Tag: high barnet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Extension of ULEZ and switch to electric cars is cutting pollution from vehicle exhaust emissions in High Barnet town centre

A steady and significant improvement in air quality in Barnet High Street is continuing to be recorded by Barnet Council’s scientific services which indicates that levels of nitrogen dioxide should fall at even faster rates with the growth in the number of electric vehicles.

To encourage progress towards Barnet’s net zero targets more on-street electric charge points are to be added to what the council says is already one of the largest networks in the country.

Tests for nitrogen dioxide are carried out in Barnet High Street show a significant decrease between 2013 and 2025.

The latest samples indicated a reading of 25.3 for the High Street (down from a reading of 51 in 2013) and this is comparable with other similar locations such as the High Road Whetstone and Ballards Lane.

Concentrations of nitrogen dioxide in these high street shopping areas are much lower than at testing points on major through roads such as Hendon Way.

Air quality is monitored at locations across the borough because of elevated road traffic emissions.

A report last year by the Mayor of London estimated that across the outer London boroughs, the extension of the Ultra Low Emission Zone in August 2023 achieved a 21 per cent reduction in nitrogen dioxide and that particulate matter from exhaust emissions dropped by 31 per cent.

The mayor’s target is to reach World Health Organisations guidelines by 2030. Barnet is committed to becoming a net zero borough by 2042.

Use of electric vehicles is being encouraged with the rollout of electric charge points. With 2,045 installed by the end of 2025, Barnet already has one of the largest networks in the country.

Over 500 charge points have been attached to lamp posts including an installation by char.gy in Union Street Barnet.

There are plans to install a further 500 points on lamp columns. These points are suitable for residents who do not have off street parking to charge their vehicles from home.

A lamp column point takes 8-12 hours to fully charge a vehicle, and they are considered ideal for overnight charging.

Testing shows steady improvement in air quality in Barnet High Street with levels of nitrogen dioxide due to fall even lower with switch to electric cars

Where lamp column charge popints are not appropriate, they are set in the pavement.

PodPoint operates a network of charge points across Barnet Council car parks and there is no parking charge when charging an electric vehicle.

Where residents would like an electric charge point in their street they are asked to email EVCharging@Barnet.gov.uk

Barnet Council continues to promote its scheme to promote pay streets – where minor roads are closed temporarily to encourage children to play safely outside in an environment free of traffic and exhaust emissions.

Five applications were made in 2025 – and there was a first for High Barnet in April this year when a cul-de-sac at the end of Calvert Road became a designated Sunday morning play space.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Summer heatwave taking its toll on ponds and streams which are such a popular feature of Chipping Barnet’s green spaces

Record breaking hot weather and a lack of rain have dried out many ponds and streams in and around High Barnet. Hadley Green and Hadley Common have both been hard hit by the drought.

Exposed mud and a small patch of slimy water are all that is left of the famous duck bond where Hadley Green meets Barnet High Street – see above.

Past generations of children found delight in feeding ducks on the pond – although this is now discouraged with a prominent notice declaring: “Please do NOT feed the birds as uneaten food encourages vermin”.

Although much reduced in depth, brewery pond at the northern end of the green near Dury Road, still manages to provide an aquatic refuge for ducks, other birds and wildlife.

Next to the site of what was the former Hadley Brewery, brewery pond is naturally replenished by local groundwater and springs across the green.

London firefighters drew water from the pond in 2025 when fighting a fire which gutted a Georgian property Hollybush House close to the junction with Sydney Chapman Way.

Other smaller ponds on the green have dried out completely including a pond close to Old Fold Manor Golf Club.

Record breaking hot weather and lack of rain has dried out ponds and streams which are soch a popular feature of green spaces in and around Chipping Barnet

Another casualty is what is known as Gladsmuir pond which borders Hadley Common roadway, close to the junction with Camlet Way.

Bullrushes have grown across the base of the pond which in the spring is said to host Great Crested Newts, a protected species whose habit must be preserved.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Or volunteer@barnetcab.org.uk

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Music has been arranged by Nick Godwin.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Approval for new High Street retail premises and housing at junction with Moxon Street as demolition underway on two other nearby developments

Planning approval has finally been given after four years of negotiations and discussions for a new four-storey building at a prominent site in Barnet town centre at the corner of High Street and Moxon Street.

Architect Simon Kaufman is confident the new building – see above – with 11 new homes over commercial premises with a traditional shop front will enhance the character of a site at the heart of the Wood Street Conservation Area.

Moxon Street itself is currently being transformed by new housing developments.

Demolition is underway at the former Checkalow Tiles showroom, where there will be 21 new homes, and at the much larger site of the former Intec House, where there is approval for a new block of flats.

Discussions over how to redevelop the two empty shop premises at the corner of High Street and Moxon Street – where there had been a photo-copying business, a Foxtons estate agency and then a community pop-up shop – began six years ago.

Simon Kaufman Architects consulted planners, conservation officers, the Barnet Society, nearby residents and other local stakeholders.

“A collaborative design process has helped shape a scheme which responds positively to both the site and its historic setting while delivering an exciting new future for this important High Street building,” said Mr Kaufman.

Once the planning application was submitted, negotiations with Barnet Council’s planning department took another four years.

“This has been a long journey.”

“It is tremendously rewarding to see this prominent High Street building restored and given a new lease of life, making a positive contribution to the local community once again.

“The approved design carefully restores and enhances its historic character through the recreation of a traditional shop front, sensitive restoration of the masonry and architectural detailing, and a carefully designed roof extension that complements the historic townscape.

“This will bring 11 new homes, fresh investment and new life to this important part of Chipping Barnet.”

Dan Tomlinson, MP for Chipping Barnet, said he had worked closely with Simon Kaufman Architects to ensure that the site – 98-100 High Street – was brought back into life after such a long delay.

“This site spent years stuck in process and paperwork, and it was my intervention that finally stopped the administrative ping-pong.

“I am over the moon that through hard work, alongside my team, Simon Kaufman Architects, and local groups like the Barnet Society, we will finally see this eyesore turned into a new retail site and, most importantly, housing for residents.”

Demolition work is now underway on the Checkalow site in Moxon Street where a car-free mews with two rows of terraced homes is to be built to provide a total of 21 new homes for Barnet Homes.

The new tree-lined mews will connect Moxon Street to Tapster Street and will be open to pedestrians but have no access for motor vehicles.

Half the new one- and two-bedroom houses will be affordable housing, some perhaps under shared ownership.

Planning approval granted for new retail premises and housing at High Street corner with Moxon Street as demolition is underway on two other nearby housing developments

Demolition of the former Intec House, a three-storey office block, will make way for the construction of a six-storey block of 113 homes of which 17 will be for social rent.

Approval for the redevelopment by Moxon One Ltd was given by Barnet Council in October 2024 despite opposition from some nearby residents in South Close who fear that because of its height the new block will overlook their homes.

Top image Simon Kaufman Architects

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Planning Inspector dismisses appeal to build mansion in Christchurch Lane spinney

An Inspector has dismissed an appeal by developer Christchurchgrove Ltd against Barnet Council’s refusal of its planning application to build a 5-bedroom house in a wood in Chipping Barnet. The decision concludes a successful campaign by local residents, with help from the Barnet Society, to save a cherished natural habitat in the Monken Hadley Conservation Area. It also sends a message to developers about the Council’s commitment to protecting green spaces in Barnet.

Although only one acre in area, the spinney beside Christchurch Lane forms a link in a green chain connecting Old Fold Manor golf course and Hadley Green, both in the Green Belt. Both are also designated Areas of Particular Importance for Biodiversity in the Mayor of London’s Nature Recovery Plan. Many trees in the wood are subject to Tree Preservation Orders (TPOs) and it is a haven of wild life, for example the Muntjac deer and her fawn in the photograph above (courtesy of neighbour Marianne Nix).

Concerns arose two years ago, when it emerged that the Council had authorised the sale of the part of the spinney that it owns for £430,000, subject to the buyer obtaining planning consent. But its own planning and biodiversity officers took issue with aspects of the preliminary ecological appraisal commissioned by the developer and breaches of Barnet’s Local Plan.

In parallel local residents monitored wildlife in the wood, photographing and recording a fascinating range of birds, bats and animals coming and going within 200 metres of Barnet High Street (as reported in our web post on 31 January). A petition to Save Chipping Barnet Woodland was started in September 2025, and within a few months had been supported by over 2,250 signatures. 

A planning application was eventually submitted in January this year. It comprised a new mansion, designed in the Arts & Crafts style of existing houses in Sunset View, with a private garden and an enclosed swimming pool. In response to Society suggestions, the house boundaries were softened to integrate the garden more closely with the existing vegetation, and a plan was offered to manage the whole of the spinney. Despite constructive pre-application discussions between the developer and the Society, however, the final proposals did not go far enough to safeguard the existing environment and we objected to them – as did 278 other members of the public. Not a single comment was submitted in support.

Barnet planners recommended refusal of the application. Not only did the application breach several policies in its Local Plan (adopted only last year), it would have contradicted the Green Manifesto which had formed part of Labour’s platform in the 2022 local elections. Perhaps with an eye on the impending May local elections, the Council rejected the application on 10 March.

Almost immediately, the developer appealed against the Council’s decision.

The Planning Inspectorate’s verdict, published on 10 July, is unambiguous:

‘…the development of the site would have a harmful impact on the character and appearance of the area…and would fail to preserve the character or appearance of the Monken Hadley Conservation Area [MHCA]’, as well as being contrary to policies in The London Plan and the Barnet Local Plan.’

The Inspector echoed the opinion of local residents:

‘The sense of depth and scale that the woodland currently possesses is of considerable value…It provides a characterful wooded setting to the adjacent development and ties these roads into the wider landscape character of the MHCA…’

S/he also noted that,

‘This impact would be exacerbated by the proposed design…the proposed dwelling would appear to sit within an overgrown garden without a clear visual and spatial connection to the road or the sense of grandeur that many dwellings in the area possess.’

Regarding the hedge proposed around the site perimeter, the Inspector commented,

‘It is however highly doubtful that it would be possible to plant and successfully establish a continuous hedge in this location given the number of trees that would be retained around the edges of the site and their scale.’

Furthermore,

‘…the value of the woodland and the presence of a veteran tree, have not been accurately assessed, resulting in an unreliable biodiversity net gain calculation.’

The Society and campaigners have welcomed the Inspector’s decision. Retired GP Richard Norris commented,

‘Very definite rejection from Planning Inspector Tucker, very detailed, gives me faith in our institutions.’

Marianne Nix, who was instrumental in setting up the Save Chipping Barnet Woodland website and petition said,

‘I am delighted and hugely relieved that the Planning Inspectorate has dismissed the Appeal. The local community has worked together tirelessly to raise funds to publicise and to fight the potential destruction of this precious pocket of green on our doorsteps. Together we have gained the support of thousands of Barnet residents as well as petition signatures from all parts of the UK and even overseas. The World is waking up to the fact that we need to protect even the smallest pockets of nature and biodiversity that we in Barnet are lucky enough to enjoy.’

She thanked everyone who had objected to the planning application. But she went on to warn,

‘Although the veteran trees and wildlife are safe for now, I have a feeling there will be another application, this time with two or three houses.’

So we can’t relax. The Barnet Society was founded specifically to protect London’s Green Belt and the wider environment, and these are under greater threat than ever. We need funds to continue doing so. If you haven’t done so already, please join us or donate – just go to the top of this page.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Proposed new multi-use sports hall at Queen Elizabeth’s School will be available for hire by Barnet community sports groups

Plans are being prepared to seek approval from Barnet Council for the construction of a new sports hall and ten classrooms at Queen Elizabeth’s School.

Fund raising will start next year if permission is obtained for what the school says is part of a continuing programme to upgrade facilities within its existing site off Queens Road.

QE Boys – as its is still known locally – is a state-funded grammar school for boys with an annual intake of 192 pupils, a figure which will remain unchanged.

The new sports hall will be available to hire for community use – as is QE’s swimming pool and new recital hall – during evenings, weekends and school holidays.

A former music block next to the swimming pool – see above – will be demolished to make way for the new sports hall which will look out onto the school rugby field at the rear of the main QE building.

The new four-storey building will have changing rooms on the ground floor, a high ceiling multi-use sports hall with ten classrooms on the top floor.

The layout will accommodate basketball, five-a-side football, badminton and table tennis.

Other sports improvements will include additional fives courts and cricket nets.

To meet growing curriculum demand QE will refurbish and provide additional science laboratories.

Richard Henley, of planning consultants HGH, told the Barnet Society, the improvements to sporting and other facilities were all being made within the site of the existing school buildings.

“It is a tight campus which explains why have to intensify the use of existing buildings and those areas which can be redeveloped.”

New sports hall which will also be available for hire for community use is to be built at Queen Elizabeth's School, Queens Road,, if Barnet Council grants permission

QE, which was named the 2026 State Secondary School of the Year by the Sunday Times, says that if planning approval is obtained by early next year, fund raising will begin immediately.

Applications will be made for government financial support and sports grants and an appeal launched among ex-pupils. The aim would be to start construction in 2028 and complete the work in 2929.

When a presentation of the plans was held at the school, residents in nearby roads – Regina Close, Elizabeth Close and Queens Road – expressed concern about the additional traffic and parking that the sports hall would generate out of school hours.

They claimed the school already did nowhere near enough to control traffic on school days when numerous coaches and cars deliver pupils from a wide catchment area across north and west London.

“This expansion of the school’s facilities is not fair on nearby residents. The new sports hall will double the evening, weekend and school holiday traffic yet Queen Elizabeth’s does little if anything to ask parents and visitors to respect those living in the neighbourhood,” said one of the school’s neighbours.

For more details and a feedback form see: https://www.qebarnet.co.uk/sports-hall-planning/

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Barnet Council and MP Dan Tomlinson are ready to take action on reports of shopkeepers selling illegal or counterfeit products

In a further attempt to curb the growth of dodgy shops along high streets in his constituency, the Chipping Barnet MP Dan Tomlinson is encouraging residents to report their suspicions directly to him.

He has established an online portal where constituents can pass on suspicions about the sale of illegal or counterfeit products or where premises are suspected of being engaged in fraud or linked to organised crime.

His initiative follows figures released by Barnet Council’s trading standards staff which showed that seizures increased again during the last financial year with the removal from high streets across the borough of illegal goods worth over £500,000.

Residents are asked to report to the council any retailers that they think are engaged in illicit trading – see below for contact details.

Chipping Barnet MP Dan Tomlinson and Barnet Council encouraging residents to report concerns about illegal activity by shopkeepers and sale of illicit or counterfeit products

Mr Tomlinson’s offer of another confidential route for reporting suspicions within his constituency builds on his ministerial role as Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury which includes responsibility for a nationwide crackdown by HM Revenue and Customs on illegal activity and tax evasion among high street traders.

Earlier this month Mr Tomlinson observed unannounced visits by HMRC to six souvenir shops in central London selling royal family and London-themed gifts which resulted in the collection of full till data for tax investigations, three arrests and seizure of goods worth £5,433.

HMRC is increasing unannounced interventions across the UK to target criminals usings shops as a front for tax evasion, money laundering and fraud.

Mr Tomlinson is keen to follow up any leads he receives from people in his Chipping Barnet constituency about shops which might be selling harmful, illegal, or counterfeit products.

“We can all picture a local dodgy shop. You’ll have seen the signs. Shops selling products that seem illegal or off,” said Mr Tomlinson.

“Multiple identical businesses clustered together on the same street: four mini marts within metres of each other; three vape shops in a row; two of the same phone repair places.

“Or premises that seem to close and re-open under a new name every few months.

“They aren’t coincidences – they’re red flags, and they need looking into.”

Such premises undermined legitimate businesses and where there were grounds for further action, he would raise this directly with Barnet Council, trading standards and the government.

“The more detail you can give on this issue, the better.”

Statistics issued by Barnet Council show that in the last financial year its trading standards team seized more than 16,000 tobacco-related products and nearly 8,000 vapes, together with illicit toys, cosmetics and jewellery.

Two criminal prosecutions were secured, resulting in fines of £12,398; a further 12 cases are awaiting criminal prosecution; 18 fines were issued to letting agents and landlords; three closures orders were obtained, shutting down businesses involved in unlawful trading; and started alcohol licence reviews against a further four premises.

Contact details for reporting suspicions about shops selling illicit products:

Dan Tomlinson MP: www.dantomlinson.org.uk/dodgy-shops

Barnet Council trading standards: http://www.barnet.gov.uk/tradingstandards

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Up went the hands in favour of Barnet Society members contributing to any appeal to fund a legal challenge to High Barnet station flats

Barnet Society members have voted decisively to support and contribute to any campaign to mount a legal challenge against the Deputy Mayor of London’s decision to overrule Barnet Council and authorise the go ahead for blocks of flats on the car park at High Barnet tube station.

The deadline for an application for a judicial review is Tuesday 7 July.

Although Barnet Council has yet to announce if it has any intention of challenging the mayor’s decision in the High Court, Barnet Residents Association says it is seeking advice on whether there might be grounds for pursuing a judicial review.

When asked for their response at the annual general meeting of the Barnet Society, members voted unanimously in favour of the society contributing towards the cost of an application for judicial review.

There was also a unanimous vote by those who were present to contribute personally to a legal fund – and half the members who were there indicated they would contribute £100 each if necessary.

Robin Bishop (above), the society’s lead on planning issues, told the meeting that possible grounds for judicial review might be that the deputy mayor had pre-judged the application and ignored Barnet’s local plan which limited the height of any blocks to seven storeys – when the proposed scheme included one tower block of 11 storeys.

A High Court challenge would be costly: initial legal advice would amount to around several thousand pounds, and a full legal challenge could cost around £40,000, which might double if costs had to be paid to Transport for London.

Committee member Nick Saul (above, left) advised the meeting that the deputy mayor’s decision could be challenged on the grounds it was a test case when it came to applications to build on Transport for London land.

Calling in the High Barnet station scheme for the mayor’s approval was not a first in itself, but was the first to be considered and decided upon at a hearing at City Hall.

Similar applications for developments at Stanmore and Canons Park stations were called in, but both were withdrawn before a hearing took place.

An alternative suggestion made at the meeting was that local groups might launch a petition to persuade Barnet Council to declare the station car park as an asset of community value – a step which would prevent the land being developed by TfL’s investment subsidiary Places for London and developers Barratt.

Mr Bishop promised to keep the society abreast of any moves within the community to launch a judicial review and consider other options such as seeking ACV status for the car park to block the scheme – a safeguard that would remain in place for around 5 years.

The possibility of getting involved in legal action only served to underline the significance of a separate decision at the annual meeting to prepare the necessary documents for an application to convert the society into a company limited by guarantee.

Barnet Society members ready to support and contribute any fund to mount legal challenge to Deputy Mayor of London's decision to give go ahead for blocks of flats over High Barnet tube station car park.

Committee member Mahender Khari (above) explained the importance to voluntary community groups of taking advantage of the legal protection which this structure offered to committee members.

Increasingly non-profit groups such as charities and clubs were becoming a company limited by guarantee because it created an up-to-date and more stable financial structure and assisted when seeking grants or other funding.

Mr Khari thanked the annual meeting for their support and said the committee would now proceed with the preparation of the paperwork which would be needed to register with Companies House.

Once the documentation had been completed it would be sent out to members before being voted on at an extra-ordinary general meeting.

John Hay, the society’s chair – who is also trustee treasurer for the Friends of Tudor Park and Pavilion – told the meeting that there had been some progress at last on the bid to rescue and renovate the abandoned former cricket pavilion.

A head of agreement had been settled with Barnet Council and the friends’ committee was waiting to sign an agreement to lease the pavilion.

Once that step had been completed there would be a chance to examine the state of the building – at heightened risk because of a widening crack on the west elevation – and that could lead on to a signing of the lease itself.

Mr Hay acknowledged the frustration over the time this was taking but the council had now agreed that no rent would be charged on the pavilion for the first five years, followed by a pepper corn rent, and that £191,000 was available in a fund set aside by the council for repairs.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Full information: www.barnetmedievalfestival.org

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Promise of 100 affordable new homes influences final go ahead for tower blocks at High Barnet tube station and loss of car parking

Approval has finally been given by the office of the Mayor of London for the redevelopment of land around High Barnet tube station with five blocks of flats despite warnings this would cause irreparable damage to an historic skyline.

A deputation from the town’s community groups told a hearing at City Hall that squeezing 328 new homes into a narrow strip of land between the tube line and the Barnet Hill trunk road was the “wrong scale in the wrong place”.

Objections were overruled by Jules Pipe, Deputy Mayor for Planning and Regeneration, who said that although three of the blocks would exceed the seven-storey limit agreed in the Barnet local plan – and one block would be 11 storeys – the impact of the height and massing of the flats would be negligible on the neighbourhood and no reason for refusal.

Building more affordable homes was the mayor’s priority and the High Barnet Place scheme would provide 100 new homes at low-cost rent or shared ownership.

“We must take advantage of sites which offer a high proportion of affordable homes and where the key travel infra-structure is in place,” said Mr Pipe.

“Inevitably schemes like High Barnet Place would be visible, including long range views…but the alternative would be to drive such schemes to the green belt and to less sustainable sites.”

Objections to the loss 160 spaces in the station car park – and the provision of only eight places for Blue Badge holders – were rejected by Mr Pipe on the grounds that encouraging tube passengers to walk to the station or take a bus would encourage “more sustainable means of travel and improve air quality”.

Developers Barratt and Transport for London’s investment subsidiary, Places for London, hope to start construction in February next year with the first affordable homes being available in February 2029 and the scheme completed by April 2030.

Mayor of London's office gives final go ahead for blocks of flats around High Barnet Station, Key factor 100 new affordable homes, a priority for the Mayor but station will lose its car park.

Simon Kaufman, a chartered architect (above, second from right), made a joint presentation on behalf of members of the Barnet Society and Barnet Residents Association.

He said many of the flats in the five tower blocks would be of poor quality, single aspect and reliant on mechanical ventilation.

The design of the scheme exemplified the social and management failures of high-density blocks of flats built across London in the 1960s and 1970s.

After Mr Pipe announced the scheme would go ahead, Mr Kaufman said the conscience of the objectors was clear.

“We listened to the lessons of history, and we are not prepared to see a repeat of the mistakes of the past. We did our best to prevent a development which we fear will become a disaster in years to come.”

Neil Smith, senior project planning officer for the Greater London Authority, opened the hearing by reminding the Deputy Mayor that Barnet Council had refused permission for the blocks of flats because of their excessive height and harm to the character of the surrounding area.

However, the GLA considered the height and massing of the blocks responded well to the immediate context and would make “a positive contribution to the local townscape”.

Given the loss of the car park, there would be nine drop off short-stay spaces and eight Blue Badge spaces, but otherwise the development would be car-free with an enhanced public footpath on the station approach.

A significant public benefit of the scheme would be 100 affordable new homes and there were “no material considerations of sufficient weight to justify refusal”.

In opening for the objectors Simon Kaufman said that when seen from the surrounding green belt countryside the proposed tower blocks harmed the historic skyline of High Barnet where the defining landmark on the hill had been the parish church.

“This is an over-scaled urban insertion imposed on to an historic hill town.”

An issue which eroded public confidence was that many residents were troubled by the fact Transport for London was effectively promoting development on its own land while the Greater London Authority and the Mayor of London were the decision-maker.

Mr Kaufman criticised the removal of the station car park without providing a realistic alternative and the steep topography of the station approach meant that women, older residents and disabled users would continue to face intimidating routes, particularly after dark.

Janet Littlewood of Barnet Residents Association, speaking on behalf of Gordon Massey, said the blocks of flats on the site would add to the existing chaos on the station approach where there were often traffic jams.

The area around the station was isolated and many women would not leave the station unless they could exit by car.

Nick Saul, a retired civil engineer, warned that the loss of the car park and the failure to provide bus access to the station forecourt raised serious concerns for women and the disabled.

Serious assaults to passengers when on foot or on cycle were not uncommon where parking had already been lost at tube stations.

Flaws in the design and access in and around suburban stations were a key factor in the prevalence and location of attacks.

Dame Theresa Villiers, formerly MP for Chipping Barnet, who described herself as a resident and passenger, insisted that the loss of the station car park would damage the quality of life of many thousands of Barnet residents.

Anyone with impaired mobility would be at a disadvantage and the suggestion that more people might like to cycle to the station ignored the steepness of Barnet Hill – as she could testify personally it was “a tough climb for cyclists”.

“High Barnet station has been my station for 21 years. It is our get away to the world. Please don’t curtail the freedom of High Barnet people to live our lives the way we want to.”  

There was one speaker in support of the scheme, High Barnet student Yana Kostova, who said that given the pressure on local housing the only chance was to build upwards.

The prospect of more affordable homes was a relief. She thought High Barnet could “blossom and attract a younger generation with such schemes”.

In response to questions from the deputy mayor, Martin Scholar, head of planning for Places for London, said the developers Barratt Homes had maximised the number of affordable homes at High Barnet Place which would allow more people to get on the housing ladder.

“Forty per cent affordable homes at High Barnet is much higher than for most schemes in London” – a consideration that was given emphasis in the deputy mayor’s final decision.

In a statement issued after the hearing, Dan Tomlinson, MP for Chipping Barnet and Exchequer Secretary to the Treasury, criticised the go ahead for a scheme which was clearly not in line with the local plan.

“Planning decisions aren’t mine to make as the local MP, but Barnet Labour has made it views very clear on these proposals.

“It is in black and white in Barnet’s local plan that seven storeys is the maximum for housing on this site.

“It is not right for the GA to overrule elected councillors to approve a scheme with an 11-storey block that contravenes the plan.”

Mr Tomlinson’s statement was followed by a statement from Barnet Labour Party expressing its opposition to the go-ahead for high storey blocks of flats at High Barnet tube station and GLA approval for the Great North Leisure Park development:

“It is extremely disappointing that two local planning decisions based on the local plan and London plan and with the backing of the local community have been overturned by the GLA.

“Local councillors should be trusted to make decisions based on the best interest of their communities.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Confirmed books for the raffle include:

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

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

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

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

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

Dan Kaszeta -poison specialist (Toxic)

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

John Rain, author & podcaster (Thunderbook, Superbook)

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

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

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

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

Alessandra Pino, author (The Gothic Cookbook)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Lines from the song reflected the school curriculum:

“Sing we the song of day that are,

When in this school those dreams come true,

When science in her heart reveals,

This old world ever new.”

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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Devastating losses for Labour in Barnet Council elections as the authority faces uncertainty with no party in overall control

A dramatic backdrop at the RAF Museum at Hendon provided the setting for a marathon election count which upended local politics as the Labour Party haemorrhaged seats and Barnet Council slipped to no overall control.

Labour and the Conservatives finished with 31 seats each.

In another surprise a newly elected councillor for the Green Party ended up holding the balance of power, able to exercise what could become a casting vote.

Labour lost ten seats to the Conservatives – a wounding setback after its success in the 2022 council elections when Labour took overall control of the council for the first time since the London boroughs were created in 1965.

Some opinion polls had predicted that the Conservatives might regain control of Barnet but strong showings by the Greens and Reform divided the vote in many wards putting paid to the two-party Labour/Conservative clashes of the past.

Wards in and around High Barnet were among those where Labour suffered defeats.

Conservative candidate James Esses topped the poll in the High Barnet ward just ahead of Labour Councillor Emma Whysall who was re-elected.

Oliver Gough just failed in his attempt to secure the seat of retiring High Barnet councillor Paul Edwards but was just ahead of Conservative candidate Amberley Thay.

Barnet Council 2026 elections end with both Labour and Conservatives on 31 votes and no overall control of the council. A newly elected Green councillor holds the balance of power

The High Barnet count was declared by the council’s deputy returning officer Deborah Hinde.

In East Barnet, where the Conservatives also gained a seat, Labour Councillor Edith David was narrowly defeated.

East Barnet councillor Simon Radford topped the poll, with David Allen taking second place for the Conservatives and Phil Cohen holding his seat for Labour.

Labour Councillor Ella Rose lost her seat in Whetstone where the Conservatives made another gain. Only seven votes separated the top three candidates and there had to be three recounts before the result was finally declared.

Candidates for the Greens delivered one of the first shocks of the count topping the poll in Woodhouse – one of their target wards – taking a Labour seat and nearly adding a second Labour scalp.

Charli Thompson (Green) topped the poll with 1,331 votes. Labour’s Anne Hutton (Labour) was returned for the second seat with 1,287 votes but she was only just ahead of the second candidate for the Greens, George Ttoouli on 1,194 votes.

In another of their target wards, three candidates for the Greens finished a close second to the three Labour candidates in Friern Barnet who succeeded in holding their seats, including Barry Rawlings, Labour leader of the council.

Although Councillor Rawlings – and the two other Labour candidates Pauline Coakley Webb and Beverley Kotey were re-elected – candidates for the Greens were only a couple of hundred votes behind them.

Former Friern Barnet councillor Linda Lusingu, who had defected from Labour to the Greens, lost her seat finishing in fifth place.

Reform were the main challengers in the Tory strongholds of Edgware and Edgwarebury but although their candidates were ahead of the other parties they trailed well behind Conservative candidates.

Reform drew the most votes in the north and west of the borough whereas the vote for the Greens was strongest in the east of the borough, closer to inner London where there was an even greater surge in Green support.

In some wards Labour suffered devastating losses, losing all three seats to the Conservatives in both the Childs Hill and Brunswick wards.

Results:

High Barnet (two seats): James Esses (Conservative) 1,558; Emma Whysall (Labour) 1,441; Oliver Gough (Labour) 1,417; Amberley Thay (Conservative) 1,372; Darius Hutchinson (Reform) 689; Rajesh Gulabivala (Reform) 631; Fanxi Liu (Green) 538; Charles Wicksteed (Green) 536; Andrew Jackson (Liberal Democrat) 497; Grant McKenna (Liberal Democrat) 357.

Barnet Vale (three seats) : Sue Baker (Labour) 2,130; David Longstaff (Conservative) 2,024; Richard Barnes (Labour) 1,994; Elmina Homapour (Conservative) 1,805; Tom Smith (Conservative) 1,797; Mukesh Oza (Labour) 1,674; Mark Francis (Reform) 952; Mark Devey (Green) 887; Julian Teare (Reform) 868; Uri Mofsowitz (Reform) 857; Kevin Meehan (Green) 694; Matty Robins (Green) 683; Simon Cohen (Liberal Democrat) 504; Duncan MacDonald (Liberal Democrat) 292; Dave Keech (Liberal Democrat) 274.

East Barnet (three seats): Simon Radford (Labour) 1,856; David Allen (Conservative) 1,832; Phil Cohen (Labour) 1,828; Edith David (Labour) 1,745; Pavan Pavanakumar (Conservative) 1,616; Anila Skeja (Conservative) 1,589; Emma Matthews (Green) 981; Kari Khan (Reform) 921; Dima Ouda (Reform) 916; Ozen Halil (Green) 719; Kornelia Szostak (Green) 755; Roger Aitken (Liberal Democrat) 383; Petros Ioannou (Liberal Democrat) 294; Walter Buchgrabr (Liberal Democrat), 241.

Underhill (two seats): Zahra Beg (Labour) 1,233; Josh Tapper (Labour) 1,128; Lucy Milner (Conservative) 829; Andrew Hutchings (Reform) 826; Alison Mills (Reform), 774; Reuben Ward (Conservative) 683; Gina Theodorou (Independent) 619; Hugh Platt (Green) 595; Carl White (Green) 427; Stephen Barber (Liberal Democrat) 252; Sean Hooker (Liberal Democrat) 228; Riann Mehta (TUSC) 128; Donata Briamonte (Rejoin) 122.

Whetstone (two seats); Ezra Cohen (Labour) 1,292; Stephen Lewis (Conservative) 1,290; Kevin Ghateh (Conservative) 1,285; Ella Rose (Labour) 1,200; Adrian Kitching (Reform) 543; David Burns (Green) 535; Vaidehi Hedge (Green) 478; Martin Navias (Reform) 471; Luigi Bille (Liberal Democrat) 194; John MacRory (Liberal Democrat) 146; Richard Hewison (Rejoin) 79.

There were a total of 312 candidates for the 63 council seats – a record number for Barnet which far exceeded the figure of 207 candidates in 2022.

The new council will meet for the first time on Tuesday 19 May when it will have to agree on the appointment of key roles and agree the future administration of the borough.

For the full results see Barnet Council website: https://www.barnet.gov.uk/elections-and-voting/local-government-elections-thursday-7-may-2026/results

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Preparations well underway by Barnet classic and vintage car owners ready for annual High Street parade and show at The Spires

Pride of place at this year Barnet Classic Car Club’s annual show in the top car park at The Spires shopping centre on Sunday 17 May will be some of the much-cherished vehicles which the club’s committee members have carefully maintained over the years – from run-arounds to the high-end motors of yesteryear.

A parade of nearly 80 cars is expected through the High Street at 10.30am followed by the display – from 11am to 3pm – which is expected to include over 150 cars.

Councillor Danny Rich, Mayor of Barnet, will open the show which will feature music by Boxty and performances by students from the Susi Earnshaw Theatre School.

Among the cars on display will be Chris Martin’s Riley RMC Roadster – see above – which in the 1960s was originally owned by Edward Streator, an American diplomat and ambassador to the UK.

In 1992 the car underwent a total restoration, retaining all the original components.

Another attraction will be a New Era Mini conversion – registration number POP 22 – which is owned by the club’s founder, Chris Nightingale.

The car was designed by Chris’s father Ken Nightingale, owner of New Era Ltd, Birmingham. It was left incomplete and only finished off in the late 1960s.

A recent edition of the magazine Mini World devoted several pages to the history of the car — one of three versions of an early variant of the mini and the only one of its kind still in existence.

Derrick Haggerty – above right, with Chris Nightingale – bought his Ford Popular in 1973 for £50 as an MOT failure.

After a £5 repair, it passed and Derrick has used it as a regular run-around for many years. He completed a full restoration of the car in the mid-1980s and completed respray in 2000.

Another high-end classic on display will be a Jaguar 3.8 MK2 owned by George Dimitriadis – a car with a reputation as a favourite among criminals and law enforcement alike because its 3.8 litre engine could accelerate from 0-60 mph in 8.5 seconds.

It has had six previous owners and work done since purchased in 2017 includes a new petrol tank, fuel pump, brake master cylinder and electronic ignition.

Barnet Classic Car Club's 2026 annual show opens with a parade in the High Street followed by a display in the top car park at The Spires Shopping Centre

Stalls at the show will be manned by Noah’s Ark Children Hospice, Barnet Rotary, a tea and cake stall, and a demonstration by the St John Ambulance Brigade.  

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Barnet High Street has become a showcase for Battle of Barnet banners – a heritage asset which might get international recognition

Painting and caring for the Battle of Barnet banners which are displayed along the High Street each summer is an historic legacy for the town which volunteers at Barnet Museum hope might gain international recognition.

An application has been made by the museum to see if the craft of making and maintaining replicas of these medieval banners can be recognised by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage – a practice which is part of the cultural identity of a community.

Unlike tangible heritage, such as monuments or artefacts, an intangible heritage is passed down from generation to generation and is continuously being recreated.

Almost a decade ago Barnet Museum took inspiration from the town of Tewkesbury which has been celebrating the 1471 Battle of Tewkesbury for the last 50 years with re-enactments, a medieval festival and a display of heraldic banners.

Volunteers at Barnet Museum followed their example and started researching the history of the coats of arms of royalty and noblemen whose troops fought in the Battle of Barnet on April 14, 1471, the month before the Battle of Tewkesbury on May 4, 1471.

The application to UNESCO for a listing of intangible cultural heritage is now being made in conjunction with Wars of the Roses enthusiasts at Tewkesbury.

One of the first heraldic banners to be reproduced in Barnet was that of King Henry VI – seen above in 2018 with the museum’s curator Mike Noronhan and the deputy curator Hilary Harrison.

Permission was granted for a display of banners in The Spires Shopping Centre and agreement was reached with Barnet Council for them to be hung from lampposts along Barnet High Street.

All told the museum volunteers have now researched and painted 106 banners – of which 76 currently hang in the High Street and another 26 are displayed in various locations around the town including The Spires.

Barnet Museum is applying to UNESCO for recognition of its work painting and caring for Battle of Barnet heraldic banners to be declared an intangible cultural heritage

Mike Noronha said that once the museum staff heard about the UNESCO scheme for registering an intangible cultural heritage they decided to work with Tewkesbury in making an application.

“Painting, maintaining and displaying the banners is a real craft which we think we have mastered and which we think should be recognised.

“Each winter the banners have to be repaired and sometimes repainted as they get damaged in high wind, so this is an ongoing task for the museum.”

Mounting costs involved in hanging the banners along the High Street has become an issue.

Last year when it seemed there was some doubt as to whether they would be able to go ahead the Chipping Barnet Town Team stepped in and agreed to pay half the cost of the installation, work which was carried out by Barnet Council’s street lighting contractor.

This summer the council stepped in to meet the installation cost of £3,500, for which Mr Noronha said the museum was “hugely grateful”.