer and author (non-fiction books)

David Quantick, Thick Of It/VEEP/TV Burp writer (2 x DQ’s novels)

Dan Kaszeta -poison specialist (Toxic)

Paul Stevenson, Editor, Haunted magazine (will send signed copies of mag)

John Rain, author & podcaster (Thunderbook, Superbook)

Adam MacQueen, Private Eye staff & novelist (will send lots of thriller novels)

Prof Gina Rippon -psychologist (The Gendered Brain, The Lost Girls Of Autism)

John Grindrod, historian (Concretopia, Iconicon, Tales of The Suburbs, Outskirts)

Prof Adrian Furnham, psychologist, former Sunday Times columnist (six of his 100+books)

Alessandra Pino, author (The Gothic Cookbook)

Will Maclean, co-creator of Broken Veil podcast (The Apparition Phase)

Nick Jones, local journalist (Miners’ Strike, 1984)

Louis Barfe, journalist & author (Morcambe & Wise & Les Dawson biographies)

Kim Newman, film journalist & writer (some of hKim’s many books, including his new one)

Lindsey Scott, author, creative writing director (Suffolk Haunts)

Neil (Psychology, Psychology-Beginner’s Guide, Psychology of Comedy, Horror Theory Reader)

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Classic and vintage cars took centre stage for annual Barnet show which is highly popular for family outings  

Spectators and enthusiasts lined up to see the annual parade along the High Street ahead of the 13th annual show held by the Barnet Classic Car Club.

Seventy cars made it all the way to the top deck of the car park at The Spires Shopping Centre ready to be inspected and appreciated by masses of admirers.

The club’s annual show has become one of the town’s premier events and is always well supported with the proceeds going to the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice.

A welcome was on hand from committee member Paul Johnson as the cars arrived at The Spires’ entrance – ready to climb two floors to the top of the car park, the smell of petrol exhaust fumes filling the air.

The show prides itself on being a family event, a moment to stop and stare at some fine vintage cars.

One toddler – clearly a future classic car enthusiast – toured the show in his own miniature Mini Cooper.

In one of his final events during his term as Mayor of Barnet, Councillor Danny Rich, arrived in style in a 1923 three litre Bentley.

He was welcomed by show marshal Howard Pryor (left) together with the car’s owner Paul Griffin.

Councillor Rich said the parade through the High Street had been a delightful experience.

“Arriving in a vintage Bentley is one of the few times a local councillor ever gets cheered in the High Street – even if the cheering was for the Bentley and not for me.”

Thought to be the oldest car at the show was a 1904 Wolseley which was completely rebuilt by its owner Ken Goddard – above with his wife Ann.

He bought the car in 2009 as “a collection of bits and pieces” after previous attempts to restore it and he spent 18 months on a complete rebuild.

For the last 15 years Mr Goddard has exhibited the car at rallies. It clocks up about 1,000 miles a year.  

A first for the show was a four-wheel amphibious Dutton Surf – registration number WE 60 WET – owned by Jeff Finegold.

The car, which is one of 300 made by Tim Dutton in 2021, makes a regular appearance at the annual classic boat show at Henley on Thames.

Mr Finegold’s wife Vicki said it was great fun when the car was out on the water – at Stanstead Abbotts Marina on the River Lea or Harefield Marina at Uxbridge.

Manning the club stall were Marty Collins (left) and Chris Frost ready to welcome potential new members.

Stalls were manned by volunteers and supporters of Noah’s Ark, Barnet Rotary Club, and a tea and cake stall provided The Bull Theatre.

Seventy classic and vintage cars lined up on the top of The Spires' car park for the 13th annual show of the Barnet Classic Car Club.

Live entertainment included music by Boxty and performances by students from the Susi Earnshaw Theatre School.

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Lifetime achievement award for Barnet Market stallholder who had his first pitch at the age of eight selling cauliflowers

David Bone broke off from selling fruit and vegetables to accept a Civic Award for Lifetime Achievement in recognition of 65 years of service at the twice weekly Barnet Market.

He was unable to attend the annual awards ceremony at Hendon Town Hall, so the Mayor of Barnet, Councillor Danny Rich, paid an official visit to the Saturday market.

David, now 74, told the mayor he started at the age of eight helping his father Albert who in 1959 had opened the first fruit and vegetable market at what was then a cattle market.

“I was only eight, just a boy. My father gave me a jam sandwich, pushed me out, and told me to stand in the market selling cauliflowers.”

In presenting the award, the mayor told assembled shoppers that David had been “a fantastic” part of the market.

“That is what is so special about Barnet: people giving their time, devoting their life to serving the community.

“Barnet only runs so well as a town because of people like the Bone family.”

Barnet Market stall holder David Bone pressented with Borough of Barnet Civic Award for Lifetime Achievement by Mayor of Barnet, Councillor Danny Rich

David told the mayor that his son Tyler was now running the stall.

He said his grandfather, Albert Bone senior, had helped his father with the stall, so four generations had been selling fruit and vegetables at Barnet Market.

“Without my son Tyler running the stall, I would not be here today.”

 The citation for David’s 2026 Borough of Barnet Award for Lifetime Achievement recognised his “unwavering commitment and dedication” to serving generations of Barnet residents through rain, snow and sunshine.

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Facing an uncertain future: unsteady state of Barnet’s iconic whalebones archway – can it be repaired or replaced with a replica?  

An historic whalebones arch beside Wood Street, High Barnet, has had to be encased in scaffolding after the owners of Whalebones House feared it might collapse and cause an injury to passersby.

Signs of movement in its footings and cracks in the archway – once the jaw bones of a ninety-foot-long blue whale – prompted concern about its safety.

Hill Group, who are building 115 new homes in adjoining fields, installed the scaffolding as a protective measure to safeguard the arch and to preserve “a unique local landmark”.

Hill’s intervention has been welcomed by the owners of Whalebones House, Patrick Shanahan and Helena Boland, who say urgent action is need to either repair the whalebones or replace them with a replica archway.

Straps have been applied around the surface to ensure there is no further fragmentation of the structure.

A set of jawbones was first erected as a gateway to Whalebones House in the 1860s or perhaps even earlier.

They were last replaced in 1939 by former owner of the house, Miss Gwyneth Cowing, whose family owned the Barnet Press newspaper.

She paid for two jawbones, each weighing three-quarters of a ton, to be transported to Barnet from Norway where the carcase of the whale, which had been captured in the South Seas, had been dismembered.

It took half a dozen workmen, under the direction of local builders W. Foster & Sons, all day to manoeuvre the gigantic jawbones into place and set them in six feet of concrete.

Cracks in the jawbone on the Arkley side of the drive started appearing at Easter; then its footing became dislodged; and it became clear the archway was in danger of collapsing.

Mr Shanahan said he first became aware of the damage after heavy equipment being used by the contractors started crossing the driveway less than three metres from the jawbones.

“Excavators and piling equipment kept being moved to and from the main construction area to a smaller site off Wellhouse Lane where there is to be a new community building and studio for the Barnet Guild of Artists.

“Because of the fragile state of the jawbones we have asked the contractors to stop crossing the driveway and generating the kind of vibration which has clearly been having a devastating impact.”    

After alerting the Hill Group to what had happened, the owners of Whalebones House asked for advice from Barnet Council on the historic status of the whalebones and whether permission would be needed to dismantle the archway and install a replacement.

They hope that the Hill Group and the trustees of the Gwyneth Cowing estate – which sold off the farmland for housing – will contribute to the cost of repairing or replacing the archway.

“Hill are going to call their new housing estate and gardens Whalebone Park, so they have a responsibility to ensure the whalebones remain an integral part of the whole development,” said Mr Shanahan.

“So far we have been unable to gain any assistance from Barnet Council’s planning or heritage departments, and we are anxious to work out how best to safeguard the future of the archway.”

Whalebones House is a Grade II listed building of special interest and the whalebones at the entrance to the drive are specifically referred to in the appraisal for the Wood Street Conservation area which includes the Whalebones estate.

It says that the whalebones at the entrance sit within “a notable tree boundary and create an entry feature to the space.”

Mr Shanahan says former fishing and whaling communities which have historic whalebone arches, including Whitby in Yorkshire and coastal ports in Scotland, are facing similar challenges over how best to protect them.

“Resin bonding has been used to repair some arches. Others have been replaced with replica arches made from synthetic compounds, steel or even brass.

“We need advice and help in working out how the arch can be preserved or replaced.”

There are competing theories as to how and why whalebones were first erected in Wood Street.

One report in the Barnet Press suggested the famous polar explorer John Franklin (1786-1847) once lived in Whalebones and according to local thinking installed the first set of whalebones as early as the 1830s.

A week later the paper published an alternative version: Frederick Brown, who lived at 92 Wood Street, said his sister was married to Mr Easton, a Thames waterman, who had lived at the house and started the tradition.

Mr Easton had joined the firm of Smith and Sons, whalebone and sealskin merchants, who plied their trade from the Thames, and he obtained a pair of whalebones which it was thought were erected in the 1860s and gave the house its name.

Records at Barnet Museum suggest the house was built in 1815 and the first reference to it being named Whalebones was on a map dated 1872.

Motorists travelling along Wood Street often miss seeing the jawbones, especially when the trees and hedges are in leaf and much of that side of the road is filled in parked cars.

Pedestrians get a far better view and might like to renew an old Chipping Barnet custom: according to local legal it was good luck to walk under the archway, make a wish or share a kiss.

Over the years countless Barnet youngsters have marvelled at the size of the jaw bones from a blue whale, the largest species captured in the South Seas.

Angela Morris of King’s Road, Barnet, remembers that as a seven-year-old in the 1950s she attended a Brownie pack that met in the barn at Whalebones.

“In those days there were another two sets of whalebones, only much smaller. One was at the gateway to the house and one that had fallen down beside a path that went to the barn where the Brownies met.”

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Service celebrating the founding of Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School – a tribute to retiring Barnet head teacher Violet Walker

Violet Walker led her final commemoration day service as head teacher of Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ ahead of her retirement at the end of the summer term.

Pupils walked in a procession up Barnet High Street to the parish church of St John the Baptist for the 138th celebration of the founding of a school which is one of the oldest and most successful all girls state schools in the country.

Mrs Walker reinstated the commemoration day service the year after becoming head teacher in 2015 and her final service featured another celebration of the past – the school’s chamber choir sang the original QE Girls’ school song which had not been performed since the 1960s.

Its title was the school motto – Ever in the presence of God – which used to be printed in Greek lettering around a symbol of a Tudor rose.

Resurrecting the song and getting it performed once again by the chamber choir became a personal mission for the school’s director of music, Cosima Rodriguez-Broadbent (left) who with Mrs Walker’s help managed to track it down.

“We hunted through the school’s archives and found a manuscript with the music and text,” said Cosima.

“I had to transcribe the music and with the help of the organist Jonathan Gregory we began rehearsals. The choir had to sign the chorus in Greek, so it was a real challenge.”

Guests at the service, who included the Mayor of Barnet, Councillor Danny Rich, congratulated the choir on a brilliant performance of what Jonathan Gegory said was a “robust song” which the pupils liked to sing.

Lines from the song reflected the school curriculum:

“Sing we the song of day that are,

When in this school those dreams come true,

When science in her heart reveals,

This old world ever new.”

The service was conducted by the Reverend Cindy Kent who thanked the choir for reflecting on the school’s past – a reminder dedicated to Mrs Walker’s service as head teacher and whose inspiration it had been to reinstate the commemoration day service.

“Mrs Walker will be greatly missed, and I know the whole school community is so grateful for dedicated service to QE Girls.”

In her address, she advised pupils on how best to tackle tough times in their lives.

“Do try to be calm when things go wrong. Nasty things can happen and people can be unkind but do try to be nice to them.”

There was a chance for a chat with the pupils of today for three former QE Girls’ pupils – from left to right, Margaret Peart (Youngs), Val Mulder (Townsend) and Gill Williams (Rees) – who described what times were like when they started at QE Girls in the 1950s.

All three were present when Queen Elizabeth II visited the school – her first official visit to a school after her coronation.

“Remember in those days we were a grammar school and there were only around 500 pupils – far fewer than the 1,200 today,” said Margaret Peart.

“Back in those days all the girls wore Panama hats, and the police stopped the traffic for the procession from the school to the church.”

Violet Walker, Queen Elizabeth's Girls' School head teacher, leads her final commemoration day service ahead of her retirement at end of summer term

When Mrs Walker became head teacher in 2015 it was a case of coming home.

Not only was Mrs Walker a former pupil at QEGS, but she later returned to the school to complete her post-graduate training as a mathematics’ teacher.

From the start she said she intended to be resolute in her conviction that QEGS’ role was to continue to serve the Barnet area as a local community girls’ comprehensive, committed to reflecting the school’s history and traditions, while at the same time embracing the latest technological advances in teaching and research.

Mrs Walker (Violet Hamid) was a pupil at QEGS from 1969 to 1976 and has fond memories of the headmistress of her day, Miss Marjorie Payne, who was head teacher for 17 years and was widely respected.

A successor to Mrs Walker as QE Girls’ head teacher has yet to be announced.

QE Girls was established in 1888 and shares foundation trustees with QE Boys’ School, Barnet, which was created in 1573 by a charter from Queen Elizabeth I.