Welcome

The summer holidays are almost here, so this week we have pulled together a sorter of free and easy ways to keep the family busy once school breaks up, from library reading challenges to crafts in the park.

There is plenty on too, with a free open-air film screening, a musical theatre showcase and life drawing up at Lauderdale House.

🎒 School's Out: Finchley's Summer Holiday Sorter

The last bell of term is nearly here, and with six weeks stretching ahead, we have rounded up 5 easy, mostly free ways to keep everyone happy without straying far from Finchley. Save this one for the fridge door.

1. Start with a story.

Every Barnet library is running the Read to the Beat! Summer Reading Challenge. This is a free, music-themed reading adventure with stickers, prizes and events like rap and craft workshops across the summer. Sign up at the branch and collect rewards as you go.

2: Pedal power near Brent Cross.

Clitterhouse Farm runs free drop-in Cycletastic sessions where volunteers help you fix, learn and ride, alongside community gardening, crafts and a cafe out on the playing fields. Bring a picnic and make an afternoon of it.

3. Get crafty in the park.

Over at Brent Cross Town, Summer in the Park brings free flower-themed workshops with artist Anna van der Poorten in Claremont Park, making handmade fans, bee and butterfly masks, clay models and a giant community artwork. Perfect for little makers.

4. Catch a show.

Our local theatre artsdepot in North Finchley runs family shows and holiday workshops through the summer, so keep an eye on its listings for rainy-day dance, drama and comedy that suit all ages.

5. Head to the woods for free.

The playground and shady woodland walks at Cherry Tree Wood in East Finchley, right opposite the tube, make an easy summer favourite, with a cafe for when it all gets a bit much.

Whatever you choose, pack sun cream and water, and check each link for times before you set off. Happy holidays, Finchley. ☀️🎒☀️

Events

ARTS

Friday 17th July

​Clitterhouse Farm Presents - Indie Film Festival | Fri, Jul. 17 | 1:00 pm to 8:20 pm | Clitterhouse Playing Fields, London | Free | A curated programme of films throughout the day, from Pixar's WALL-E and the documentary Power Station to the drama Suffragette, plus inspiring independent shorts with post-screening Q&As.

​Friday Life Drawing Workshops | Fri, Jul. 17 | 10:30 am | Lauderdale House, Waterlow Park, Highgate Hill, N6 5HG | £26 | Uniquely structured monthly workshops with a variety of creative and technical exercises to unlock individual creativity. Taught by experienced tutor Clare Grossman and suitable for beginners and experienced artists alike.

COMMUNITY

Sunday 19th July

​Crafty Fox Market at King's Cross | Sun, Jul. 19 | 11:00 am to 5:00 pm | The Crossing, 1 Granary Square, King's Cross, London, N1C 4AA | Free | Crafty Fox Market lands in King's Cross for a one-day summer edition, filling The Crossing with over 100 independent makers working across contemporary craft, illustration, jewellery, ceramics, homewares and design-led gifts.

KIDS

Thursday 23rd July

​Starbound at Colindale Library | Thu, Jul. 23 | 10:30 am to 11:30 am | Colindale Library, 7 Bristol Avenue, NW9 4BR | £6 | A curious little Owl looks up at the stars. What happens when they come down to visit? Use your imagination to explore the world of stories through drama, play, and activities.

MUSIC

Tuesday 14th July

​Show Up Singers Summer Showcase | Tue, Jul. 14 | 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm | St Andrew's Church, N14 5PP | £15, Under 30s £12.50 | SUS is a show choir performing songs from the musicals. If you love a show tune, this is the concert for you, with numbers spanning the musical theatre genre from Rodgers and Hammerstein to Sondheim.

Saturday 25th July

​Rap Workshop with Redz Man | Sat, Jul. 25 | 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm | Edgware Library, Hale Lane, Edgware, HA8 8NN | £4 | UK artist Redz Man blends storytelling with layered wordplay, drawing on his Congolese roots to explore growth, identity, faith and resilience. Part of the Read to the Beat! Summer Reading Challenge 2026.

OLDER PEOPLE

Thursday 16th July

​Talks: Hobbies, Happiness and Healthy Retirement | Thu, Jul. 16 | 6:45 pm | Ann Owens Centre, Oak Lane, N2 8LT | £3 | Neuroscientist Professor Catherine Loveday on what happens to our minds when we dive into a hobby, and why they matter more in retirement than we realise. A look at the science behind purpose and play.

Thursday 23rd July

​OneStonegrove Community Trust - Older People's Social Club | Thu, Jul. 23 | 11:30 am to 2:00 pm | OneStonegrove, 5 Hayling Way, Edgware, HA8 8BN | Free | Tea and hot drinks, a light lunch, friendly conversation, activities, light exercise and games. A casual, sociable group for over 60s, with different activities each week.

SPORTS

Wednesday 15th July

​Bowling for All: A fun bowling group for disabled adults | Wed, Jul. 15 | 12:30 pm | Glebelands Indoor Bowls Club, Summers Lane, N12 0PD | Free | A new fixture at Glebelands, every Wednesday at 12.30 pm. A fun indoor bowling group for adults with disabilities in Finchley.

THEATRE

Monday 13th July

​Free Film Screening: Parking Lot Movie + Director Q&A | Mon, Jul. 13 | 6:20 pm | Caledonian Park Clock Tower, N7 9HF | Free | Watch Meghan Eckman's Parking Lot Movie with Fun Stuff Community Cinema, which screens uplifting documentaries for and about ordinary people, followed by a director Q&A.

Events - Book Ahead

Thursday 13th August

​Sewing 101 Workshop: Re-Style Your Old Saree | Thu, Aug. 13 | 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm | Edgware Library, Hale Lane, HA8 8NN | Free | Learn the basics of sewing while giving new life to your old sarees. Create a beautiful scarf or a simple skirt in this beginner-friendly session.

Tuesday 8th September

​In The Brain | Tue, Sep. 8 | 7:30 pm | artsdepot, North Finchley | £19 | Hofesh Shechter's new full-length work for Shechter II is an invitation to let go, to move, to surrender to the music and be swept away in rhythm. A dreamlike, club-like, timeless state where euphoria unfolds.

Sunday 20th September

​Rabbit & Rey and The Lost Things | Sun, Sep. 20 | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | artsdepot, North Finchley | £13.75 | Ever felt like the world is playing hide and seek with your stuff? Meet Rey, an imagination expert and glorious misplacer of everything, and by their side, Rabbit.

Local Lowdown

Baking

• North London's bagel obsession is spreading. Cult favourite It's Bagels, which drew queues around the block in Primrose Hill, will open a fourth shop on Hampstead High Street this August, serving hand-rolled New York-style bagels. Expect a back-to-school opening treat, with a free bagel for every child.

Hopping

• Summer just got cheaper for getting around. Transport for London has launched the Weekend Hopper, letting you take unlimited bus and tram rides all day for a single £1.75 fare every weekend from 25 July to 31 August. Perfect for cheap days out.

Honouring

• Barnet is set to salute five volunteer heroes. The council has agreed to confer the Honorary Freedom of the Borough on the Community Security Trust, Shomrim NW London and three Hatzola groups, recognising their round-the-clock emergency response and community protection. A ceremony follows later this year.

Nurturing

• A Barnet nursery is celebrating national recognition. Bright Little Stars has won the National Day Nurseries Association Family Engagement Award 2026 for its outstanding work putting families at the heart of early years learning. Manager Karma called it an honour shared with the nursery's wonderful families.

Remembering

• Camden has said farewell to a much-loved figure. Nearly 200 mourners gathered at Golders Green to remember Alderman Flick Rea, the spirited Liberal Democrat who served Fortune Green and West Hampstead for 36 years. Her son shared a touching story of the cryptic crossword 'final puzzle' she left behind.

🖋️Finchley Spot: Stephens House & Gardens

Tucked off East End Road in Finchley, Stephens House & Gardens, better known as Avenue House, is one of our loveliest hidden gems.

The Victorian villa was home to Henry 'Inky' Stephens of the famous Stephens Ink family, who left the house and its 10 acres of grounds to the people of Finchley over a century ago.

Today, the landscaped gardens are free to wander seven days a week, with mature trees, lawns, and Inky's Stables Cafe for coffee and cake afterwards.

There is plenty on this summer too, including an open-air Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles on Sunday 19 July.

A proper Finchley treasure, and one worth a slow summer afternoon.

Editors' Note - From Tessa

On a more personal note, our thoughts this week are with my Finchley Now co-editor (and very good friend) Sasha, whose father, Charles Frieze, sadly died last week.

Charles was a devoted community man, the backbone of Yeshurun Synagogue in Cheadle, Manchester, who spent much of his life bringing people together.

That same belief in community is a big part of why Finchley Now means so much to Sasha, and to all of us.

We are thinking of Sasha and the whole family, and wishing her a long life.

Also, let us know about local events or local news. We curate our content to keep it a 5-minute read, so can't include everything we're sent.

You can now get a guaranteed (paid) listing for local events or local lowdown/news items.

​And email us with any projects or ideas you'd like us to write about.

Tessa Davis Sasha Frieze