Welcome

The lowdown on Antiques Roadshow yesterday - Stephen's House & Gardens looking its absolute best. And welcome to our many new subscribers who signed up on the day.

​

Also look out for the North Finchley resident who's run 45 London marathons.

🏛 Antiques Roadshow in Finchley

​

Yesterday saw a Finchley first - the BBC's Antiques Roadshow was filmed at our very own Stephen's House & Gardens.

​

And what a day – a fabulous mix of community, friendship and history with a little bit of queuing thrown in. And strawberries and cream. A perfect Finchley sunny day.

​

With a 46 year history - starting life as a 1977 BBC documentary - Antiques Roadshow became a full series in 1979. It features public antiques appraisals, with evolving content that now includes modern collectibles. Notable finds include a £1M Angel of the North model. Museums have acquired key items showcased on the show. Value isn't the only factor; items with compelling stories or local relevance are often featured.

​

So many local community people there: Councillor Danny Rich, newly elected 61^st Mayor of Barnet, Sarah Sackman KC MP for Finchley, Martin Russell MBE, Representative Deputy Lieutenant for the London Borough of Barnet, the Finchley WI and many other volunteering as stewards. And of course – very many Finchley Now readers – check the photos.

​

Over 2,000 Antique’s Roadshow fans descended on the house, with a brilliant array of silver, ceramics, glass, books and manuscripts, furniture, jewellery, pictures and prints.

​

Great items; historic Chinese feather art, a collection of US President correspondence, a 1915 barrister’s brief with original (narrow) pink ribbon, a collection of David Bowie related artwork – tune in to know what it was.

​

Finchley resident Marianne brought her great grandma’s ornamental ceramic pumpkin – we’ll have to wait to watch the show to find out more.

​

Sounds like there may be more than one show, to be broadcast in December or January – watch this space, you’ll know as soon as we do.

​

Finchley Fact: lead presenter of Antiques Roadshow, Fiona Bruce, shared a flat at university with a current Finchley resident. Also, she kindly dressed in Finchley Now green for the day (as did I).

​

We followed the morning with an afternoon at the Windermere Play Street and we're on a total community high.

​

There was such a brilliant vibe – it makes us think, there should be some kind of festival celebrating the magic of Finchley next summer. Who’s in? - email us. 🏛

Events

ARTS

Saturday 7th June

​House Of Haberdash | Sat, Jun. 07 | 11:00 am to 5:00 pm | 99 Torriano Avenue, NW5 2RX | £5 | A group exhibition and community arts project, bringing together over 30 contemporary artists, poets and fashion designers, whose work explores the objects you might find in historical, modern or fantastical haberdasheries.

​

Wednesday 11th June

Flower Arranging course | Wed, Jun. 11 | 10:30 am to 11:30 am | The Ann Owens Centre - Age UK Barnet Oak Lane, N2 8LT | £40 | New Flower arranging course beginning Wednesday 11 June 2025 then every two weeks. Email.

​

​

COMMUNITY

Saturday 7th June

​Fair In The Square 2025 | Sat, Jun. 07 | 12:30 pm to 5:30 pm | Pond Square, N6 6BS | Free | Highgate Fair in the Square is one of the highlights of the Highgate Summer calendar when friends and neighbours come together in the village for a fun day out and to welcome visitors from further afield.

​

​HGS Summer Fair - Dog Show | Sat, Jun. 7 | 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm | Hampstead Garden Suburb, Central Square, NW11 7AH | £5 | Enjoy the Hampstead Garden Suburb Dog Show, featuring five trainer contestants and their dogs.

​

Monday 9th June

​Future of Justice: Finchley and Golders Green Lawyers' Event | Mon, Jun. 9 | 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm | House of Commons, SW1A 0AA | Free | Sarah Sackman MP is hosting a special event in Parliament for the many brilliant lawyers who live locally in Finchley and Golders Green. We are lucky to be joined by Adam Wagner KC, Monica Burch, and Richard Susskind KC as speakers.

​

Thursday 12th June

​Herbert Chapman - Centenary Commemoration Event | Thu, Jun. 12 | 3:00 pm to 7:30 pm | St Mary's Church, NW4 4JT | Free | Join the community to mark the centenary of Herbert Chapman’s appointment as Arsenal manager - celebrating the man who transformed the modern game. Appointed Arsenal manager in 1925, Herbert Chapman was a true football visionary.

​

​

MUSIC

Saturday 7th June

​Concert: Voyages | Sat, Jun. 7 | 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm | St.Mary-at-Finchley Church, 26 Hendon Lane, N3 1TR | Free| Concert of music for Recorder and Guitar. Voyage round the world with Lizzie Knatt (Recorder) and Declan Hickey (Guitar) for an hour of music evoking destinations in both the ancient and modern world. Scores by Hoddinott, Reginald Smith Brindle, Toby Anderson and Sören Sieg.

​

​High Barnet Chamber Music Festival | Sat, Jun. 7 | 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm | St Marks, EN5 5HY | Free | Lasting about an hour, this is a family-friendly concert accessible to all and particularly aimed at KS2. The concert is free and will feature well-known tunes introduced by the performers like Peter and the Wolf and Papageno's Song from The Magic Flute.

​

​

SPORT

Saturday 7th June

​4th Annual Memorial Harry Garratt Football Tournament | Sat, Jun. 07 | Haringey Borough FC, White Hart Lane, N17 7JP | £10 | A great family day out to raise funds for The Harry Garratt. Foundation, a new charity raising funds to support children and young people to join sporting activities.

​

​

NATURE

Saturday 7th June

​Buzzing Barnet: An Urban Rewilding Workshop | Sat, Jun. 07 | 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm | Budgens of East Finchley, 71 High Road, N2 8AQ | Free | Buzzing Barnet is an urban re-wilding activation workshop that creates a synergy between people, plants, and pollinators. The workshop supports participants to fashion “Buzz Stops” - portable pots planted with pollinator-friendly herbs and flowers that people can situate in their gardens and balconies, thus providing nectar-rich pathways for insects.

​

Sunday 8th June

​Grange Big Local Trail | Sun, Jun. 8 | 11:00 am to 1:30 pm | Archer Garden, Archer Academy, Eagans Close, N2 8GA | Free | Join Grange Big Local for a walk around their area, to celebrate the imagination and hard work of local volunteers. Part of the London Festival of Architecture. Ends with free refreshments and a balm-making workshop.

Events - Book Ahead

Saturday 28th June

​​East Finchley Open Studios​ | Sat, Jun. 28 | 11:00 am to 6:00 pm | East Finchley | Free | East Finchley Open Artists’ Open House Weekends, two weekends: June 28/29th and July 5/6th (All Saints Church opens midday Sundays). This is your opportunity to connect with artists, learn about their creative processes, and purchase unique, handcrafted pieces directly.

​

Saturday 12th July

​Kaleidoscope Festival At Ally Pally | Sat, Jul. 12 | 1:00 pm to 10:30 pm | Alexandra Palace Way, N22 7AY | From £16 | On Saturday 12 July 2025, Alexandra Palace Park will once again transform into the ultimate festival playground with an epic line-up ranging from live music & DJ sets to side-splitting comedy and family fun, plus the rare chance to explore the Palace's Victorian Basements.

​

Tuesday July 29th

​Spot’s Birthday Party​ | Tue, Jul. 29 | 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm | artsdepot, N12 0GA | £14 | Join Spot and his friends for this engaging and interactive show for everyone age 2+ and their grown-ups. With integrated Makaton, catchy songs, dancing, and lots of interactive party games, this is going to be the best birthday party ever.

Local Lowdown

​

TFLing

• Underground goes 3D. A London developer has launched a live interactive map showing Tube trains moving in real-time across nine of the 11 lines. Ben James created the digital marvel using TfL data, and the response has exceeded his expectations. Perfect for transport geeks and curious commuters alike.

Mourning

• Mourning maestro. Highgate Choral Society's beloved Musical Director, Ronald Corp has died aged 74. The composer, conductor, and Anglican priest worked with the choir for 40 years. He also founded the New London Orchestra and Children's Choir. His legacy includes the recent premiere "Phoenix from the Ashes" at last autumn's anniversary concert.

Repairing

• Pavement plans revealed. Barnet Council's Cabinet have approved the 2025/26 road and pavement repair programme. Start dates are confirmed two weeks before work starts. Nearby residents and businesses get advance letters. Get a heads up by checking the planned list.

Breathing

• Vaping vanished. Single-use disposable vapes have been officially banned across the UK from yesterday. Businesses can no longer sell those non-refillable, non-rechargeable devices that have cluttered our streets and bins. Time to switch to reusable alternatives or kick the habit entirely.

Sunbathing

• Chasing rays. Sunny pub hunting got easier. Architect Mo Dawod's new web app, SunSeekr, shows which London pubs and cafés are enjoying sunshine right now. Using real-time shadow simulation and building height data, you can plan ahead or find immediate sunny spots for your pint.​

The Finchleyite: Bill O'Connor

​

​Bill O'Connor is a North Finchley resident originally from New Zealand. O'Connor, 79, has run every London Marathon since its inception in 1981, earning a lifetime entry after completing 15 races.

​

He’s also the long-serving president of The Queens Park Harriers running club. Club members have honoured him with a Strava running route portrait in his likeness.

​

He reflected on how the course has stayed the same while London's landscape has changed dramatically. Fellow club members described him as a “huge inspiration,” with one noting the difficulty of training for just one marathon, let alone 45. O'Connor values his first medal the most and hopes to reach 50 marathons, though he’s now taking it year by year. He praised the event’s unique atmosphere, highlighting the camaraderie and joy it brings, regardless of the weather.

Editors' Note - From Tessa

We spent half-term in Brighton, checking out the sights.

​

This involved doing a slightly terrifying Flying Fox experience over the beach.

​

Most other things were relaxing and kept my heart rate at a normal level.

​

​

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