Tag: high barnet

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Blue Door theatre group aims to recreate dark, supernatural world of Macbeth for autumn performance at Bull Theatre, High Barnet

High Barnet’s acclaimed drama group is busy rehearsing for their autumn production — an imaginative presentation of The Tragedie of Macbeth, William Shakespeare’s play about the destructive consequences of unchecked ambition and political power.

Macbeth is a classic tale about a murderous medieval king which director Siobhan Dunne says seems so relevant to the events of today in a world troubled by despots, bullies and tyrants prepared to murder to get power.

Her innovative production aims to break new ground with original live music and projections designed to recreate the dark, supernatural world of the weird sisters – the three witches who appear to Macbeth and Banquo.

After several recent sell-out productions retelling the history of Barnet, the Blue Door Theatre Company are determined that their interpretation of Macbeth will be another milestone for one of the Bull Theatre’s most exciting and original community theatre groups.

There will be four performances from Thursday 16 October to Saturday 18 October – just the right timing for any local students for whom Macbeth is a set text for GCSE English.  (Tickets £15 via www.thebulltheatre.com)

For Siobhan Dunne this will be a first – the first time she has produced Macbeth with a full theatrical company.

Together with other members of her production team – above, from left to right, movement director Naomi Richards, Siobhan Dunne and composer Nick Godwin — they are planning a performance which will conjure up a supernatural atmosphere full of music, sound and eye-catching projections.

“Shakespeare’s intention in Macbeth was for us all to hold a mirror up to ourselves and what better time to delve into the corrupting effects of war and power-hungry despots,” said Siobhan.

“For anyone studying Macbeth, our production should be particularly exciting and rewarding as the key features of the story are perfectly underlined.”

The two lead characters — Macbeth (Francesco Giacon) and Lady Macbeth (Claire Fisher) — recognise the challenge they face in getting to grips with two of the most demanding theatrical roles.

Francesco agrees that it is no easy task trying to understand Macbeth’s character and then think how best to play the part.

“I am having to make a personal assessment of how to portray a complicated and perplexing role, someone who is ambitious, a murderer, paranoid and resigned to his fate, but then defiant when he realises the game is up.”

Claire Fisher, whose first play Mary Livingstone, I Presume? was performed at the Bull Theatre earlier this year, is relishing the chance to perform a celebrated Shakespearean role.

“I am trying to find the right balance between Lady Macbeth’s ambition for Macbeth and for herself, and she is not a very nice person.

“Together we have some intense scenes, and we have to pitch it right. We are a married couple in a very tempestuous relationship egging one another on to destruction.”

Claire said that after the challenge of writing the drama about the ghost like presence of Mary Livingstone, inside Livingstone Cottage on Hadley Green, she was so enjoying the opportunity to take part in Macbeth.

“Shakespeare’s words and poetry have such a wonderful rhythm. They are certainly easier to learn than anything I might have written.”  

In Shakespeare’s day there were not many props in his productions as most of the interpretation was through the acting but over the years scenery has had an increasingly significant role, which has presented a challenge for another Blue Door stalwart.  

High Barnet drama group to stage Macbeth at Bull Theatre and aim to recreate the dark, supernatural world of a Shakespearean tragedy.

Sculptor and artist Cos Gerolemou (above) who has worked behind the scenes on so many of the company’s productions, has been preparing some blood-thirsty props – including Banquo’s mask.

“Perhaps the grisliest of all is Banquo’s head in a sack. I think it is pretty realistic.

“What has been so fascinating for me is thinking whether Shakespeare would approve of what I’ve created.

“There weren’t many props in Shakespeare’s day but with the passage of time there is greater interpretation of his works and that’s where props and scenery play their part.”

Siobhan is sure the audience will be wowed by the amazing masks which Cos has made.

“One of the key aspects of Macbeth is that the characters don’t show their true selves.

“So, to have hooded or masked characters is a classic Shakespearean ploy for people who are not presenting themselves as they truly are.”

Another innovation for the production is the original musical score composed by Nick Godwin who plays guitar for the North London group The Silencerz.

“I hope what I am creating with the music and chorus is the right mood for a Shakespearean tragedy like Macbeth,” said Nick.

“All the texts are there for the songs in Macbeth but the music that was played at the time of those first performances has disappeared over the years.

“So, it is a real privilege for me coming at this afresh and trying to put music to the words.

“The musical score has a real part to play. For example, the three witches are played in so many different ways. They can be fairly childlike or frightening and intimidating. So, the composer has a choice.”

Nick has put together a team of musicians including violinist Helen Brown and bass player Ned Wilkins.

Siobhan says the Blue Door group is also so pleased to have support and advice from Naomi Richards who has become movement director for the production.

“For ten years, Naomi performed and toured with the percussion group Stomp, so she knows all about the importance of physical theatre.

“This will be of real help in advising the cast. We are all trying to recreate the dark surroundings and supernatural world of Macbeth. We are determined our audiences will get to see a unique production.”

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Pub of the year award regained by The Mitre as Barnet’s real ale enthusiasts voice concern over closures in neighbouring Enfield

After missing out on the award for several years, Barnet’s oldest hostelry Ye Olde Mitre Inne has been voted pub of the year for 2025 by the Enfield and Barnet branch of the Campaign for Real Ale.

At a presentation evening, CAMRA members said they were pleased to be back at The Mitre which has recently been refurbished by the brewers Greene King.

Peter Graham (above, right), chair of the Enfield and Barnet branch, handed over the award to Harrison Smith, team leader of the bar staff.

Since the Enfield and Barnet branch was established in 1975, The Mitre has won the pub of the year award more than any other local pub, its reputation for real ale having been well established by a previous landlord Gary Murphy.

Mr Murphy relinquished the lease in 2021 after spending 13 years building up The Mitre’s offer of real and craft ales.

He became a cheerleader for publicans across the country and campaigned against the plight of 15,000 tied landlords struggling against exorbitant rents and additional beer charges.

In presenting the award, Mr Graham said it was great to be back at The Mitre. They still missed Mr Murphy but were keen to congratulate the staff on winning the award.

In a poll of members, The Bohemia in North Finchley was placed second and third was The Elephant Inn, also in North Finchley.

Mr Graham – seen here with fellow CAMRA members – said that real ale pubs in the Barnet area seemed to be trading more successfully than those in the Enfield area.

“We have had some closures recently of pubs around Ponders End and Enfield Wash and this is of concern, so we are pleased that across in Barnet the pubs do not seem to be struggling as much.”

The only current closure is of The Lord Nelson in West End Lane, Barnet, but the tenancy is being advertised by Punch Pubs and CAMRA members hope it will be trading again before the end of the summer.

Harrison Smith said customers at The Mitre thought its recent refurbishment had been a success.

“Some people were worried when they heard that improvements and alterations were being made to such an historic old pub, but once they were back inside, they seem reassured.”

New beer pumps were installed and improvements made in the cellar. The original windows facing onto to the High Street were retained and the opportunity take to repair a stained-glass window at the front of the pub.

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Armed forces open day gave Barnet’s army reservists and cadets a chance to welcome residents to look around St Albans Road reserve centre

Displays and training demonstrations by reservists and cadets filled the parade ground at the Army Reserve Centre in St Albans Road, Barnet, in celebration of Armed Forces Day.

Members of 240 Transport Squadron of the 151 Royal Logistics Corps were on hand to welcome visitors to their first open day since a restoration of public events following the covid emergency shutdown.

Sergeant Major Mark Smith said the 50-strong Barnet reserve squadron – who all have full-time jobs – had been looking forward to the chance to show residents the range of their military equipment, training and activities.

Members of the Barnet squadron march on Remembrance Sunday from the St Albans Road reserve centre along the High Street to the war memorial at Barnet Parish Church and they said the open day was a valuable opportunity to reach out to the town.                                                                                                                  

In addition to being a base for the reservists, the centre is also home of Barnet Army Cadet Force.

Sergeant Anya Wallis (above, right), an instructor in resuscitation techniques took her fellow cadets through the procedures for CPR and the use of a defibrillator.

Anya, a former pupil at Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School, joined the Barnet force of 30 or so cadets seven years ago and trained as an instructor.

“We teach first aid at different levels and there are a range of qualifications which are available to the cadets.”

A group of new recruits described how valuable they were finding the sessions – above, from left to right, Marie Iacovou, Ben Newton, Sharaddha Kori and Nuen Wang.

The Barnet force, which is attached to the Middlesex and North-West London Cadet Force, offers places for youngsters up to the age of 18. They get a taste of life in the armed forces, and some go on to join the regular army.

Marie and Sharaddha said they liked the experience of being army cadets.

Their lead instructor Captain David Cawrey (above) – a teaching assistant in civilian life – said their aim was to open up opportunities for Barnet’s youngsters.

“Most of the new recruits join by word of mouth, perhaps after hearing about us from friends or fellow pupils at school.

“We are a community cadet force, and we offer the cadets a range of experiences, with lots of activities.

“If they are interested in signing up to the forces, we can point them in the right direction and hopefully the training they receive will enhance their job prospects in civilian life.”

A demonstration which attracted intense interest was a display of the armaments used by the squadron by Corporal Chris Hatt (above), who has been a reservist for over 20 years. 

All the weapons were safely secured – a machine gun, personal weapon, pistol and night sight for use during exercises.

Another eye-catching display was of the latest CBRN combat kit for the hazards of modern warfare providing protection against chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks.

The display intrigued Barnet resident Roger Hedgecoe, a former parachute officer and major in the Royal Signals, who left the Army in 1992. “I am very impressed by the kit they are issued with today – far better than in my day.”

Above, from left to right, Sergeant Major Mark Smith, CBRN instructor, Sergeant Jason Smith and Roger Hedgecoe.

Armed Forces open day first chance for some years to look around St Albans Road Army Reserve Centre and see training for Barnet's reservists and cadets.

The reservist on duty at the St Albans Road entrance to the reserve centre is training to become a vehicle mechanic – a far cry from her civilian job as a data analyst.

“I joined the reserves eight months ago and completed the basic training. Now I am training to become a vehicle mechanic and building up my experience on military vehicles.

“The attraction of being a reservist is that it gives me a chance to add to my skills set plus the time outside, the adventure training and chance to make new friends. The camaraderie and friendships are important.”     

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Plain clothes police proving more effective in tackling Barnet’s shoplifting and drug users than uniform patrols in High Street

Since the start of the year police officers in the neighbourhood team for High Barnet and Barnet Vale have spent most of their time in plain clothes targeting persistent offenders including shoplifters and drug dealers and have made a total of 55 arrests.

Their team leader, Sergeant Glenn Parker, acknowledges that many residents would like to see more uniformed officers on duty in the town centre, but he insists their tactics are currently proving to be far more effective.

Through tackling shoplifting and arresting repeat offenders, there had been a decrease in house burglaries over the same period – down by 25 per cent in High Barnet and 52 per cent reduction in Barnet Vale.

Sergeant Parker – seen above, from left to right with police constables Sam Emmott, Richard Maggott, Sergeant Parker, and Mike Tearle – addressed the annual meeting of the Barnet Society (19.6.2025).

He said that the neighbourhood police team had a choice: go back to visible policing in the High Street, which could be ineffective, or adopt plain clothes tactics to tackle shoplifters and drug dealers to help restore trust in the Police.

“I would like to send officers out into the town centre in uniform, but my priority is to tackle the shoplifters, so either you have officers parading up and down the High Street or you take action that will really help to make people feel safe.

“I know residents want to see officers out on the beat, but we have to assess whether having officers walking up and down the street is effective. We want the public to have faith in what we are doing.”

Before the team started their targeted operation, there had been a tangible loss of trust among High Barnet shopkeepers and businesses.

On taking up his position in January, Sergeant Parker said he had been distressed to find that the manager at Waitrose in The Spires had felt it was no longer worth reporting shoplifting because of a lack of a police response.

“The shops had videos of shoplifters filling their bags and walking out. That was the challenge. We need the shops to engage with us.

“If the public see a policeman in uniform in the High Street, they might think that is fantastic, but the criminals can see us as well and I don’t want them to have that advantage.”

Since the start of the year the team had been building up intelligence passed on by retailers and arrests had followed.

One persistent offender, known to have been involved in 40 shop lifting offences in and around High Barnet and Barnet Vale, had been arrested and sentenced to 96 weeks in prison.

Sergeant Parker said the turn-around in arrests had been seen in wards across the northern parts of the borough – High Barnet, Barnet Vale, Underhill, East Barnet, Totteridge, Whetstone, Mill Hill and Edgwarebury.

During 2024 there were a total 34 arrests across the eight wards – a result which he considered was unacceptable; there were only 12 stop and searches of suspects.

In the five and a half months up to June 18 this year there had been 154 arrests across the same eight wards – five times the number of offenders arrested – with 55 arrests in High Barnet and Barnet Vale.

“If we had not deployed officers in plain clothes, it would have been half that.”

Sergeant Parker stressed the importance of stop and search, a tactic which had decreased massively in it use because of a lack of trust in the Police. He was determined to change that.

In the last three months 27 people had been stopped and searched in High Barnet and Barnet Vale resulting in 13 arrests for offences including knives and stolen items. There had been 20 drug searches and five arrests.

Further targeted operations, based on intelligence, were about to be launched including in one in an unnamed street where there was “a nuisance address” from which offenders had been causing problems. He promised they would be “smashed and removed”.

In opening the meeting, Mahender Khari, chair of the High Barnet community action panel which liaises with the police, praised Sergeant Parker and his officers, describing him as an “action man” who was building the strongest police team in the borough.

In replying to questions, Sergeant Parker told Dr Jenny Remfry, the society’s vice president, that currently the best way to report non-urgent suspected offences or get crime advice,  was to email the neighbourhood police team or to ring 101 which went through to the call centre in Hendon which would assess the information and could forward it to the neighbourhood teams.

A new messaging service for public use — known as Met Engage – was about to be introduced by the Metropolitan Police.

Training for neighbourhood officers began a month ago and it would create a centralised system for alerts to be emailed directly to the police and allow officers to respond.

Once residents signed up, email groups could be established, perhaps in a road or a group of streets, and this could facilitate police appeals for CCTV and other information.

In response to another question about the use of new technology, Sergeant Parker explained the value of the rapid increase in the installation of CCTV, door cameras and dash cams.

Although a potential intruder might be wearing a balaclava when caught on a door camera, offenders might well be captured on a neighbour’s camera further along the street, perhaps removing a balaclava – footage that could be of potential significance.

“Once it is up and running in the next couple of months, a system like Met Engage will make it easier for people to give us local intelligence.

“We will be able to reply, and it should make it easier for neighbourhood policing to integrate with the community.”

He told the society’s vice chairman Eamonn Rafferty, who was concerned about drug users congregating in the car park at Chipping Barnet Library, that this was precisely what they wanted to hear about.

“We need to the community to step up. The more information we get, the more action we can take.”  

Barnet Society member John Gardiner asked whether neighbourhood policing was still being disrupted by the extraction of officers from the suburbs for deployments elsewhere by the Metropolitan Police.

Sergeant Parker said that increasingly neighbourhood policing was being “ring fenced” and other officers were being deployed. In May, no officer in his team had been extracted for other duties and there had been only two occasions so far in June.

Frances Wilson, the society’s minute secretary, asked if there was any chance of the Metropolitan Police re-opening High Barnet police station to the public.

Sergeant Parker said there no plans to re-open station for operational police officers with a custody suite and desk open to the public, but it would continue as a base for the neighbourhood teams and other police services.

Robin Bishop (above left), who leads for the society on planning and the environment, warned that significant planning decisions were on their way.

Transport for London through its development subsidiary Places for London was due to submit an application by the end of June to build flats on land around High Barnet tube station and an application to build a new stadium for Barnet Football Club at Barnet Playing Fields was due to be considered by the strategic planning committee in July.

 

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High Barnet police crackdown on shoplifting leading to more arrests in the last five months than the previous three years

A concerted police operation targeting shoplifting in Barnet High Street and around the Everyman cinema has resulted in 47 arrests in the last five months – far more than the total number of arrests made during the previous three years.

High Barnet and Barnet Vale neighbourhood police teams believe their crackdown is helping to restore confidence among shopkeepers and retail businesses while also easing concern among shoppers.

In several operations, plain clothes police officers were deployed to monitor shops which have suffered most from shoplifting.

There have also been a series of arrests for the theft of motor vehicles and of motorcyclists who have been loitering in the High Street with other motorcycle riders waiting to make fast-food deliveries.

Police Sergeant Glenn Parker (above, far right), who has been leading the High Barnet team since the start of the year, said he made tackling the increase in shoplifting his top priority.

Members of the Barnet Society will have the chance to put questions direct to Sgt Parker at the society’s annual meeting at Pennefather Hall, Christ Church, St Albans Road, on Thursday 19 June. (Doors open at 7pm for a 7.30pm start).

When Sgt Parker took up his post in Barnet in early February – after two years serving with a police response team based at Colindale – he realised that shoplifting in the High Street and in the shops close to the Everyman cinema had become a real problem.

“Unfortunately, a lot of shopkeepers and business owners had lost confidence in the police to such an extent that they had stopped reporting cases of shoplifting.

“Since we stepped up the level of engagement, we have made progress, and shopkeepers are now reporting offences, and they are doing much more to co-operate with the police.

“One regular shoplifter who had been targeting the same shops has now received a 92-week sentence.”

Another prolific offender was seen by two plain clothes officers stealing from the High Street – and whose theft was also recorded on CCTV – was sentenced to seven days in prison plus a £400 fine.

Sgt Parker – seen above with PC Richard Maggott, PC Tabitha Hutchins and Mahender Khari, chair of High Barnet community action panel – was praised for his determined approach when he reported on the neighbourhood team’s success to community representatives.

The knock on from targeting shoplifting was that it seemed to have influenced a 25 per cent reduction in the number of residential burglaries. Often those responsible were linked to shoplifting.

He said that since the start of the year there had been seven arrests for car theft – including the arrest of three suspects who were caught driving in Barnet Gate Lane with a Range Rover stolen in Hertfordshire.

Sgt Parker acknowledged the complaints about obstruction and intimidation caused by motorcycle deliver riders congregating with their bikes in parking spaces in the High Street outside or close to McDonalds and other fast-food businesses.

“We have arrested four motorcyclists this week when loitering in the High Street. We can only start checking their licences and documents if they are seen moving with their machines.

“We need to make a vehicle stop so we can be sure the motorcyclist is with his machine otherwise it is not so easy to intervene if all the machines are parked in the street.

Mahender Khari – seen above (right) with Sachin Rajput, chair of the Barnet Vale community action panel – said there was no doubt that shopkeepers and shoppers had appreciated the impact of the police crackdown on shoplifting.

“We know Barnet shopkeepers are more reassured than before. Shoppers have also noticed the change. Elderly people were worried by the possibility that shoplifters were carrying weapons.”

Mr Khari said the rapid response of the safer neighbourhood police team was badly needed: of the 118 offences reported in High Barnet in February this year, 22 related to shoplifting.

Yet during the whole of 2024 there had been only two arrests for shoplifting in High Barnet.

Dramatic results from police crackdown in shoplifting in High Barnet town centre -- 47 arrests in five months.

Shops that have been monitored and targeted by the police this year included Waitrose, Poundland and JD Sports in The Spires shopping centre; Boots and Iceland in the High Street; and Tesco and the BP petrol station shop near the Everyman cinema.

Mr Rajput said the response in Barnet Vale – and especially around the junction of Station Road and the Great North Road – had been impressive.

“We certainly do have at present a very pro-active team which is addressing the concerns in our area. What is so important as well is there is now a definite police presence.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Award-winning garden from Chelsea Flower Show has found a new home at Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice in Barnet

Garden of Noah's Ark Children's Hospice, Barnet, chosen as new home for an award winning design at this year's Chelsea Flower Show

A container garden which won an award at this year’s Chelsea Flower Show has been recreated at the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice in Byng Road, Barnet.

The aim of the layout is to provide a calming sophisticated space – an ideal amenity for the hospice garden.

Joshua Fenton, winner of numerous prizes for designing and building gardens, cut the ribbon at the official opening ceremony at Noah’s Ark.

He hopes his garden, which won the silver-gilt medal in the container garden section at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, will offer a calm sanctuary for children, families and staff.

“I cannot think of a better place for my work than a children’s hospice. I am honoured to have created a space at Noah’s Ark for some much-needed peace and reflection.”

As well as being wildlife friendly, the garden has two other key environmental objectives – carbon sequestration and water recycling.

The garden promotes three ways to remove carbon. It uses bio char, which not only improves the soil but takes carbon out of the carbon cycle; uses charred oak as the material used to make planters; and for planting chooses fast growing trees and herbaceous perennials.

Joshua’s garden was sponsored by Navium, a subsidiary of the Fidelis Partnership, who are corporate partners of Noah’s Ark.

Since it started supporting the hospice in 2021, Fidelis has donated over £325,000 to Noah’s Ark.

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Eight summer concerts for Barnet music lovers – a festival of chamber music and outdoor opera at Jack’s Lake 

Opening the fifth annual High Barnet Chamber Music Festival will be a family concert at St Mark’s Church, Barnet Vale, a new venue for this summer’s event.

The first of the festival’s four concerts will be free to the public at St Mark’s on Saturday June 7 at 3pm with a programme specifically to appeal to young audiences.

In addition to the festival of chamber music, there will be another musical attraction this summer – four outdoor concerts beside Jack’s Lake at Monken Hadley Common starting on Saturday June 14 at 7pm.

Organised by the internationally acclaimed opera singer Ilona Domnich, the Jack’s Lake concerts are sponsored by the Monken Hadley Common Trust.

The opening concert in the chamber music festival has the title Birdsong and is described as a playful introduction to chamber music for families, featuring Hannah Gillingham on flute and Luke Lally Maguire on piano.

Joshua Balance, the festival’s artistic director, says that while the flute and piano programme of the opening concert will appeal to everyone, there is a particular emphasis on introducing the over-sevens to chamber music.

For the second concert on Friday June 20 (8pm), the contemporary ensemble Mad Song will make a return visit to the Barnet parish church of St John with New Zealand baritone Jonathan Eyers. Music will include Peter Maxwell Davies’s theatrical Eight Songs for a Mad King.

A Sunday afternoon concert will be held on Sunday June 29 (3pm) at the Friends’ Recital Hall at Queen Elizabeth’s Boys School with baritone Hugo Herman-Wilson and pianist Richard Gowers, featuring music by Vaughan Williams and Madeleine Dring.

The festival ends with a final concert to be given by Ensemble Pro Victoria, with music by Monteverdi, Strozzi and le Jeune, at the parish church on Saturday July 5 (7.30pm).

Tickets for the chamber music festival are on sale at www.hbcmf.co.uk/2025

Summer concerts of chamber music and opera to entertain Barnet music lovers.

Another summer of concerts by Jack’s Lake opens on Saturday June 14 (7pm) with an evening performance entitled Voices in Nature.

Opera singer Ilona Domnich, who established the concerts with the Monken Hadley Common Trust, will appear with singer Emma Kershaw and Charles Mutter on violin and piano.

Jack’s Lake concerts are free with a suggested donation of a minimum of £10 towards the preservation of the common and a bursary for a young musician.

Another three Jack’s Lake concerts will be held on Sunday July 6 at 7pm; Sunday July 20 at 6.30pm; and Sunday August 3 at 6.30pm

Use entrance in Northfield Road, New Barnet, to reach Jack’s Lake.

Enquiries: ilonadomnich@gmail.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Changing face of Barnet town centre with refurbishment of historic premises and creation of flats above High Street shops

Planning applications have been approved for changes to several of the iconic buildings at the historic heart of High Barnet’s conservation area.

Work is to start in late April on a “makeover” at the town’s oldest coaching inn, The Mitre.

Further up the High Street, closer to the town centre, approval has been given to build a flat above the traditional sweet shop, Hopscotch.

Work has already started converting the first and second floors of the former Barnet Press office – now a Costa Coffee shop – into five self-contained flats.

Refurbishment of the Costa Coffee premises has also resulted – at long last — in the clock at the front of the building telling the right time.

Another very noticeable change is at the Mama Fifi restaurant — at the entrance to The Spires shopping centre – which is now resplendent with a full-length spring display of Sicilian lemon blossom.

Hopscotch, a single-storey shop constructed in the 1930s, is like a missing tooth along the High Street but, under a design approved by the council, the gap – as seen above – would be filled by the addition of a one-bedroom home over the sweet shop.

Simon Kaufman Architects say the scheme has been carefully designed to preserve the character of the Wood Street Conservation Area and will provide a high-quality living space above the existing retail unit.

The project embraces a lightweight construction approach with only minimal internal strengthening to provide “a cost-effective and sustainable alternative to rebuilding from scratch” which is in full compliance with heritage and conservation policies.

Michael and Alice Kentish, proprietors of Hopscotch, say they are thrilled that planning approval had been given as they believe providing homes above High Street shops is one way of revitalising town centres.

“There are so many under-developed properties along Barnet High Street and there is so much residential accommodation which could be provided within existing buildings.

“What we need is for the government and Barnet Council to adopt a regime which encourages the use of empty space above shops. It would provide much needed homes and help increase business along the High Street.”

Hopscotch and its rear garden are a designated area of archaeological significance as the previous medieval buildings on the site formed part of the narrow street of shops and inns beside Barnet Parish Church which was known as The Squeeze.

Until its demolition in 1933 – and the construction of the present single-storey shop – 88 High Street was a Dutch-style timber building with a gabled façade and distinctive Oriel windows.

Work has already started on the refurbishment of the upper floors of the Costa Coffee shop which will provide five self-contained flats.

P2M Coffee, which has the High Barnet franchise, says the frontage of the building will be repainted. It promised that the clock, which dates back to the days when it was the home of the Barnet Press, would be repaired as soon as scaffolding was in place to allow access for a clock repairer.

True to their word, the clock was telling the right time within days — although when this picture was taken, the clock face, just visible behind the scaffolding, was still stuck at 12.34 as it had been for several years!

What is described by brewers Greene King as a “makeover” to give The Mitre a “fresh look” will result in the pub being closed from Monday 28 April to Friday 23 May.

Several suggestions made by the Barnet Society regarding the refurbishment were accepted by Greene King and the company’s willingness to engage with local groups was welcomed by Robin Bishop who leads for the society on planning and the environment.

Etched glass bay windows which were going to be removed will now be retained. Although only 20th century, the etched glass is attractive in its own right and illustrates the “fascinating evolution of High Barnet’s oldest inn”.

An investigation to date the timbers in the ceiling and roof has now been conducted by Historic England. If the tests indicate the timbers date from around 1360 — similar to those discovered in the neighbouring building, Elisana Florist — it could be that together with the Mitre, they represent the oldest group of timber-framed buildings in London, predating Westminster Hall.

Enfield and Barnet Campaign for Real Ale has announced that The Mitre has been voted pub of the year for 2025 – and will present the award in May.

Mama Fifi restaurant – which won the 2024 prize for the best High Barnet Christmas window competition – is again attracting plaudits for its latest display.

Mural artist Alessandra Tortone has decorated the side windows in the entrance to The Spires shopping centre with a spring design of Sicilian lemon blossom.

Alessendra is seen with her team after the competition of the mural – from left to right, Alessandra, Roberta Piras, Kateryna Vilkul, and Radhika Ganapathe Ulluru.

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“Dame on the doorstep!” – Dame Theresa Villiers celebrates honours award out campaigning in Barnet Council by-election

Former Secretary of State Theresa Villiers, who was Conservative MP for Chipping Barnet until she lost her seat in last year’s general election, has been made a Dame Commander in Rishi Sunak’s resignation honours.

Four of her ex-colleagues were promoted to the House of Lords.

Ms Villiers is among a group of former Conservative ministers whose honours, including knighthoods, are in line either with their continuing status as MPs or are perhaps a reflection of the possibility that they might wish to seek re-election to the House of Commons.

The day after her Damehood was announced, she was celebrating her new status when out campaigning for the Conservative candidate in a by-election in Whetstone for a vacancy on Barnet Council.

“Dame on the doorstep” was the heading for a post on her Facebook page which contained numerous congratulations for “a well-deserved honour” and expressed the hope that she might one day return to Westminster as the Chipping Barnet MP.

Her website – www.theresavilliers.co.uk – gives details of the speeches she has made since losing her seat and outlines her wish, as a resident of Arkley, to continue taking an interest in community issues and events within the constituency.

A recent example of her engagement in local affairs was joining a LoveWhetstone litter pick in support of the Keep Britain Tidy Campaign.

In responding to the award – Dame Commander of the Order of the British Empire – she made it clear it was an honour she believed she would never have received without the support and hard work on her constituency staff and volunteer helpers.

She was re-elected four times as the Chipping Barnet MP – in 2010, 2015, 2017 and 2019.

Her ministerial appointments included serving for four years as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland under David Cameron and then as Secretary of State for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs under Boris Johnson.

Former Chipping Barnet Conservative MP Theresa Villiers is made a Dame Commander by Rishi Sunak in resignation honours

Dan Tomlinson, who won the Chipping Barnet constituency for Labour in last July’s general election, added his congratulations.

The image above is by High Barnet caricaturist and cartoonist, Simon Ellinas (simonelli@me.com) who was in the audience – and who set to work — when Mr Tomlinson appeared at a question-and-answer session hosted by the Barnet Society.

In applauding Mr Sunak’s announcement that his predecessor was now Dame Theresa Villiers, Mr Tomlinson told the Barnet Post that he wanted to add his congratulations to the recognition she had received for her 19 years’ service as the Chipping Barnet MP.

“No matter our political differences, I’m genuinely heartened to see two decades of commitment to Chipping Barnet and public life recognised in this way.”

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Decision on future operation of Barnet Post Office is likely by the autumn as part of a switch to franchising the business  

Barnet Post Office is to become a franchise operation along with another 107 crown offices across the country where the Post Office is to cease its own management and staffing.

Applications to run these businesses as a franchise are currently being considered. New owners could be in place by the end of September.

So far there has been no announcement about the precise future for a franchise for the crown office branch in High Street, Barnet.

The Post Office says it hopes that a majority of the remaining 108 crown offices will continue in operation at their existing locations, but some buildings could be closed if a franchise operator moves to different premises.

Over the coming weeks the company hopes to supply local communities and stakeholders with more detailed information.

By switching to a franchise model – which is already the case with other local post offices – the company says it will mean that towns like Barnet which “currently have a directly managed branch in their area will continue to be able to access Post Office services.”

Over 4,000 applications – from 500 different bidders — have already been received to take over the 108 crown offices.

Among the groups which have expressed an interest in taking over some of the larger branches are Tesco and the stationery retailer Ryman.

Dan Tomlinson, Labour MP for Chipping Barnet, welcomed the announcement by the Post Office that it would continue to provide services to the local community in High Barnet.

He said he had spoken to the Communication Workers Union – which represents Post Office staff at Barnet – and he understood their concern about the switch to franchise operation.

“I will continue to work with and support union members as we find out more from the Post Office about the exact nature of future plans.”

Mr Tomlinson declared that it was his petition – “Save Barnet Post Office” which attracted over 2,500 signatures – which had ensured “victory” in his campaign to save the High Street branch from closure.

“This is a tremendous victory for our community after months of campaigning with residents.

“The Post Office is vital to High Barnet and serves thousands of residents. “Working with residents across Barnet, we have demonstrated what can be achieved when a community unites behind an essential service.”  

The closure of the remaining 108 crown offices – which together employ around 1,000 staff but are said to be losing £40 million a year — was announced last November when the management indicated it was seeking applications from franchise operators.

There are mixed views locally about the level of service offered in post offices around High Barnet which are already being operated on a franchise basis but in some cases, it is said to be quicker and more friendly than in the past.

Barnet Post Office – which was rebuilt in 1905 – has a distinguished history having been a regular stopping off point for mail coaches heading out of London for Scotland and the north.

In more recent years it has regained importance following the closure of several High Street banks and the development of the Post Office’s banking services.

The current building, which bears the ER motif of King Edward VII, was designed by Jasper Wagner.

Franchise operator to take over Post Office in High Street Barnet. Future likely to be decided by the autumn.

Set in the wall, just above the pavement, between the front door and the letter box, is one of the original boundary stones of the ancient parish of Chipping Barnet – which is pointed out during the annual ceremony to mark the Beating of the Bounds of the parish of Barnet

Until the 1930s Barnet was one of the best-known coaching towns on the outskirts of London.

When the mail coach for Scotland left St Martins-le-Grand one of the first stops on the Great North Road was Barnet post office where it picked up mail

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Barnet High Street about to become a much-admired showcase once again for the historic Battle of Barnet banners  

Recently restored and repaired medieval banners commemorating the 1471 Battle of Barnet will once again decorate the High Street during the summer months after Barnet Museum intervened with financial support.

A contractor will start the two-day process of hanging the banners from lampposts the length of the High Street from the evening of Monday 14 April – the 554th anniversary of the battle.

Each of the 76 heraldic banners illustrates the coats of arms of royalty and noblemen whose troops fought in the battle just to the north of Barnet on what is Greater London’s historic battlefield.

The return of the banners is a timely reminder of the annual Barnet Medieval Festival which is being held over the weekend of Saturday and Sunday June 7 and 8 at a new location on farmland off Galley Lane.

A 12-acre field will offer more space for Wars of the Roses re-enactments and camp sites for the opposing Yorkist and Lancastrian armies.

Organisers hope it will be the largest celebration in the town since the start of the recent events to commemorate the battle as more military re-enactors are expected to attend than ever before.

This summer’s re-appearance of the banners along the High Street had been touch and go because Barnet Council’s street lighting contractor told the museum that it was no longer able to afford the installation cost.

After the council found an alternative contractor who offered to do the work at a much-reduced rate, the museum agreed to fund the work from its reserves on a one-off basis.

Barnet High Street about to become resplendent once again with display of historic banners from 1471 Battle of Barnet

Museum trustee Scott Harrison – seen above in the museum’s shop in The Spires shopping centre – said there had been great uncertainty as to whether it would be possible to hang the banners in the High Street for what will be their sixth year on display.

“We have been so fortunate in the past in having the annual installation cost met by the council’s lighting contractors, but we were told earlier this year that the company had decided this was no longer a sustainable expense.

“Barnet Council found another contractor who would hang the banners at a much-reduced cost, but the museum is having to fund the bill of several thousand pounds.

“We have agreed to pay up this year, but we will have to find a sustainable source of funding. Perhaps we can arrange an appeal each year or find sponsors who will meet the cost.

“We do hope the people of Barnet value the banners so much that they will help to contribute towards the expense involved in hanging them along the High Street.”

As well as the 76 banners that will decorate the High Street, others from the collection of 107 banners will be on display in The Spires and at the museum.

A team of volunteers led by the museum’s deputy curator Hillary Harrison spent the winter repairing and repainting the banners. Those on display in the High Street are also reglazed each year to given them an extra coat of protection.

Each banner with its emblems or coat of arms belonged to an individual who took part in the battle and the challenge for the museum’s historians has been to bring to life each member of the royalty, nobility and gentry whose troops fought at Banet.

Sometimes symbols were used to represent people’s names or occupations and indicate their wealth and status.

The research conducted at Barnet – and so vividly displayed each summer in the High Street – has attracted considerable interested.

The latest group to visit Barnet for a walk along the High Street to identify – and admire the banners – are members of the Anglia Heraldry Trefoil Guild who are planning a visit in July.

Barnet Museum’s celebration and commemoration of the Battle of Barnet is not without cost. Currently the museum is applying to the National Heritage Lottery Fund for a £50,000 grant towards the cost of installing a new heating system and repairing leaky windows.

Because of the museum’s inability to maintain the correct humidity an exhibit on loan from the British Museum – displaying the Earl of Warwick’s seal and arrows from the Battle of Barnet – has had to be returned until the heating system has been fixed.     

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Warm applause for another imaginative drama retelling events from the rich tapestry of High Barnet’s historic past  

Claire Fisher’s first play – Mary Livingstone, I Presume? – tickles the audience with a joyous array of gossip and small talk between the Hadley Green gentry of yesteryear, their servants and the townspeople of Barnet.

The Bull Theatre was packed with highly appreciative audiences for the latest production by the Blue Door Theatre Company.

An ingenious script imagines the ghost like presence of Mary Livingstone inside Livingstone Cottage, the house on Hadley Green which in 1857 was the home of the Victorian explorer and missionary Dr David Livingstone, his wife and children.

A plaque dedicated to the centenary of Dr Livingstone’s birth was erected on the front wall of the cottage.

Claire’s story line imagines a sequence of events that led up to the official unveiling ceremony in 1913.

The re-appearance of Mary (played by Sarah Munford, see above) in a magnificent and voluminous crinoline style dress triggers challenging conversations which become the all-absorbing pre-occupation of Isabelle Harrington (Brigid Hekster) who moved into Livingstone Cottage after she returned to the country following the death in South Africa of her mine investor husband.

What actually happened in the everyday reality of today was that Claire Fisher and her family moved into the cottage 11 years ago.

Finding herself living in a house inhabited by such an illustrious famous predecessor developed Claire’s interest in researching how the famous explorer and his family came to live at Hadley Green in the 1850s.

The inspiration for the play – the first she has written and directed – grew out of Claire’s realisation that the role of Dr Livingstone’s wife Mary had been largely ignored.

In fact, it was Mary’s knowledge of local African languages and her standing among local people that was crucial to the success of Dr Livingstone’s travels, yet little was known about her contribution in propelling her husband into the pantheon of historical figures.

Claire started to wonder whether there were any women residing in Barnet in 1913 who had dared to suggest that Dr Livingstone’s wife deserved at least a mention – as there is no reference to her on the commemorative plaque – and her play tries through the drama that unfolds to put the record straight.

Isabelle Harrington, the central character, is the grieving widow who has returned to Hadley Green and who moves into Livingstone Cottage.

While navigating her grief she is determined to find out more about the Livingstone family.

She is also determined to continue working on work on her “causes” – votes for women, and campaigns like the attempt to ban the wearing of ostrich feathers on women’s hats.

Isabelle finds comfort in conjuring up Mary and the repercussions of their imagined conversations interact with the lives of the other women in the play, ranging from Caroline Penman (Val Golding) the formidable mother of her brother-in-law, to their long-standing servant Kitty (Jan Parker) who as a 20-year-old was a servant in the Livingstone household.

Kitty recalls working in the house while Dr Livingstone wrote about his missionary travels. She remembered how the couple’s children used to play on Hadley Common.  

Claire says her aim in the play was to portray the lives of women who had to manage their lives and hopes through the whims of men who treated them as second-class citizens.

Warm applause at Bull Theatre for another imaginative drama retelling events from rich tapestry of High Barnet's historic past

In thanking the cast at the curtain call, Claire (above right) paid tribute to the dedication to the members of Barnet’s successful community theatre group and especially for the encouragement and support she had been given by Siobhan Dunne (left), the artistic director of the Blue Door Theatre Company.

Mary Livingstone, I Presume? is the latest in a series of locally inspired productions including The Boy I Love set in the 1880s in High Barnet around the arrival of the annual Barnet Fair and Fog of War by local playwright James Godwin set in 1471 in the heart of the Battle of Barnet.  

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High Barnet Station – our response to the revised proposals

Plans for the station land have been scaled back, as Nick Jones reported on 7 November. But unless more radical improvements are made, the Barnet Society will oppose them.

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Election candidates pitch for votes

The fate of the car park at High Barnet tube station and a critical shortage of general practitioners across the borough were two local issues – in addition to Brexit and climate change – that produced lively exchanges at the Chipping Barnet constituency election hustings.

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Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice to offer state-of-the-art care

After years of fund raising, office and care staff have moved into The Ark – the new, purpose-built home of the Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice which is rapidly nearing completion at the Byng Road nature reserve.

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“Tenacity” of local publican helps other landlords

High Barnet publican Gary Murphy, landlord of The Mitre for the last ten years, has won a significant victory over the Pubs Code Adjudicator that he hopes will ease the financial difficulties facing many of the 15,000 landlords in England and Wales.

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Residents oppose tube station flats

Well over 100 residents attended a meeting at St Mark’s Church to launch a campaign to oppose Transport for London’s plans to build up to seven blocks of flats providing 450 new homes on land around High Barnet tube station.

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Battle painting unveiled at Spires’ celebration

A new oil painting depicting the 1471 Battle of Barnet by local painter Keith West was unveiled in the Barnet Museum shop in the Spires – one of the events being held to celebrate the 30th anniversary of High Barnet’s shopping centre.

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Greater choice for High Barnet school children

Working together with other local primary and secondary schools and welcoming the involvement of community groups are among the key objectives of Aishling Ryan, newly-appointed principal of Barnet Ark Pioneer Academy which opens in September with its first intake of 180 pupils.

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Barnet Councillors’ pledge to tackle rough sleepers and street drinkers

Chipping Barnet Residents Forum has been given an assurance that Barnet Council will take action to remove up to three homeless men who bed down each night in alcoves and under bay windows outside Chipping Barnet Library in Stapylton Road.

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Building Threat on Potters Bar & South Mimms Green Belt

Hertsmere Council is consulting on the possibility of building up to 2,620 new homes plus new places of work between Wrotham Park and Potters Bar, westwards as far as South Mimms and eastwards beyond M25 junction 24. This would have a huge impact on our Green Belt.

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