Welcome

Hot on the heels of last week’s hidden green spots, we’ve explored the power of trees with local(ish) urban orchards and tiny forests.

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Plus - more about art in Barnet.

🌳 3 Urban Orchards + Tiny Forests

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Birmingham may have more miles of canal than Venice, but the borough of Barnet has the most tree cover in all of London.

The borough of Barnet significantly contributes to the natural green space and canopy cover of Greater London. Barnet has an impressive tree canopy cover of 27%, which is higher than both the London and England averages.

Trees and urban orchards are also a great way to cool down the city during heatwaves.

Here’s our local (ish) highlights.

Cable Street Urban Orchard, Tower Hamlets​

Step off the busy, hectic Cable Street in Tower Hamlets, weave through the estate, and you’ll find yourself surrounded by an unexpected oasis—an urban orchard bursting with apples, quinces, plums, pears, cherries, and crab apples. Nestled in the heart of St George's Estate, this hidden gem is home to fifty fruit trees and a thriving pocket of green in the city. Planted in 2013 by Trees for Cities.

​Trees for Cities have worked on 11 projects in Tower Hamlets since 2019. Could Barnet be next?

Urban Orchard, Childs Hill Park​

Ten years ago, volunteers planted an urban orchard between the children’s playground and the tennis courts. Planted in 2015.

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Mutton Brook Tiny Forest, Barnet​

And of course don’t forget our very own Tiny Forest – a brilliant combination of citizen science and community action. Planted in 2022, it's Barnet's best kept secret. Join the WhatsApp group to get involved.

Feeling fruity? Check out London’s hidden orchards. In a city that never stops growing, trees remind us to slow down - find your nearest orchard, tiny forest or green space and breathe it in. 🌳

Events

ARTS

Thursday 24th July

​Sip N Paint | Thu, Jul. 24 | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | Arnos Arms Pub, 338 Bowes Rd, N11 1AN | £30 | Expect brushes, booze & banter – plus your first drink is on the house. No experience needed, just good vibes and creative fun.

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Sunday 3rd August

​Summer Pinch Pot Making Workshop | Sun, Aug. 3 | 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm | Kanpai London Sake Brewery & Taproom, 48 Druid Street, SE1 2EZ | £44.04 per person | Learn the art of making two pinch pot sake cups/a small bowl with expert guidance from Japanese ceramics artist Noriko Nagaoka.

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COMMUNITY

Wednesday 23rd July

​Consent | Wed, Jul. 23 | 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm | King Alfred Phoenix Theatre, North End Road, NW11 7HY | £15/£14 | Consent finds friends Ed and Tim taking opposing briefs in a rape case. The key witness is a woman whose life seems a world away from their own. This reflects on their lives and relationships, which begin to fall apart as every version of the truth is confronted.

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Sunday 3rd August

​The Clocktower Festival - Dog Party | Sun, Aug. 03 | 12:00 pm to 6:00 pm | Caledonian Park, Market Road, N7 9LP | Free | Join everyone for the second Dog Party at The Clocktower Festival. Expect a full day of fun dog competitions, exciting races, delicious treats (for both humans and hounds), and shopping from all your favourite pet brands - all set to a relaxed, festival vibe.

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SPORT

Friday 1st August

​Chase Tag | Fri, Aug. 01 | 4:30 pm | Exploratory Park,17 Claremont Way, Brent Cross, NW2 1AJ | Free | Tag like you’ve never seen it before. Now a global sport played by elite Parkour athletes, stunt performers, and Ninja Warrior champions, and on its journey towards Olympic recognition.

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KIDS

Wednesday 30th July

​Epic Summer Camp 2025 | Wed, Jul. 30 | Twybridge Way. NW10 | Free | Summer holiday camp for 8-16 year olds. Kore Development Charity hosts a transformative summer camp to empower young minds through education, leadership, and skill-building. The camp welcomes children from diverse backgrounds, offering a dynamic mix of workshops, sports, and creative activities to foster personal growth and community spirit.

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Friday 1st August

​Tales from the British Library | Fri, Aug. 01 | 1:30 pm | Studio Theatre, Chickenshed Chase Side, N14 4PE | £5 | Join Chickenshed’s beloved Tales characters for a brand-new collaboration with the British Library. Watch the cast sing, dance, and act all the way through one of the world’s most incredible archives.

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Wednesday 6th August

​The Spots and Stripes | Wed, Aug. 06 | Studio Theatre, Chickenshed Chase Side, N14 4PE | £5 | After a successful run at Discover Story Centre, The Spots and Stripes bursts with colour, music, movement, and tiny words – all created just for young audiences. Step into a world of colour, rhythm, and endless discovery with spots and stripes. Perfect for curious minds aged 0-4.

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Saturday 16th August

​Just InCarnival: Kiddies Carnival & Family Picnic | Sat, Aug. 16 | 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm | Claremont Park, Brent Cross, NW2 1AJ | Free | Established in 2022, Just INCarnival Arts + Culture brings the best traditions of Caribbean Carnival to life on the streets of London. Enjoy carnival costume-making, steel pan workshops, carnival-themed dance and fitness classes, carnival games, face painting, henna tattoos and more.

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Sunday 17th August

​Little Voices Together | Sun, Aug. 17 | The Bull Theatre, 68 High St, EN5 5SJ | TBD | Little Voices Together is an inclusive music, drama, and singing class for children and young people with special educational needs or disabilities who need a more tailored approach than mainstream classes can offer. For children aged 4.

Events - Book Ahead

Thursday 11th September

​Charity Golf Day | Thu, Sep. 11 | Ashley Walk, Devonshire Rd, NW7 1DG | Following the fantastic success of the 2024 Charity Golf Day, 2025's event is underway. This year, we will be hosting our Charity Golf Day at Hendon Golf Club.

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Saturday 13th September

​Step Inside 25 Weekend | Sat, Sep. 13 | Somerset House, Strand, WC2R 1LA | Free | This special occasion marks Somerset House's transformation from government offices to an internationally acclaimed cultural hub, inviting visitors to explore rarely seen spaces and engage with the vibrant creative community.

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Thursday 16th October

​Macbeth | Thu, Oct. 16 | 7:30 pm | The Bull Theatre, EN5 5SJ | £15 | The Blue Door Theatre Company presents Shakespeare's "The Tragedie of Macbeth" directed by Siobhan Dunne with original music by Nick Godwin.

Local Lowdown

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Uniting

• ​The Community Quilt Project Barnet marked unity with a parade from Whetstone to Finchley, just before Refugee Week last month. Residents proudly displayed three large patchwork banners. They spelled ‘Unity’, ‘Celebration’, and ‘Solidarity’. These banners were made over ten months in community workshops.

Playing

• Playtime takeover. Barnet Council wants you to reclaim your street for World Car Free Day, on the weekend of 20th to 21st September. Host a one-off play street. Close the road, let the kids run wild, and get the neighbours mingling. If you love it, you can apply for more days all year round.

Cheesing

• Wheeling in the cheese. Camden Market gets extra melty with the launch of Pick & Cheese on July 25th. An 18-metre conveyor belt will showcase the UK’s top cheeses, all up for grabs. Forget sushi - grab a Cropwell Bishop or Cornish Yarg while you watch the cheese parade by.

Pizzaing

• Pizza pilgrimage. Get ready for a slice of the Big Apple on Islington's Upper Street. Carmela’s is the new place to get real NYC pizza. It offers crisp, foldable bases and the best toppings. It's the latest venture from the founders of Ugly Dumpling and the BiteTwice video channel

Reimagining

• Reimagining Finchley. Middlesex University students and local residents recently joined forces at North Finchley Library. They came up with new ideas to improve spaces like the Tally Ho Triangle and The Grand Arcade. They used 3D models and AI to make their vision for a better North Finchley real.

There's Art in Barnet

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There’s art in Barnet (and Finchley) – art, theatre, culture, music and dance. All celebrating lives and the stories we tell ourselves. The memories we make are the collective experience of making sense of the world through art.

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​Barnet’s Five Year Culture Strategy’s central aim is to develop Barnet as a place with a diverse, accessible, and enriching cultural offer for residents and visitors to enjoy for many years to come.

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It’s six core objectives are to increase cultural participation, strengthen infrastructure, connect people and places, build Barnet’s cultural identity, engage young people, and enrich other sectors through culture.

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Check out film and arts in Barnet – including the Phoenix Cinema, the Arts Depot, and public art. Or review how to get grants for community events, history and heritage, the creative networks and the What’s On Listings.

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Help shape Barnet’s cultural future by participating, creating, and sharing.

Editors' Note - From Sasha

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Fabulous trip to North Norfolk last week. Including seeing the Stephen Cox Myth exhibition at Houghton Hall.

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Lord and Lady Cholmondeley are great benefactors of the arts, and the Sculpture Park is one of my favourite Norfolk visits. They're also great friends, apparently, with William and Kate who live "next door" at Anmer Hall. Lord Cholmondeley is a direct descendant of Prime Mininster Robert Walpole, who commissioned the Hall in 1722.

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2013's Houghton Revisited is one of the most memorable exhibitions I've ever seen.

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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.

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

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

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Tessa Davis Sasha Frieze