Tag: high barnet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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High Barnet Station – Mayor’s team set to decide own planning application                      

Since Barnet Council decided in December that it was minded to refuse Barratt London’s planning application, the Mayor of London has called it in for review. A public hearing seems likely directly after the local elections on 7 May 2026. The Barnet Society & Barnet Residents Association are greatly concerned that the Mayor’s decision won’t be impartial, and has sent the letter below to our MP, Barnet Councillors and its Greater London Assembly Member.

Readers are urged to make their feelings about the planning application known to Dan Tomlinson MP at dan.tomlinson.mp@parliament.uk and Assembly Member Anne Clarke at anne.clarke@london.gov.uk

We expect candidates seeking election to Barnet Council in May in wards in and around High Barnet will be asked by residents whether they are for or against the blocks of flats being proposed on the tube station car park. For some voters this will be a critical issue.

We are hoping for a clear indication of where candidates of all parties stand. The positions to be taken by our MP and GLA member are of particular interest ahead of polling day.

Dear Dan Tomlinson, Assembly Member Anne Clarke & selected Barnet Councillors

We write on behalf of the Barnet Society & Barnet Residents Association to ask if we can count on your support at the Mayor of London’s representation hearing on this planning application. As you will know, the Mayor called in the application following Barnet Council’s decision on 8 December 2025 that it was minded to refuse it.

The date for the hearing seems likely to be directly after the local elections on 7 May 2026.

Our principal concern at this point is the clear conflict of interest since the Mayor controls Transport for London, which not only owns the site and runs the tube and bus services connecting it to our neighbourhood, but has commissioned the project and stands to profit from its construction. That is setting, writing and marking your own homework.

Although the Mayor has delegated the decision to his Deputy, Jules Pipe, conflict of interest cannot be avoided since Jules Pipe has made statements in support of this and other TfL developments. He has also expressed regret at their refusal when they could not be called in. That is not an unbiased position from which to determine the future character of Chipping Barnet.

If approved, the application will have a most harmful impact on the town and its nearby green spaces, and set a benchmark for future development in the area. Visualisations in the application were cynically manipulated to downplay its deplorable visual impact.

We’d welcome well-designed homes at an appropriate scale of development. But this proposal grossly exceeds that.

Instead, it would

  • breach many policies in Barnet’s recently-adopted Local Plan, including its tall buildings assessment for this site endorsed by the Planning Inspectorate, and make incorrect use of the Hillingdon case to justify a tall building in this location;
  • create homes of unacceptably poor safety and quality in terms of layout, detailed design and amenity;
  • provide minimal improvements to accessibility and safety that would be negated by loss of the car park;
  • exacerbate existing congestion of the set-down and pick-up area, likely causing vehicles to back up onto the busy A1000;
  • irreparably harm the identity of the neighbourhood, nearby and from afar;
  • be unsustainable by many environmental standards, contrary to the developer’s claims; and
  • offer no compensating benefits of significance by way of transport connectivity or new/improved facilities to the existing community.

Our many pages of comments on the application detailed multiple breaches of Borough, London & National policy and guidance (some of them basic matters not revealed in earlier public consultations).

In sum, the site is unsuitable for 1,000 new residents. The resulting excessive height, density and design weaknesses – and the operational difficulties that would beset residents and travellers and the public, commercial and emergency services trying to serve them – risk repeating the mistakes of postwar housing estates. That would be to the lasting cost of our community and the identity and character of Chipping Barnet.

Regards

Robin Bishop

Planning & Environment Lead, the Barnet Society

Gordon Massey

Planning Consultant, Barnet Residents Association

The planning application can be viewed on Barnet Council’s planning portal (reference no. 25/2671/FUL). The Mayor of London’s case reference is 2025/0802/S2.

On our website you can read the Barnet Society’s objections to the scheme as well as coverage of the Council’s Planning Committee decision.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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“Love them or lose them” is the blunt message from the organisers of Barnet’s summer round of shows, fetes and festivals

Organisers of a busy programme of summer shows and festivals in and around High Barnet hope there will be maximum support this year because today’s tough times are forcing the postponement and even cancellation of some popular events.

Out in front once again is Barnet Classic Car Club’s annual show which is to be held on Sunday 17 May on the top floor of The Spires car park — see above last year’s display of Jaguar cars.

Four concerts – including a family concert – will be held between June 6-28 by the High Barnet Chamber Music Festival which is backed this year by Arts Council England.

Another highlight of the summer calendar will be the two-day Barnet Medieval Festival over the weekend of June 6-7, back for a second year at its new site in Galley Lane.

Fields around Fold Farm (Lewis of London Ice Cream) provided an ideal location last summer with record crowds for the re-enactments of the Battles of Barnet and St Albans and masses of space for a campsite, medieval traders and enthusiasts.

Publicity material is already out for the annual Arkley Village Fayre on Saturday 23 May and its highly popular all comers dog show – see above, last year’s winners.

Other events planned include Queen Elizabeth’s School’s founders’ day fete on Saturday 20 June; Jazz and More on Hadley Green on Sunday 5 July (12pm to 6pm); and Hadley Wood Association’s fireworks night on Sunday 1 November.

Financial challenges, a shortage of helpers, complex safety regulations and higher Barnet Council charges are all adding to the pressures facing the volunteer committees which work so hard behind the scenes.

Their plea to the residents of Barnet and further afield is to put dates in the diary and to help ensure the continued success of what promises to be an entertaining and engaging programme of events.

“Love them or lose them” is the blunt message.

Summer programme of shows, festivals and fetes in and around High Barnet and an extra strong plea this year for strong public support

Even the town’s biggest annual celebration, Barnet Christmas Fayre, is facing an unprecedented financial challenge.

For the first time it seems the organisers might have to raise the funds to meet the cost of road and bus-route diversions which are needed to keep the High Street clear of traffic.

If Barnet Council is unable to absorb the estimated cost of around £4,000, the fayre committee might have to launch an appeal and look for additional sponsors.

One popular event which has had to be cancelled this year is the Barnet Summer Soulstice soul music festival which has been held for the last 18 years at the Old Elizabethans playing fields in May Lane.

But the Spring into Soul Ball – also in aid of Cherry Lodge Cancer Care – is being held on Saturday 21 March at the Double Tree Hilton Hotel in Borehamwood.

Another of this year’s casualties is the East Barnet Festival which is planning on returning in 2027. Organisers have issued a plea for support for next year’s event which they say will help “keep the spirit of East Barnet alive”.

After missing out last year, Potters Bar Carnival is due to return on Sunday 14 June with live performances from show bands and dance troupes. Community support is vital to the carnival’s success.

East Finchley Festival is booked in for Sunday 21 June but again the organisers have issued a plea for support because of the mounting costs and challenges facing self-funded events.

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

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

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

Some leading independent schools have already established international branches.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Hot pursuit of suspect car ends with a spectacular crash bringing traffic to a halt in Barnet High Street

Traffic in Barnet High Street was at a standstill after a dramatic late morning crash when a car being followed by police cars struck the side of a No 34 bus waiting in the lay-by next to the Red Lion public house.

The crash happened opposite Barnet police station and the suspect car ended up being corralled by seven police cars.

Eyewitnesses described the impact when the car careered into the bus hitting it just below the driver’s cab.

The bus driver and a suspect – who was immediately handcuffed by police officers – were both shaken up by the crash and taken to hospital.

“There was a tremendous bang,” said the driver in the next No 34 waiting in the lay-by reserved for buses on the Barnet Church to Walthamstow Central route.

“Suddenly the whole place was surrounded by police cars. It must have been some sort of hot pursuit and a suspect was dragged out from the crashed car.

“No wonder the bus driver needed to go to hospital. The car that hit his bus was a write off. The driver wouldn’t have known what was happening.”

Students from Barnet College lined up to watch the action.

“For a moment it looked like a scene being filmed for tv…there were so many police cars surrounding the crashed car,” said one of the eyewitnesses.

Once the shaken-up suspect was safely in handcuffs, officers sat him down on the bench in front of High Barnet Police Station before escorting him across the road to a waiting ambulance.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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NatWest is closing its High Street branch following other big banks which have already pulled out of High Barnet

Barnet town centre is to lose one of its four remaining banks – and customers feared another might be going as well – as the big banks announced another massive round of branch closures.

NatWest is to close its branch at 120 High Street on Monday May 11 this year, one of 32 closures to take effect by 2027.

But despite Santander announcing 44 branch closures across the UK, the bank’s Barnet customers were relieved to see that their branch in the High Street is not on the closure list.

The closure notice on NatWest’s front door says the branch will be closing at 12noon on May 11.

Customers are advised that the nearest NatWest branch will be at 786 High Road, North Finchley, and that cash withdrawals and deposits into bank accounts can be made at Barnet Post Office.

NatWest closed its Borehamwood branch in 2022 followed by Potters Bar the following year.

Barnet’s Santander branch – which was recently refurbished – was feared to be at possible risk because the Borehamwood and Finchley branches both closed last year.

NatWest to close its High Street branch following in the wake of other big banks pulling out of High Barnet. Only three banks remain in the town centre.

Halifax closed its Barnet branch in 2024, and alterations are being made to the ground floor of the building which is to become a Lemoge health and beauty clinic.

An application has been made to convert the upper floors of the former Halifax building into four self-contained flats.

The loss of Halifax and now NatWest follows in the wake of other closures – HSBC closed in 2021 and the building now a Gail’s Bakery, and the former TSB branch has become a Costa coffee shop.

The one High Street bank which has made a promise to retain its town centre branches is Nationwide which gave a pledge in November that it would keep everyone of its 696 Nationwide and Virgin Money branches open until at least 2030.

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If you go down in the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise!

This is a Badger Boar in Chipping Barnet Woodland at 5:53 am on New Year’s Day 2026. It’s one of several fine photographs in this article by Marianne Nix, a Barnet Society member who lives opposite the spinney by Christchurch Lane and designs leaflets and posters for the Save Chipping Barnet Woodland petition. She writes here in her personal capacity.

Marianne Nix writes

As the famous old song in the headline promised, if you go down in the woods today, you’re sure of a big surprise*. But is it really that surprising that badgers, muntjac deer and other protected species live and forage 350 metres from High Barnet High Street?

In June last year ecologists did a walk-through of a small one-acre woodland on Christchurch Lane. It is in the Monken Hadley Conservation Area, Chipping Barnet. According to their Preliminary Ecological Appraisal (PEA) submitted on 13th January 2026, as part of a current planning application to build a six-bed mansion with cinema, swimming pool and space to park three cars, they found little to persuade them or the Developer employing them, Christchurchgrove Ltd, that there was much of note in this Woodland with no official name.

The temporarily named ‘Chipping Barnet Woodland’ is sandwiched between Old Fold Manor Golf Course and Hadley Green. If you are on a gentle stroll with push chair, dog, a chatty friend, running or walking between your home and place of work, it could take you as little as 5 minutes to reach High Barnet High Street. The Woodland is a tranquil pocket of peace buffering a busy urban existence on the edge of London.

Christchurchgrove Ltd and Barnet Recreational Trust made a conditional sale agreement with Barnet Council Estates to purchase the Woodland if planning permission is granted. The planning application is for the ‘Demolition of the existing garage and erection of a new two storey dwelling with rooms in the roof space. Associated landscaping, off street parking and refuse/recycling storage’.

On first reading, the PEA may sound reasonable. Until you visit the site. When I first moved to High Barnet, and next to the Woodland three years ago, I set up a trail camera in my garden and was delighted to find hedgehogs scootling about. I discovered bats in my attic and much to my surprise, my garden trail camera video revealed a badger shrouded in mist.

In July 2024, after learning of the potential development threat, I emailed Barnet Council biodiversity officers and others about my dismay. I included the images I mentioned above of a bat, a hedgehog and a badger. I assumed the data would become part of the ecology base line of the area and available to future ecologists via Barnet Council. My hope was that any developer would think twice about building on the land. It was clear to me then that the Council’s moral duty was to protect the Woodland.

The local community was getting nowhere with their attempts to convince the Council and our local MP Dan Tomlinson of the travesty of selling the Woodland for development. Last July a group got together and created the campaign group Save Chipping Barnet Woodland (SCBW). One of the first steps was to find out what data ecologists might find on the wildlife and habitat in the woodland.  With no budget, the campaign group approached GiGL (Greenspace Information Greater London) who provide data to ecologists. We were dismayed to discover there were few wildlife records of the site and its surroundings. My bat, hedgehog and badger were not mentioned. We started collecting data of our own and sending it to Barnet Council and GiGL as citizen scientists. These records should form a baseline in the GiGL database for future reference.

Fortunately, many Barnet residents do have their eyes open to the magic of nature. This is demonstrated by the support from over 2,250 signatures to our Save Chipping Barnet Woodland petition started in mid-September 2025.  Our campaign, with a core group of approximately 35 local resident members, has devoted much of their spare time proving what two so called ‘experts’ employed to carry out a preliminary ecological appraisal did not appear to observe, record or acknowledge. On nearly every occasion we used date and time-stamped trail cameras we were pleasantly surprised to record more than a fox or two. We captured images and video of badger, muntjac deer, woodmouse and more.

Below, at 9am a male fox goes about his morning business quite hidden just a few meters away from passers-by on Christchurch Lane going about theirs.

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However, Andrew Robinson, Director of Christchurchgrove Ltd. goes as far as to say in his response to an article published before Christmas in The Barnet Society online edition:

‘The site…has low levels of biodiversity. We know this because we have had it surveyed by an expert ecologist…This survey has shown that there are absolutely [no] mammals living here. No badgers, foxes, bats, deer or hedgehogs…or, in fact, any protected species.’

Astonishingly the PEA commissioned by him states on page 28 that there may be hedgehogs!

‘…it is considering [sic] that breeding and foraging hedgehog may be present within the Site and be impacted by the proposed works.’

The largest Oak tree that stands in the Woodland, and verified as Veteran by the Ancient Tree register, has numerous holes and cavities possibly suitable for bats. There are Birch with multiple holes in the middle of the site. And of course there is my very own roost in my attic within 30 metres of the site. I love my bats. It’s a nice feeling thinking of them hanging about, sleeping and then warming up by flying about my roof space before launching themselves, weather permitting, into the canopy of the woodland.

Below is the Veteran Oak with cavities possibly suitable for bat roost.

Much to my surprise the existence of the bat roost in my attic and the licence to do minor works I obtained in 2023 – 2025 from the Bat Conservation Trust are not mentioned in the ecologist reports.

‘Therefore, it is considering [sic] that potential for the Site to support roosting bats is negligible—no impacts from the proposed works to these species are anticipated’ (PEA, page 22).

There is a badger sett confirmed by Herts & Middlesex Badger group in January. The setts are protected. They were discovered by two of our volunteers, not the ‘expert ecologist’. Also there is no acknowledgment of the sett in the ecological reports.

‘…it is considered that the potential for the Site to support breeding, foraging and resting badger is negligible— no impact from the proposed works to this species are anticipated’ (PEA, page 22).

There are other inaccuracies in the application. I have complained to the Council. But to no avail. The application inaccuracies cannot be changed. It appears there is no governance that can stop the misleading of the public. The developer is encouraged to hold public ‘consultations’ to ‘listen’ and make adjustments to their application. There are no rules regarding the accuracy of their presentations. We, the residents of Barnet, to my knowledge, officially have no framework to put across the alternative ‘facts’ to the public. The planning system has to change. This week on Tuesday there was a Barnet Council meeting to discuss making the planning system more democratic. Unfortunately I was too busy saving Chipping Barnet Woodland to attend.

Our images and videos show that the habitat combining a range of trees including Cherry Laurel appears to be functioning well. The badgers, foxes, muntjac deer, woodmice, multiple bird species such as Tawny Owl and Mistle Thrush on Amber or Red conservation list and seen rarely elsewhere, all appreciate the ‘novel ecosystem’ found in the ‘Woodland with no name’. (British Ecological Society, Sept 11th 2024: ‘Novel ecologies the new normal?’)

Below, species seen within 50 metres of the Woodland – left to right: Small Copper Butterfly; Common Frog; Smooth Newt, Male.

The wildlife love the Woodland, judging by their repeated and lengthy stays captured on video earlier this month when freezing conditions made the ground elsewhere rock solid. The deep leaf litter and protection of the canopy and understory keeps the ground soft. This allows for lingering and rooting in the leaf debris. There appears to be lots to eat; a good sign of a strong ecosystem. The PEA and Biodiversity Net Gain assessment submitted as part of the planning application belies the truth of what we can see with our own eyes, even if it is a surprise!

To make your own comments regarding the planning application ref 26/0116/FUL go to Barnet Council Planning Applications. Deadline Thursday 12th February 2026. If you have difficulty accessing the planning portal, you can submit your comments by alternative ways listed here.

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Above, a Muntjac Buck, a frequent visitor to the Woodland.

*Songwriters: Jimmy Kennedy / John W. Bratton

Teddy Bear Picnic lyrics © Wb Music Corp., Emi Music Publishing Ltd, M Witmark & Sons, Emi Music Publishing Ltd, B Feldman & Co Ltd

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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A great spotted woodpecker – and a sparrow hawk above – were just two of the species recorded during a Barnet Big Garden Bird Watch.

A sparrow hawk seen hovering and alighting in the trees disrupted the start of the Big Garden Bird Watch which was held at the Barnet Environment Centre in Byng Road.

Once it had flown off and they no longer felt threatened by a bird of prey, smaller birds returned to the centre’s bird table.

At the end of the hour allocated for the watch, a total of 13 different species had been recorded.

Ian Sharp – above, far left – group leader of the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds for Potters Bar and Barnet – said he was impressed by the centre’s nature reserve.

It was his first visit to the Byng Road centre to assist with a Big Garden Bird Watch, and he was delighted with the range of birds they had seen and identified.

To have seen a sparrow hawk – and the fear it created among smaller birds – was always a special moment and another treat had been to see a great spotted woodpecker.

Other birds seen during the watch included three great tits, four fieldfares, a redwing, a gold finch, and a blackbird, plus two of the inevitable parakeets.

Ian said that so far this winter he had not detected signs of the invasion of redwings, fieldfares and siskins from as far afield as Scandinavia which had been reported in some parts of the country due to hard winter weather in Europe.

RSPB Big Garden Bird Watch at Barnet Environment Centre records 13 different species including a great spotted woodpecker sparrow hawk

However, just after finishing the one hour allocated for the birdwatch, there was great excitement when a small flock of 11 fieldfares was seen flying into the nature reserve.

What Ian said he had found so encouraging was the environment centre’s success in attracting a younger generation of bird watchers and its extensive programme of visits by pupils from schools around Barnet.

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Pressure to offer and retain workrooms and offices close to Barnet town centre, but developers claim there is no demand for employment space

Barnet Council is facing another challenge to its policy of encouraging developers to keep or offer space for workrooms and offices in new housing developments close to High Barnet town centre.

So far, the council’s attempt to ensure that affordable space for employment is available is failing to attract tenants as indicated by the number of “To Let” signs.   

The latest challenge revolves around a fresh application to change the use of Highlands House in Bath Place, just off the High Street – see above – to provide seven self-contained one-bedroom flats.

Previously Highlands House was used for offices and graphic printing by sign makers RHM Event Graphics who have moved to premises at Borehamwood.

Subsequently the building has remained vacant, and other developers in the vicinity say the lack of demand for commercial space close to the town centre is underlined by the failure to find a tenant for a potential affordable workspace in the adjoining Lightfield housing development.

When dealing with planning applications, the council has been insisting that in line with the Barnet local plan, affordable employment space should be provided when new housing developments replace commercial and industrial premises.

In the case of Highlands House, council planners will have to decide whether prior approval is required for a change of use following new government regulations on permitted development.

An application to convert Highlands House to flats was rejected last year on the grounds that it would have a “detrimental effect” on the free flow of traffic and highway safety in Bath Place.

But this latest application states the seven flats would be car free and the developers would enter a legal agreement to restrict car parking permits.

Just a few yards away from Highlands House is an empty site – see above – which was earmarked for affordable workspace when approval was given to Shanly Homes to provide 40 homes in flats and houses on the new Lightfield estate, just off the High Street.

Lightfield was built on the site of Brake Shear House which once housed 20 businesses in small factories and workshops which had a combined employment floorspace of 4,000 square metres.

When granting permission for Lightfield, the council stipulated that the site should retain 754 square metres of employment space.

Since the completion of the new estate, the developers say there has been no interest in developing the available commercial floor space and this prompted a fresh application to build a four-storey block which would have comprised eight flats with a ground floor offering 210 square metres of employment space.

However, after this application was refused, the developers took their case to a planning inquiry, only to find that the inspector backed the council.

In his report, the inspector said there was no evidence the employment space had been advertised at a genuinely competitive price; the developers had not demonstrated satisfactorily that there was no demand; and building additional flats would mean a “significant decrease in the employment potential of the site”.

In support of its wider policy of seeking mixed development, the council has intervened to see if a tenant can be found for vacant community space on the ground floor of a new block of flats in Salisbury Road.

This follows the council’s refusal for permission to convert vacant community space on the ground floor of the new block – see above – into a three-bedroom flat.

Again, the developers say that despite having been “extensively marketed” for four years there has been minimal interest in hiring the community space.

In an attempt to find a potential tenant, the council is to contact community groups and local charities to see if there is any interest.

The ground floor space of 1,280 square feet is on the market for a guide sale price of £400,000 or an annual rent of £25,000.

Another vacant commercial space which has been on the market for some considerable time is on the ground floor of new flats in Moxon Street – see above – which were built after the demolition of a car repair business and a former Salvation Army Hall.

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Warm tributes after death of one of Barnet’s “movers and shakers” from an era when retirees contributed so much to community affairs

Robin Marson, who dedicated much of his life to supporting the work of organisations, societies and charities which over the years have strengthened Barnet’s strong sense of community, has died at the age of 89.

Following his retirement in the early 1990s he took on what seemed to be an ever-expanding list of voluntary roles, spending his weekdays and evenings attending a constant round of meetings.

Such was the breadth of his interests that he was acknowledged by family, friends and colleagues to have been one of Barnet’s “movers and shakers” in an era when retirees were keen to volunteer and there was a flourishing civic life.

A roll call of the organisations which came to rely on Robin’s administrative skills included Barnet Parish Church, Barnet Museum, Thomas Watson Cottage Homes, The Hyde Foundation, Barnet Society and Barnet and East Barnet Rotary Club.

His wife Jasmine recalled that sometimes he might have a meeting every evening. Papers under his arms, he would dash off, his meal being kept warm above a simmering saucepan.

Born in 1936, he was the son of an Anglican priest who served Lord Middleton at Malton, North Yorkshire, and who later became Vicar of Granby and Rector of Elton on the Hill in the Vale of Belvoir. 

Robin was educated at Rossall School, Fleetwood, and was due to study theology at Selwyn College, Cambridge, but was unable to take up the place as his family could not afford the top-up fees.

For his national service he was sent to Hong Kong in 1954 with the Royal Artillery becoming a second lieutenant.

After he was demobbed, he joined the Territorial Army in Nottingham and was promoted to lieutenant, enjoying the exercises and camaraderie. He rejoined the TA on moving to Barnet but had to resign after defence cutbacks.

On returning to civilian life, he started as a commercial trainee with the Stanton and Staveley iron and steel works, moving to the London office and rising to become UK field sales manager for the company which by then had become part of the Saint-Gobian group.

He met his wife Jasmine, whose family lived in Barnet, at her cousin’s wedding in 1958 and they got married in 1960 at Barnet Parish Church, which became an important part of their life.

Robin was soon enrolled as a treasurer for one of the church’s finance committees and he served two stints as church warden – an association which is commemorated to this day in Barnet Museum.

Tributes to administrator Robin Marson who has died at the age of 89. He spent much of his life volunteering for community organisations in Barnet.

An ornate lantern – see above – which was no longer needed when lighting above the lectern at St John the Baptist was improved in 1999 was saved by Jasmine and the couple donated it to Barnet Museum in 2014.

Serving as volunteers at the museum was one of their last regular visits to Barnet after they moved to Codicote, near Welwyn, in 2009.

Mike Norhona, museum curator, praised Robin and Jasmine for their patient work over many years cataloguing and archiving the museum’s collection of photographs.

On retirement from Stanton and Staveley he ran a consultancy for three years but soon became closely involved in the civic life of Barnet.

He was appointed clerk to the trustees of Thomas Watson Cottage Homes in Leecroft, a post he held for 18 years, and later took up a similar role with trustees to the Hyde Foundation in Church Passage which he had joined earlier as a church warden.

He became a member of the Barnet and East Barnet Rotary Club in 1983, served on the committee, did a year as president, and later was awarded Rotary’s Paul Harris Fellowship.

In 1995 he was appointed treasurer of the Barnet Society, a post he held for seven years, later becoming a vice president.

A former Barnet Society colleague, vice president Dr Jenny Remfry, who worked with him during her time as chairman, paid this tribute:

“Robin was a great servant to the community and charitable organisations of Barnet. His experience and skills in administration were greatly appreciated.”

Jasmine said her husband loved his voluntary work and took great satisfaction from being able to contribute so much to the town of Barnet.

“He probably should have been a clergyman, like his father, but he never had any hard feelings over missing out on the chance to study theology at Cambridge.

“In those final months, when he was suffering from dementia, he found great comfort, perhaps not surprisingly, from holding his hymn book.

“A hymn book had been part of his life since he was a child. He grew up in a vicarage with a father who became a rector and a mother who played the church organ.” 

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Barnet’s very own professor of Punch and Judy hoping to be back inside his booth this summer ready for another show entertaining local children

A childhood dream about Punch and Judy led on to a lifetime’s interest in glove puppets which earned the accolade of professor for Barnet’s celebrated Punch and Judy puppeteer Geoff Barrett.

He can look back on fifty years’ entertaining countless generations of local children.

Geoff, whose background was in teaching ceramics, has always made his own puppets and in recent years he has crafted their heads from rubber, finding it a lighter material to work with when giving a show.

His Punch and Judy booth has been a regular sight at fetes, festivals and school events around High Barnet, East Barnet, Potters Bar and further afield.

Appearances at Barnet Christmas Fayre and summer parties on the green outside Barnet Parish Church or in the garden at Barnet Museum have regularly attracted appreciative audiences.

Recent ill health has forced Geoff, who is 77, to take it easy but he gave a performance at last year’s summer party for the residents of Byng Road, and he has every intention of setting up his booth for this summer’s get together and entertaining his neighbours and their children once again. 

Perhaps the greatest change since Geoff started giving performances in the mid- 1970s has been a softening in the traditional slapstick violence between Punch and his wife Judy and their baby.

Punch and Judy shows have their roots in the 17th century Italian commedia dell’arte and the British tradition has always been considered naughtier, bawdier and funnier than their continental cousins, but the puppeteers recognise that times have changed.

“Gone are the days when Punch can beat his wife to death or throw the baby out of the window,” says Geoff.

“Slapstick is a quick and easy way for Punch to get rid of characters. A quick swipe, and they are gone, but we recognise that violence against women and the mistreatment of children is no longer a cause for amusement, whereas in the past it used to be.

“Today you cannot be cruel. So now Punch can be seen arguing with Judy, he might let the baby run away, and as Punch gets cross, off she goes to get a policeman.

“There might be a bit of fighting here and there with the policeman, and of course, once it appears, the crocodile can happily snap away with his jaws at all and sundry.

“When the clown leaves a string of sausages and Punch falls asleep, the crocodile can steal the sausages and Punch can get his stick out to give the crocodile a whack, so there is still no end of fun to be had but we Punch and Judy professors do our best to avoid frightening children or causing alarm.”

Geoff is a member of the Punch and Judy Fellowship, and puppeteers awarded themselves the title of professor as a way of upstaging other showmen such as the scientists of the 18th and 19th centuries who did magic shows and liked to call themselves doctors.

Punch Day is celebrated by the fellowship on the second Sunday in May with many professors doing numerous shows outside St Paul’s Church in Covent Garden where Samuel Pepys recorded the first performance of Pulcinella in 1662 – an annual event at which Geoff used to be a regular performer.

He has early memories of dreaming as a child about playing in a local park where there was a Punch and Judy booth, but for some reason the performance never started.

His childhood memories were still there when he studied ceramics at Cardiff College of Art.

He wanted to make figures which moved but found clay was not ideal and it was not until his wife Ruth – see above – joined a glove puppet class in Bristol that his interest was rekindled.

The couple moved to London in 1974 when Geoff was appointed a lecturer at Hendon College with a brief to set up a ceramics studio for teaching students.

“Ruth started attending a marionette class in London and I was really taken by them and started making some, but marionettes are loose-limbed figures operated with strings, and they didn’t really appeal to me.”

At the time Ruth was a youth worker, running summer schools for children at the Oakmere Centre in Potters Bar.

“She engaged a Punch and Judy performer and that was when I realised the superiority of hand puppets, which unlike marionettes can move quickly, handle objects or even hit other puppets with a slapstick.

“After all, Punch – or Pulcinella to give him his original name – was a marionette to begin with before becoming a hand puppet.”

Geoff started making puppets carved from wood and staged his first show at Goldbeaters School in Burnt Oak in around 1975.  The headmaster told him it went down well with the children and from then on Geoff was hooked on the world of Punch and Judy.

Over the years he has made various kinds of puppet heads. He found traditional wooden heads were too heavy; he tried papier mache and fibre glass but settled on latex which he finds the lightest and most flexible and allowed him to model in his preferred material clay from which he could make a mould to cast the latex.

Appearances came thick and fast: he remembers that on the day of Queen Elizabeth’s Jubilee in 1977 that he did four shows in Potters Bar. “Unfortunately, it rained so much that the decorated cloth fronting my booth shrank by about eight inches and people could see my shoes and ankles, which wasn’t what I had intended.”

In the decades which followed he reckons he must have entertained many children at parties, fetes and schools. Geoff has also given talks on the history of Punch and Judy.

One of the hardest tasks was finding the right way of holding inside his mouth the contrivance known as a swazzle through which a puppeteer can produce Punch’s distinctive squawking voice.

As Punch dispatches each of his foes in turn he squeaks his famous catchphrase, “That’s the way to do it!” from which the term “pleased as Punch is derived”.

Barnet's professor of Punch and Judy Geoff Barrett hopes to back inside his both entertaining children once again this summer

No doubt there are countless local children who can’t wait for Professor Geoff Barrett to get back inside his Punch and Judy booth, to hear his raucous voice and to get ready to deliver the audience’s familiar shout, “He’s behind you!” to warn other characters of what’s afoot as the show proceeds.

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Planning application in to build a house in Christchurch spinney

Above is a visualisation of the new 6-bedroom house proposed by its designers, Alan Cox Architects, in secluded woodland barely 200 metres from Barnet High Street. The site is described by the applicants as ‘unkempt’, and by locals petitioning against development as a ‘wildlife haven’. The site is within the Monken Hadley Conservation Area and close to the Green Belt. Some trees have individual Tree Preservation Orders; however all the trees are protected by the conservation area status.

The application is a test of Barnet Council’s commitment to protecting the environment. You can comment on the proposals until Thursday 12 February – see below for details.

Barnet Council declared a Climate and Biodiversity Emergency in 2022. Barnet Labour’s Green Manifesto promised to ‘Protect ALL existing green spaces in the Borough’. And its recently-adopted Local Plan contains policies and supplementary planning documents specifically to protect green spaces. Mayor Khan has similar planning policies, and recently consulted on London’s first Nature Recovery Plan to reverse biodiversity loss.

The site is mainly established deciduous woodland. Although small in area its ecological value is great because it provides a vital undisturbed ‘green corridor’ for the transit of insects, animals and flying creatures between the Old Fold Manor golf course and Hadley Green, both of which are in the Green Belt. It is not managed, however, and its biodiversity is limited by the dominance of cherry laurel and bramble on the east side of the site.

In 2024 the Council authorised the sale of part of the spinney that it owns for £430,000, subject to the buyer obtaining planning consent.

The planning application is by Christchurchgrove Ltd, a developer in a joint venture with Barnet Recreation Trust (BRT), which owns the other part of the present site. BRT is a charity that supports ‘the provision of facilities in the interest of social welfare for recreational and leisure-time occupation’ locally.

Both organisations would profit from the sale of the substantial (567 sq m) new house and garden that would occupy about a third of the site. The house-owner would be responsible for the rest of the (0.4 hectare / 1 acre) site, which includes almost all the existing protected trees. (See plan below by Helene Landscape and Garden Design).

A public consultation on the proposals was held before Christmas, and Nick Jones’s report on that can be found here. You can also read my earlier post on the issues this project raises for nature protection.

Ideally, the Barnet Society would like to see Christchurch spinney and its wildlife conserved, enhanced and protected, with a minimum of landscaping to enable some public access. In practice, that would require funding and organisation that the Council can’t currently provide. It’s a pity no effort seems to have been made to find a community group or charity to take it on.

Although we’d prefer no house to be built at all, we wouldn’t object to permission being given for one on the least ecologically valuable part of the site on certain conditions:

  • The house and garden must be in keeping with their natural setting.
  • They must be built to high environmental standards.
  • The site as a whole must be subject to a long-term management plan to safeguard and enhance the environment.

The scheme the Society was shown last year fell short on all these counts. To the developer’s credit, however, it has been improved in the light of our comments. Overall, therefore, we’re neutral about the application. But because we aren’t yet convinced about a number of critical details, we’ll submit a list of conditions that must be met before approval.

How you can comment

Have your say one of these ways:

  1. on the Council’s planning portal (ref. no. 26/0116/FUL) via the Comments tab;
  2. email comments direct to planning.consultation@barnet.gov.uk (cc tania.sacordeiro@barnet.gov.uk); or
  3. post your comments to the Planning Officer: Tania Sa Cordeiro, Planning and Building Control, Barnet Council, 2 Bristol Avenue, Colindale, NW9 4EW.

In the cases of 2 & 3, be sure to include:

  • the application ref. no. (26/0116/FUL) clearly at the top
  • the site address (Land Opposite 15 Sunset View Barnet EN5 4LB) and
  • your name, address and postcode.

Sending a copy to our MP dan.tomlinson.mp@parliament.uk and to your local Councillors will increase the effectiveness of your comments.

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Wish list from Marks and Spencer targets High Barnet and New Barnet among sites across the borough as possible locations for a new food hall

High Barnet and New Barnet are two of ten districts within the London Borough of Barnet which are on a wish list of potential sites for a new Marks and Spencer food hall.

M&S plans to double its number of stores across the country and has named 197 possible locations within Greater London.

The ten within the Borough of Barnet are Brent Cross Town, Cricklewood, East Finchley, Edgware, Finchley, Golders Green, Hendon, High Barnet, Mill Hill East and New Barnet.

Currently an M&S food hall at Whetstone is closed while the premises are being upgraded to offer more products and to include a new bakery and coffee counter.

Until it re-opens in the spring, customers are being advised to use M&S food stores in Friern Barnet and Southgate.

In announcing its expansion programme, M&S has identified a wish list of 500 locations across the country and the company’s aim over the coming years is to almost double its existing 330 stores to 420 dedicated food shops and 180 mixed stores.

Within the M25 the company says it is targeting sites which benefit from strong public transport links and a steady footfall throughout the week and are capable of delivering an M&S food hall with a trading space of between 6,000 and 18,000 square feet.

Large sites are need so that the food halls can stock the full range of M&S food, offer wider aisles for bigger shopping trolleys, and large car parks for more family shoppers.

High Barnet and New Barnet are on a wish list for a site for a new Marks and Spencer food hall

Perhaps one of the few, if only sites, within the High Barnet town centre which might attract the interest of M&S would be premises within The Spires Shopping Centre or a site on surrounding land presently used for a staff car park and the Chipping Close car park (on the former Barnet Market site).

Plans to redevelop The Spires with shops along a through walkway, together with the construction of five and six storey blocks of flats, appear to have been in abeyance since administrators took control after the owners, BYM Capital, became insolvent in 2023.

An M&S local food store at 146 Barnet High Street – and a Sainsbury Local which replaced it – were both closed some years ago after becoming loss making.

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Barnet’s free book shop re-opens by sharing space with another charity in an unlet unit at The Spires Shopping Centre

After yet another move Barnet’s popular free book shop is up and running once again in The Spires Shopping Centre.

Lead volunteer Jackie O’Brien – above right with volunteer Mark Shepherd – says it is brilliant being able offer free books once again after having had to close the shop over Christmas and the New Year.

“This is our fourth move within the centre, but our regulars soon get to know where we are, and we know they love coming in and browsing through our stock.”

The free book shop is sharing a vacant unit with another charity, ADDISS, which provides information and counselling on the attention deficit disorder ADHD.

Because of space restrictions, the shop can only accept limited donations at the moment of just a few books.

“Until we get sorted and secure some storage space, we can only accept a carrier bag of books at a time – and not the trolley load that we sometimes get given by generous supporters.”

Barnet's free book shop re-opens in The Spires Shopping Centre after sharing a vacant unit with another charity.

The shop’s new location is next to the Barnet Museum display, close to the Coffee Bean café.

It had to close in mid-December when a new tenant – a cake shop – took over the former vacant EE telephone shop which had proved a particularly popular location as it was directly opposite Waitrose.

Global Education Trust, which operates free book shops across the country, takes advantage of the generosity of landlords and is full of praise for the flexibility shown by The Spires in allowing the use of empty retail premises on a temporary basis.

Up to three unwanted books can be taken on any one visit and the stock is replenished with donated books which might otherwise have been pulped or gone to landfill.  

The free book shop is open from 10am to 4pm Monday to Saturday.

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Plan for additional flat rejected as Barnet Council still hopes tenant might be found for vacant community space close to Barnet High Street

Barnet Council has intervened to see if a tenant can be found for vacant community space on the ground floor of a block of flats which were built in Salisbury Road after the demolition of the former Fern Room, once the home of Barnet Old People’s Welfare Committee.

After failing since 2021 to either sell or rent the community space, the developers applied for permission to convert the ground floor into a three-bedroom flat – an application that was rejected last year.

This refusal has now prompted the council’s intervention as the planners were not prepared to allow the loss of a possible community facility so close to the town centre.

The council says it wants to work with the developers to see if a tenant can be found for a broader range of openings including possible flexible work, retail or community use as part of the town centre improvement.

Community groups and local charities – together with Chipping Barnet Town Team – are being alerted to see if there is any organisation which might be able to make use of the space.

Given the financial pressures on the voluntary sector, it is perhaps no surprise that the developers have failed to find a new tenant – the ground floor space of 1,280 square feet is on the market for a guide sale price of £400,000 or an annual rent of £25,000.

A report presented to the council on behalf of the owners by real estate advisers Newsteer says that despite having been “extensively marketed” for four years there has been minimal interest in the space for community use.

Therefore a “logical beneficial re-use” would be to convert the space into a three-bedroom flat, but the council’s planning department disagreed.

After refusing plan for additional flat Barnet Council intervenes to see if a tenant can be found for vavant community space close to Barnet High Street

Barnet Old People’s Welfare Committee – which provided activities for Barnet’s elderly residents for 75 years – had to vacate the Fern Room in 2017 when it was purchased by SAS Investments to make way for the new of flats.

Eviction from its day centre meant the loss of a wide range of activities including coffee mornings, a social advice centre, and the running of evergreen clubs and minibus outings.

After paying £875 a quarter to rent the Fern Room, the committee realised it would be unable to afford the new community space which SAS Investments said would be increased in size to 1,600 square feet and offered for hire to a much wider range of uses including sports activities such as 5-a-side football.

In the event the new community space was reduced to 1,280 square feet – the same as the Fern Room – and the planning committee noted that it remains an empty shell although the 2019 planning approval stated it would be “fully fitted out and ready for use.”

Failure to fit out the space had made the rent “potentially prohibitive” for some prospective community use and the planners considered the developers had presented insufficient evidence that the facility was no longer required.

The proposed new ground-floor flat would have no private amenity space and high-level windows to the bedrooms would provide inadequate daylight and a poor outlook, resulting in a poor standard of accommodation.

“Consequently, the proposal would provide only a single additional residential unit and whilst in a sustainable location, would not outweigh the harm resulting from the total loss of a community facility without adequate justification.”

When first applying to demolish the Fern Room, SAS Investments said it was a “very dilapidated, inefficient building” but respected the longstanding community use of the Salisbury Road site and were anxious to work with local community groups by providing a new and much larger community space.

The loss of the Fern Room is an illustration of the on-off, piecemeal development of Barnet town centre.

The site was sold by Barnet Council to the developers of The Spires shopping centre in 2009 and passed on through the ownership of UBS, the William Pears group and Hunter Asset Management before being sold to SAS Investments for redevelopment in 2017.   

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Education charity looking for another vacant retail unit after sudden closure of High Barnet’s free book shop

High Barnet’s popular and well supported free bookshop has had to close unexpectedly because a new tenant is ready to move into their premises at The Spires shopping centre.

Volunteers who immediately had to remove for storage their stock of donated books are hoping that another vacant unit might be offered for their use.

“Since we first opened a shop in The Spires last year there has always been lots of interest.

“Local people have been so generous in donating unwanted books,” said volunteer Pippa Priestley seen above with helper, Mark Tagholm.  

Global Educational Trust, which operates free books shops across the country, takes advantage of the generosity of landlords who let them move into empty retail outlets on a temporary basis.

Up to three unwanted books can be taken on any one visit and the stock is replenished with donated books which might otherwise have been pulped or gone to landfill.

Trust administrator Rohail Suleman, above right, said they were so grateful when shopping centres were prepared to make available vacant outlets which could re-purposed on a temporary basis for a free book shop.

“We quite understand the pressure on landlords so we know we might have to move out at very short notice.

“We are hoping that we might be offered another vacant unit in The Spires or perhaps nearby and we will re-open the shop as soon as possible.”

The trust opened its first shop in The Spires in May last year and has built up a team of around 20 volunteers who take it in turns to help.

After a short closure it moved for a brief time to what is now Café Du Nord and then in August it was relocated again and re-opened in a unit vacated by EE Phones, a prime outlet opposite Waitrose supermarket which is now about to become a cake shop.

Global Education Trust looking for vacant retail unit for High Barnet's free book shop after unexpected closure of its space at The Spires shopping centre.

Volunteers responded to an emergency call to assist in packing up once again – see above, from left to right, Rick Osman and Eduardo Caprario.

Chipping Barnet MP Dan Tomlinson – who has been campaigning to boost Barnet High Street – has assured the free book shop’s volunteers that he would be ready to assist in finding another vacant unit either in The Spires or close by in the town centre.

“Hopefully Dan can help the trust get into another empty shop so we can re-open as soon as possible,” said Pippa Priestley.

“We have been really pleased with the response we have had in recent months, especially in donations of unwanted books, and we know how much the chance to browse and perhaps find a book is appreciated, especially by children.”

Currently the trust has 15 free book shops up and running across the country.

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Borehamwood Brass players join choirs and orchestra for Christmas carol service held by Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School

An orchestra, two choirs and a brass ensemble filled the chancel of Barnet parish church for the Christmas carol service held by Queen Elizabeth’s Girls’ School.

Father Sam Rossiter, team vicar of St John the Baptist, thanked the school’s musicians and choristers for a “magnificent evening” of music.

He said Barnet was blessed by the musicality of QE Girls’, and their service of Nine Lessons and Carols was a reminder of the “power of music to bring joy to everyone.”

Rehearsals for the service by the school and chamber choirs began in September and for the first time four members of Borehamwood Brass joined the orchestra.

This year’s service was also the first to be conducted by QE Girls’ recently-appointed director of music, Cosima Rodriguez-Broadbent – see above, from left to right, with Simon Mansell (tuba) and Nathan Mansell (trombone).

They were supported by two trumpeters, Isaac Holt and Stone Tung. A high spot for the brass section was when they accompanied the choirs on their rendition of Ding Dong Merrily on High.  

 Ms Rodriguez-Broadbent said the challenge of a service like Nine Lessons and Carols was that it was a packed programme of readings and carols that needed to be properly rehearsed.

Queen Elizabeth's Girls' School Chirstmas carol concert praised by team vicar Father Sam Rossiter at Barnet Parish Church

Father Sam (far right) congratulated Cosima on the arrangement she had chosen for The Holly and the Ivy.

“Your version really enthused me,” he said.

See above, from left to right, music teacher Madeleine Tabacchiera, Cosima Rodriguez-Broadbent, Jonathan Gregory (organist) and Father Sam Rossiter.

Guests attending the service included the Mayor of Barnet, Councillor Danny Rich.    

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Totteridge Academy pupils hope ideas for a maze and sensory garden at community farm will help promote festive fundraising appeal

Sensory garden and maze designed by pupils at Totteridge Academy for the school's onsite community farm.

Students at Totteridge Academy have designed a sensory maze garden to be developed at GROW, the school’s on-site community farm and the aim is to have it planted and ready for opening by the spring.

Four groups of year seven pupils each prepared a design for a garden, and their ideas have been incorporated into an overall plan.

Meeting the estimated cost of the project of £5,000 will be the target of GROW’s annual festive prize campaign.

The garden will be situated between a newly planted pocket forest and the farm’s pollinator garden and apiary.

Lucy Hollis, the farm’s managing director – above far right – joined pupils Rory and Ben in checking out their design with the help of Grow staff member Tara Rudd who handles marketing for the farm.

The challenge for the students had been to come up with ideas for increasing the farm’s biodiversity and sensory planting to enhance the wellbeing and enjoyment of visitors to the farm.

Rory and Ben, who are both 12, said they had recommended the planting to encourage pollination by bees and insects and to attract birds.

Their garden will be planted around a dome of willow trees and all the pupils who took part hope a water feature will prove a great attraction.

They realised the importance of choosing plants and flowers with strong scents and leaves of different textures which will be interesting to the touch.

One of the priorities was to ensure that the garden would be accessible to wheelchairs as they wanted to make sure that everyone could enjoy going round the maze.

GROW cultivates seasonal food for use in the school and for sale to the local community and creates school and community projects and opportunities for volunteering and the chance to learn more about farming and cultivation.

For more information on the fund raising campaign:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VIt5GVwmzxDVanJL1sAaCJaZvuuDUrIe/view?usp=sharing

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Great enthusiasm and community spirit for Barnet’s annual Christmas Fayre despite a wet and windy Sunday in the High Street

Heavy rain did not dampen enthusiasm at Barnet’s annual Christmas fayre which was opened by the Mayor of Barnet Councillor Danny Rich with a rallying cry to residents to support their local shops and businesses.

Barnet Council was “very proud” of the commercial strength of Barnet town centre and its thriving High Street.

“We are delighted to support the fayre every year as it demonstrates the great community spirit of Barnet,” said Councillor Rich who spent three hours touring a wide array of stalls and events.

He cut a red ribbon to open the fayre alongside the Mayoress Laura Lassman, assisted by two of their grandchildren, Vinny and Emilia.

Before the official opening the marching band of the Barnet Boys Brigade and Girls’ Association paraded in the High Street and then accompanied the Mayor to the Christmas courtyard in the piazza outside Barnet College.

For the first time the fayre was sponsored by Hunters estate agents.

Joint proprietor Martin Richards said the agency was proud to be sponsoring an event which reflected the varied life of the local community.

Entertaining visitors at The Spires shopping centre were two characters – Alice (Montana Jackson) and Cheshire cat (Leo Marshall) – from The Bull Theatre’s Christmas pantomime Alice in Wonderland and the Stolen Christmas List.

Inside The Bull, there were two children’s magic shows by Leon – magician Leon Thomson of Barnet – who was the youngest member of the Magic Circle when he joined at the age of 18. Both shows were a sell-out.

Leon was assisted by two elves who are both pupils at the Susi Earnshaw Theatre School, Laurel Sumberg (13) and Nathaniel Morgan-Bennett (12).

Laurel was voted the second-best Matilda in the recent West End production of the show and Nathaniel is currently playing Simba in The Lion King.

Barnet parish church hosted a packed programme of events which started with a performance by the Big Choir under their conductor Sophie Hutchinson.

In a prime position in the High Street were two classic commercial vehicles adding a touch of variety to this year’s display organised by the Barnet Classic Car Club.

Pride of place went to a 1937 Morris delivery van from Crosse and Blackwell which was on loan from the Whitewebbs Transport Museum at Enfield.

Another Whitewebbs vehicle was a mini van which used to deliver car parts supplied by the former Enfield Brake and Clutch Services Ltd.

Seeing the van on display brought back memories for Classic Car Club stalwart Derek Haggerty who said he remembered the van delivering parts to a garage where he worked at Bush Hill Park.

“I couldn’t believe it at first. But it is the very same van that delivered the parts we needed, and I can even remember that it was Linda who used to be the delivery driver.”

Another community group determined to make its presence felt was the football supporters’ group BringBarnetBack who despite setbacks are determined to keep up the pressure on Barnet Council to help Barnet FC return to the town.

Currently the supporters are exploring with Barnet Council possible alternative sites for a new stadium following the refusal earlier this year to grant planning permission for an application by the club to develop a site off Barnet Lane, near the Ark Academy in Underhill.

Keith Doe, a founder member of the group – see above, right, with David Cursons – said they were working behind the scenes to come up with a suitable site so that the club could return to Barnet from its current stadium at The Hive in Harrow.

Residents who backed BringBarnetBack were encouraged to ring the club’s bell in support.

“If we cannot agree a new location with Barnet Council the club would almost certainly launch an appeal against the earlier refusal of planning permission but that would be very costly for everyone involved,” said Mr Doe.

Back in use for the Christmas fayre was the historic Tudor Hall which hosted a craft stalls.

Ever popular was the children’s fun fair close to the junction with St Albans Road. The rides were all busy until was it was dark – rounding off a fun day for so many of the children.

Barnet's annual Christmas fayre gets enthusiastic support despite heavy rain but lots of stalls and events built up community spirit

After spending the afternoon touring the fayre, the Mayor Councillor Rich said it had been a fantastic event despite the weather with great support from the town and a real community spirit.

“Yet again High Barnet has demonstrated why the town is such a popular place to live.”

Councillor Rich took the opportunity to give his best wishes to the Reverend Cindy Kent who is about to complete a two-year contract as vicar at St Peter’s Church Arkley.

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Public consultation on proposed new house in Christchurch Lane spinney

Local developer Christchurch Grove Ltd expects to submit a planning application soon to build a house within existing woodland on the east side of Christchurch Lane (see plan above by Helene Landscape and Garden Design). It raises an increasingly urgent question in Barnet: how much, if any, green space should be sacrificed for new homes?

I wrote about this peaceful haven of wildlife less than 200 metres from Barnet High Street in a recent web post. Situated within the Monken Hadley Conservation Area, with numerous trees protected by Tree Protection Orders, it forms a ‘green corridor’ between two major pieces of Green Belt land, Old Fold Manor golf course and Hadley Green. Its value for biodiversity is greater than its small size (0.438 hectare / 1 acre) would suggest. https://www.savechippingbarnetwoodland.org/ is petitioning to save it from development.

The Barnet Society got involved 18 months ago when the Council decided to sell its portion of the land for £430,000, subject to the buyer obtaining planning consent. Since the part of the site where development is proposed has the least ecological value, a case could be made for building a single house.

Our concerns were twofold. The quality of the wood had to be conserved and enhanced wherever possible. And any house and garden must be in keeping with their natural setting and built to high environmental standards.

The initial plans fell short on all counts. To the developer’s credit, the scheme has now been revised. Whether it meets our original concerns we’ll find out at a public consultation on Friday 12 December from 4.30pm till 7:00pm at Pennefather Hall (next door to Christ Church), St Albans Rd, Barnet, EN5 4AL.

The developer’s team of planning, architectural, ecology and Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) consultants will be on hand to advise on their proposals. They are also offering to place a covenant on the site to the Barnet Planners to restrict planning permission to one residential property only, to allay concerns about any future or further development of the land.  

They trust that this transparency will dispel many negative comments, especially on the ecology and BNG improvements to the site. 

There is limited parking available on site, which is only a 5-minute walk from The Spires and alternative parking. 

Below is a visualisation of the proposed house by Alan Cox Architects.

Response from Andrew Robinson, Project Manager, Christchurch Grove Ltd.

As the person responsible for bringing forward the plans for a new home on this neglected pocket of land in Hadley Green, I am obliged to the Barnet Society, for giving me the opportunity to correct a number of errors in the recent article and the basis for the petition which has recently been organised.

Robin’s article queries that the site in Christ Church Lane, which he describes as a “haven of wildlife” has not been included in the London’s wildlife plan [Nature Recovery Plan]. The answer is simple. Whilst the site is home to a number of fine tress (all of which are protected) it has a low level of biodiversity. We know this because we have had it surveyed by an expert ecologist.

This survey has shown that there are absolutely [no] mammals living here. No badgers, foxes, bats, deer or hedgehogs as the promoter of the recent petition would have you believe or, in fact, any protected species.

Nature needs nurturing. Unfortunately, this site been left unkempt for over 60 years! Whilst many of us see an abundance of greenery as a good thing, here the result of our survey has shown that due to neglect the area has become overrun by invasive species which are undermining the quality of the soil and preventing daylight to the understorey, thereby killing of what remains of the indigenous habitat.

We all know that wildlife needs help to flourish in urban environments. That is why the scheme that we will bring forward will guarantee a habitat management scheme supervised by experts. This will cover 70% of the site with the remainder forming the garden for the new home.

Gardens themselves are good for nature of course. The RHS research has shown that levels of biodiversity are just as high in cultivated gardens and that is why Hadley Green generally benefits from having so many. Even with a new home here built within the site, we will provide a 10% increase in biodiversity!

Indeed, according to the Council’s Conservation Area Appraisal a quarter of Monken Hadley is in residential use, typically large houses, in substantial plots with cultivated gardens. So I question why would any supporter of the Barnet Society want to oppose a plan for scheme which so typifies the area.

Why would anyone support the continuation of neglect of an area where the habitat and protected trees are being slowly eroded by invasive species?

I would also like to point out that the beneficiaries of this proposal will be Barnet residents. That is because the two landowners promoting it are, the Council and the Barnet Recreational Trust. The latter is a local charity which in the last five years has financially supported almost twenty different local organisations including the Parish of Monken Hadley where it has recently donated £110,000 toward the re-building of the Church Hall. The proceeds flowing from this project would similarly be invested.

Finally, I would like to thank all those who attended our public consultation last week. I was grateful to be able to have the opportunity of providing the evidence behind the claims we have made in relation to the project. If anyone who was not able to attend would like to see the material, please do not hesitate to let me know.

Footnote I would also like to put the record straight as regards that my option deal is with Barnet Estates and not with Barnet Homes.

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High Barnet’s Christmas tree adds some festive spirit to the High Street ahead of the town’s annual Christmas Fayre on Sunday    

Switching on the lights of the Christmas tree beside the parish church set the scene for festive events to be held during the annual Barnet Christmas Fayre on Sunday December 7.

Father Christmas and characters from The Bull Theatre’s Christmas pantomime Alice in Wonderland and the Stolen Christmas List joined in the ceremony.

Firefighters from Barnet Fire Station stepped in to erect and install this year’s Christmas tree when help was needed at the last minute.

Nick Staton of Statons estate agents – who has sponsored the tree for the last decade – was joined for the event by the team Vicar Father Sam Rossiter.

The fayre will be opened at 12noon on Sunday by the Mayor of Barnet, Councillor Danny Rich, who will cut a ribbon on the High Street close to Barnet Church.

Together with elves and other characters from the Bull Theatre, he will proceed to the marque on the Christmas Courtyard in the piazza outside Barnet College where he will welcome everyone and start the event.

Stalls will line the High Street; there will be the traditional fun fair close to the junction with St Albans Road; craft stalls in the Tudor Hall and more stalls on the Christmas Courtyard, through the Spires Shopping Centre and in Wesley Hall.

There is a full programme of events and entertainment: children’s activities and dancing by local groups in the Christmas Courtyard; live music, singing and choirs plus teas, mulled wine and refreshments at the parish church; live music, tea and cakes at the Wesley Hall; live music, choirs and performances at The Spires Shopping Centre, plus street entertainers outside Waitrose.

The Bull Theatre will be joining in the festivities, hoping to create a magical festive experience for families.

Santa’s Grotto will be open from 12.30pm to 4pm, with free entry and optional

donations towards the Christmas Fayre.

Visitors can enter through the front gate, follow the path along the side of the building, and come in through the open Studio/Café door (step-free access available).

There will be two performances of Leon’s Magic Show at 1.30pm and 3pm

(tickets £5). Two of Santa’s elves will join him on stage as they work towards

 earning their magician’s assistant badge, adding an extra touch of festive fun.

Bob Burstow, who helped to organise the installation of the tree, said it had been a close shave getting the tree up in time – and that is why the local firefighters were asked to help.

“We are so grateful because each December we get a Christmas tree supplied from Crews Hill by Tyler Bone, who runs a stall at Barnet Market.

“Unfortunately, this year’s delivery was a bit tight so when the tree arrived all our volunteer installers were at work – and that is when white watch from the fire station stepped in.”

Nick Staton said he was delighted to sponsor the cost of the tree. “We have been helping provide a tree for a decade or more and it is a great way of celebrating the community spirit of High Barnet and promoting the Christmas Fayre.” 

 ​​

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Christmas appeal to train volunteers for Citizens Advice Barnet which advises people visiting Chipping Barnet Foodbank

Thanks to the assistance of Citizens Advice Barnet, the Chipping Barnet Foodbank is reporting real progress in its long-term aim of reducing people’s dependency on supplies of groceries and essential household items.

Over the last 12 months with guidance from Citizens Advice, the foodbank says that 247 of the households they support are now better off financially and 82 of them no longer need foodbank assistance.

Citizens Advice Barnet hopes such a vivid illustration of the impact of their role will boost a Christmas appeal when – during the first part of December – any donations are doubled in value by match funding from the charity Big Give.

Donations received during the Big Give Christmas challenge – from December 2 to 9 – will fund training for the advice volunteers who support residents across the borough facing challenges such as financial hardship, debt and homelessness.

www.barnetcab.org.uk/christmas-2025

A volunteer adviser from Citizens Advice Barnet holds a drop-in session at Chipping Barnet Library every Tuesday (although the library is closed for essential electrical work from December 8 to January 4).

Juliana Fonseca (above right) who became a volunteer with Citizens Advice Barnet five years ago, now works as a part time adviser at the twice weekly Chipping Barnet Foodbank.

Under the leadership of foodbank manager Victoria Miller (above left), Chipping Barnet leads the way for foodbanks across the Borough of Barnet in being able to provide support and advice about benefits, jobs and housing as well as offering emergency food supplies.

Each month there is a programme of free support and advice at the foodbank.

Juliana represents Citizens Advice Barnet every Tuesday and Saturday. Staff and volunteers from other services and agencies such as Barnet Homes attend on a regular basis.

Victoria and her team say the latest results for the foodbank demonstrate the success of their work in helping foodbank clients manage their affairs and to cut down or eliminate dependency on the need food parcels.

Statistics presented at the foodbank’s annual meeting revealed that 247 clients were helped by Citizens Advice Barnet in the 12 months up to September and that a total of 672 separate issues were sorted out.

With Juliana’s help and advice on problems such as debt management and benefit claims, there was a financial gain of £274,332 for the 247 households, with 82 deemed to no longer need support from the foodbank.

“What is so important is seeing people face to face, listening to their problems and then working out how to help them,” said Juliana. 

“It really is so satisfying finding ways I can be of use. When people come to the foodbank, Citizens Advice can be a first port of call.

“I sense their relief at finding someone who will listen and who can help them sort out their priorities, perhaps over debts or legal rights, or how to get benefit increases or possibly claim for new benefits.

“Housing is a massive issue. A lot of vulnerable households get                                behind with their rents and then become homeless and they can be desperate for help and advice.”

Juliana is a Brazilian by birth and completed her legal training in Brazil. After moving to the UK, she became engaged in human rights work and joined Citizens Advice as a volunteer.

Three years ago, when the Chipping Barnet Foodbank obtained a financial inclusion grant from Trussell, the trust which supports foodbanks across the country, Juliana took on a part-time post as CAB adviser.

Appeal to fund training of more volunteers for Citizens Advice Barnet as it celebrates success of helping people who visit Chipping Barnet Foodbank

Chipping Barnet Foodbank, which was established in 2012, is open twice a week, on Tuesdays (12pm to 2pm) and Saturdays (10am to 12pm).

It is held in the parish centre at St Peter’s Roman Catholic Church at 63 Somerset Road, New Barnet.

Over the last 12 months it distributed a total of 7,835 food parcels which supported 5,273 adults and 2,562 children, most of whom live in the six local wards of High Barnet, Barnet Vale, East Barnet, Brunswick Park, Whetstone and Underhill.

For manager Victoria it is the foodbank’s pioneering work in offering a wraparound service of advice which explains why it is the leading the way among foodbanks across the borough.

The latest help on hand is from an NHS talking therapist who visits each Tuesday and who can advise on mental health issues.

After two years’ experience, it is yet another indication of the scope of the foodbank’s initiative in offering people a multi-agency approach.

“When people arrive seeking help, we try to get to the root causes of why they need support,” said Victoria.

“Our monthly schedule of visiting advisers and volunteers from other agencies and charities provides that solid basis of support and is proving very successful.

“We have just had our annual meeting and even though there has been a 6 per cent increase in the food parcels we have issued, we have seen a drop in the number of people applying for help.”

Victoria helped to set up the Chipping Barnet Foodbank 13 yeas ago and became part-time manager three years ago.

In June she was honoured in the King’s Birthday Honours for her “services to the community in Chipping Barnet” and awarded a British Empire Medal which she was presented with by the Lord Lieutenant of Greater London, Sir Kenneth Olisa, at a ceremony at the Tower of London.   

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New zebra crossings and a mini roundabout for Mays Lane area…and a new controlled parking zone is also on its way  

Barnet Council has completed a major programme of road safety measures around Mays Lane and surrounding roads.

A controversial width restriction has been removed, new zebra crossings installed, a 20-mph speed limit zone extended, more yellow lines painted on the roads and dropped kerbs provided.

In announcing what it says is the completion of the largest ever such scheme in the borough’s history, the council fails to mention that further changes are about to be made.

Despite vociferous opposition from the Underhill Residents Group, the council is going ahead with an experimental controlled parking zone in 16 roads north of Mays Lane which are on either side of Chesterfield Road.

The new Underhill South zone – to be designated the US zone – is to be operated on an experimental basis for 18 months from Monday 15 December.

Originally the council proposed the zone should extend to a total of 29 roads on either side of Mays Lane but after a groundswell of opposition this was cut back to the 16 roads where a council survey indicated “extremely high levels of parking stress” caused by the demand for off-street parking by Barnet Hospital staff, patients and visitors.

The new road safety improvements in Mays Lane extend all the way from its junction with Barnet Lane in the east to Shelford Road in the west, with additional measures in Chesterfield Road, Quinta Drive and Whitings Road.

A new mini roundabout has been installed on Whitings Road at the junction Whitings Road and Bells Hill.

Perhaps the most contentious change is the removal of the width restriction on Mays Lane close to the junction with Manor Road and Leeside.

London Fire Brigade had raised concerns because the restriction impeded fire engines and reduced their response time.

There were also complaints about unacceptable levels of emissions resulting from queueing vehicles, but residents in two nearby roads – Hillside Gardens and Manor Road – claim that the removal of the width restriction has already led to increased traffic – and larger vehicles – using short cuts to avoid jams in Barnet town centre.

Quinta Village Green Residents Association says the increase in heavier vehicles along Mays Lane has fundamentally changed the nature of what was always, outside the commute period, a quiet, residential lane. –

However, on potential change following the removal of the width restriction is that it might be possible to re-route the Uno 243 bus between Barnet Hospital and Hatfield via Underhill, Mays Lane and Manor Road.

At present the 243 stops at Barnet High Street and High Barnet tube station on its route from Hatfield to Barnet Hospital and on its return to Hatfield stops at the Wood Street and Union Street junction and again in Salisbury Road.

Councillor Nik Oakley, Hertsmere Council’s cabinet member for transport – who led the campaign for the restoration of a bus service between Potters Bar and Barnet – told the Barnet Society that possibilities for amending the route of the 243 had been suggested to Uno bus.

Barnet Council completes its largest ever traffic improvement scheme in Mays Lane area -- where a new controlled parking zone is coming.

Barnet Council’s go ahead for the Underhill South CPZ – in the face of sustained opposition from the Underhill Residents Group – will require the installation of resident parking bays, yellow lines and signs and posts in 16 roads on either side of Chesterfield Road.

This work will need to be completed by the start of the scheme on Monday 15 December.

Residents in the affected roads will have a six-month period during which they give their reaction to the CPZ. A final decision on its operation will be taken by the council after the 18-month trial.

The Underhill Group has already collected over 750 signatures for a petition opposing the introduction of a CPZ which it says was opposed by a majority of the residents and had been rejected by 60 per cent of those living in the 16 roads included in the scheme.

https://www.change.org/p/oppose-a-controlled-parking-zone-in-underhill-south?utm_medium=custom_url&utm_source=share_petition&recruited_by_id=24715750-8834-11f0-9cee-83b7a10cb9e8

In explaining why the CPZ was approved, the council says parking stress surveys indicated there was support for parking controls and only “the most problematic roads” had been included in the experimental scheme.

Given the introduction of extensive new double yellow lines, the Quinta Village Green Residents Association says it fears this will result in a loss of car parking spaces and only amplify the problems caused by the long-standing displacement of parking from the hospital.

The roads included in the new US CPZ are Chesterfield Road, Dexter Road, Dormer Close, Edwyn Close, Greenland Road, Howard Way, Jarvis Close, Juniper Close, Matlock Close, Niton Close, Nupton Drive, Sampson Avenue, Sellwood Drive, Shelford Road, St Anna Road and Stanhope Road.

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Judgment Day for High Barnet Place

UPDATE 2 DECEMBER 2025 Back in September, the Barnet Society submitted a 64-page critique of the planning application for 283 flats on High Barnet Station car park. The application will be decided by the Strategic Planning Committee at 7:00pm on Monday 8 December.

You can find our full submission here (dated 17 November). 802 objections have been received by the Council and only 104 ‘supports’. Strangely, many ‘supporters’ of the application show no knowledge of the site and have been canvassed by an organisation called Just Build Homes.

Despite the unambiguous proof of local opposition to this application, the Planning Officer is recommending its approval. The Council is committed to delivery of new housing and its Planning Committee could accept the recommendation. If it refuses permission, the developer is likely to appeal against the decision.

Alongside Barnet Residents Association we stand ready to speak at the meeting. If you care about the outcome, you can attend the meeting at Hendon Town Hall or watch via video.

Since the original application, Places for London have submitted numerous amendments and clarifications, which they claim respond to consultation feedback.

The design amendments are mostly minor changes to the appearance and internal layout of the buildings. Their height and footprint are unaltered. Misleading errors in key views have not been corrected. The Barnet Society’s extensive criticisms have been ignored.

High among our concerns is the almost complete lack of improvements to accessibility and safety for both residents and users of the station – indeed their worsening through loss of the car park.

We are also convinced that the site that should never have been considered suitable for 1,000 new residents. The resulting excessive density and poor design – and the operational difficulties that will beset tube users, residents and the public, commercial and emergency services trying to serve them – risk repeating the mistakes of postwar housing estates. That would be to the lasting cost of the community, Council and the identity and character of Chipping Barnet.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Three hot soups – butternut squash, lentil and Haleem – were on offer at High Barnet open evening for anyone in need of a tasty meal

Butternut squash soup was just one of the tasty choices on offer at an open evening when the High Barnet Islamic Centre welcomed low incomes families, homeless and lonely people to enjoy a hot meal and some company.

Local foodbanks had given their support in helping to provide supplies for what the centre hopes will become a regular soup kitchen available to the community.

As an alternative to Zeenatch Auleear’s offer of a dish of butternut squash soup – see above – there was a lentil soup and Haleem, a traditional South Asian winter soup.

Since the centre, which is in Bath Place, just off Barnet High Street, opened last year it has been extending its outreach programme of community events.

Events co-ordinator Anjim Iqbal (far right) welcomed a delegation from Barnet Council including Underhill Councillors Tim Roberts and Zahra Beg who both praised the centre’s latest initiative.

Councillor Roberts said the hospitality offered by the centre was very impressive.

“Opening a soup kitchen at the start of winter is just the right moment as it is a time when people might well be cold and hungry and looking for somewhere warm and safe to go and for something to eat.

“The centre has lots of space for events like this and it is absolutely central, just off the High Street.”

In addition to a hot meal and other refreshments, there was other help on hand.

High Barnet Islamic Centre welcomes those in need to a soup kitchen as it extends its outreach programme.

Everyday items such as combs and a range of health and sanitary products were laid out on a stall where Muskaan Iqbal and Aisha Fazil were ready to offer help and support.

“People on low incomes often cannot afford to buy what they need so it is important to be able to offer them everyday health and sanitary items,” said Muskaan.

Other items that were available to anyone in need were clothes and sleeping bags.

Anjim Iqbal said their initiative in launching the soup kitchen had been supported by the Food Bank Aid hub in Chaplin Square, Finchley; the Southgate Mosque and Food Bank; and the North Finchley Community Grocery.