Welcome

This week we've got 5 Independent East Finchley's businesses for us all to support, and the local restaurants shortlisted for the British Kebab Awards!

🌟 5 Independent East Finchley Businesses To Get Behind

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Here are 5 independent businesses in East Finchley. Your support can make a real difference.

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1: A Scott & Son Fishmongers, 94 High Road, N2 9EB

Dive into the fresh tastes of the ocean right here at A Scott & Son Fishmongers.

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This shop is a haven for sustainable seafood lovers. It has a vast selection of wild, farmed, fresh, frozen, and smoked fish and seafood.

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They source every product daily from trusted, eco-friendly fisheries. This way, you always get the best quality with each purchase.

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2: Audra’s Brooches, online

Level up your accessory game with Audra's Brooches. It's an exquisite, online collection of antique and vintage brooches. It is curated by East Finchley's own Audra Daws-Knowles.

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Two of Audra's brooches previously graced the fashion pages of British Vogue on actress Thandiwe Newton.

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3: Dan & DeCarlo, 20 High Road, N2 9PJ

This cozy, family-run coffee shop offers homemade food and groceries. They deliver to your door.

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​Dan & DeCarlo is also a favourite spot for people and their dogs. It offers a warm welcome with tasty pastries, sandwiches, and even dog biscuits for our furry friends.

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4: Kokos Shoe Repair, 72-74 High Road, N2 9PN

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Established in 1976, Kokos has become a cornerstone of East Finchley’s High Road.

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This shop, specialising in bespoke shoe repairs, breathes new life into worn footwear with its unmatched craftsmanship.

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They also do shoe repairs via mail, if you can't make it to them in person.

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5: Campbell & Syme, 9 Fortis Green, N2 9JR

​Campbell & Syme is a place where coffee aficionados and casual drinkers alike can enjoy a meticulously crafted brew.

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With a focus on seasonal beans and expert brewing techniques, the coffee is fabulous.

Don’t miss their toasted banana bread - it’s a local favorite!

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So next time you think about where to shop, dine, or seek services, remember these local gems right here in East Finchley.🌟

Events

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OLDER PEOPLE

Friday 7th February

Flower Arranging | Fri, Feb. 07 | 10:30 am to 11:30 am | Friends Meeting House, Leicester Road, EN5 5EL | £8 Per Session | Join Age UK every Friday for a relaxing and creative flower arranging class, specially designed for people living with dementia. A wonderful opportunity to enjoy a calming activity, meet new friends, and create something beautiful. | For more info, call Helen on: 07384 466 840

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ARTS

Sunday 9th February

​Student Kitchen Comedy Club | Sun, Feb. 09 | 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm | The Hen & Chickens Theatre Bar 109 Saint Paul's Road N1 2NA | From £8.50 | The Student Kitchen Comedy Club is back bigger and better! Bringing you comedy that’s NOT about divorce and back pain but this time in a theatre! The line-up of comedians is filled with some of the best young comedians in the country including Finlay Christie, Holly Ludlow, Daniel McKeon, Aisha Amaduri and Bella Cagnoli. Some of them have won awards for being funny and some of them have even been on telly!

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Monday 10th February

​The Art Of Class War - Lecture By Nick Jones | Mon, Feb. 10 | 3:00 pm | St John the Baptists Church, Church House, 2 Wood St, EN5 4BW | £2 for non Barnet Museum members | Local Nick Jones who was the BBC's industrial and political correspondent presents the next Barnet Museum lecture on the Art of Class War: Looking at the Miner's Strike Through the Eyes of Cartoonists - from Right to Left.

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COMMUNITY

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Wednesday 5th February

Cherry Tree Quarter - London Placemaking | Wed, Feb. 05 | 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm | Old White Lion Pub, 121 Great North Road, N2 0NW | Free | Come along to the Places for Barnet event to see the proposals for the Cherry Tree Quarter including new homes and a modern nursing facility at Park House in East Finchley | www.cherrytreequarter.co.uk (website not yet activated)

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Saturday 8th February

​Matchmaker Moments | Sat, Feb. 08 | 11:00 am to 3:00 pm | Spires Shopping Centre, 111 High St, Barnet EN5 5XY | Free | Join Matchmaker Moments at the Spires for your chance to win a selection of Valentine themed prizes. Here’s how it works: match two cards for the chance to lucky dip a Valentine’s Day Prize! From retailer gift vouchers to sweet treats and other Valentine’s goodies including FREE candy floss.

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Sunday 9th February

​North London Laughs – A Charity Comedy Night | Sun, Feb. 09 | 6:30 pm | Alexandra Palace Theatre, N22 7AY | £40 | For one night only, Avalon presents some of the UK’s greatest comedy stars for a hilarious evening to raise funds for the Gastroenterology department at Great Ormond Street Hospital. The star-studded line-up includes Ed Gamble (Off Menu Podcast with James Acaster, Great British Menu), Katie Norris (Musical Comedy Award recipient and semi-finalist at the BBC New Comedy Awards 2023), Bella Hull (tour support for Russell Howard and Paul Chowdhry), Josh Weller (musician turned comedian and viral content maker) and Emmanuel Sonubi (Live at the Apollo, Comedy Centrals Live).

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NATURE

Wednesday 12th February

​Nature Journaling Workshop | Wed, Feb. 12 | 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm | TBA | £5 | Join a guided walk and nature journaling workshop around Kenwood. Materials will be provided, but please bring your own notebooks or pens if you wish. Also, feel free to bring your phones to take photos to draw from and try out some helpful apps. We'll share how technology can be used to bolster a nature journaling practice.

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THEATRE

Saturday 8th February

​It’s the Economy, Stupid! | Sat, Feb. 08 | 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm | 5 Nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley, N12 0GA | £18 | Armed with bags, boxes and an old board game, Joe Sellman-Leava and Dylan Howells embark on a quest to uncover how the economy wins elections, and why the force that dominates our lives is so bloody complicated!

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SPORT

Sunday 9th February

​Finchley ABC Boxing Show | Sun, Feb. 09 | 1:00 pm | Unitas Youth Zone 76 Montrose Avenue, Edgeware HA8 0DT | £20 Adults, £5 for Under 16s cash | The second Home Boxing show in Finchley This season. weigh in starts at 11am, doors open at 12:30pm and boxing starts at 1pm.

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SUSTAINABILITY

Sunday 9th February

​Six Inches of Soil Screening, Q and A and food | Sun, Feb. 9 | 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm | JVS, 855 Finchley Rd, London NW11 8LX | £10 | Screening of Six Inches of Soil film, telling the story of remarkable farmers, communities, small businesses, chefs and entrepreneurs who are leading the way to transform how our food is produced and consumed. There’ll also be a vegan stew made from locally sourced and organic vegetables. The screening will be followed by a Q and A with Dr Lucy Michaels, researcher and impact producer for the film.

Events - Book Ahead

Saturday 1st March

​Introduction to Photography – Exploring Techniques and Composition with David Kearley | Sat, Mar. 1 | 11:30 am to 1:30 pm | Forty Hall, Enfield, EN2 9HA | £30 | Join photographer David Kearley for a hands-on beginner photography workshop to master camera settings and composition essentials. Bring your DSLR or mirrorless camera, enthusiasm, and comfortable gear for this small-group session with personalised guidance.

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Thursday 6th March

​Kids at Keats: Ode on a Grecian Urn | Thu, Mar. 06 | 10:30 am to 12:00 pm | Keats House 10 Keats Grove NW3 2RR | £4 | Inspired by John Keats's lines above from 'Ode on a Grecian Urn', join for the next workshop in the keats house series of events aimed at pre-schoolers. In the Chester Room they will have storytelling and a 3D mosaic urn creating workshop. Aimed at children aged 18 months to 5 years.

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Sunday 16th March

Love Your N21 Market | Sun, Mar. 16 | 10:00 am to 3:00 pm | The Sidings, Winchmore Hill. Next to the train station. | Free entry | N21 market is back with brand new stall holders and some firm favourites lined up and some amazing Live music for you to enjoy while you shop, eat and have a drink in the spring sunshine | email loveyourN21@gmail.com

Local Lowdown

Winning

• Skewer Stars. Finchley has four – yes four! – hyper-local restaurants shortlisted for the British Kebab awards. Well done and good luck to Divan Restaurant, 163 Ballards Lane, Durum Restaurant, 119 Ballards Lane, Goda London, 144 Ballards Lane and Izgara Finchley, 11 Hendon Lane. Looks like Finchley’s officially kebab capital — pass the chili sauce and let’s bring home the trophy.

Planting

• Green Scene. Mill Hill residents are urged to join Barnet’s BarNET ZERO drive, with tree-planting and sustainability projects aiming for net-zero emissions by 2042. The initiative seeks to plant 5,000 trees by 2028, enhancing green spaces and tackling climate change locally.

Returning

• Apprentice Ace. Mill Hill resident and 'The Apprentice' star Claude Littner, 75, will return for the interview episodes in 2025 after recovering from a serious electric bike accident near his home in 2021. Littner has been a prominent figure on the show since 2015.

Saving

• Heritage Saved. High Barnet's historic Tudor Hall has been secured for community use after Barnet Museum's trustees successfully bid for the building, originally a 1573 schoolhouse. Plans include hosting exhibitions and events, enriching local heritage and culture.

Playing

• Kids First. Parents in Camden have launched the "Save Our Sandpit" campaign, opposing council plans to replace a children's play area with padel tennis courts. They emphasize the sandpit's role in fostering community bonds and providing essential play space for local families.

Water Sports Locally? Yes, really.

​The Phoenix Canoe Club and Outdoor Centre sit by the Welsh Harp reservoir, right on the Barnet-Brent border.

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If you thought Barnet and Brent were all tube stations and takeaway spots, think again.

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This is where locals come to paddle, sail, and windsurf without leaving North London.

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Run by Phil and Mark, the centre offers everything from kayaking and canoeing to dinghy sailing and powerboat training.

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Schools, youth groups, and the general public all get a chance to take to the water, while club members can sharpen their skills year-round.

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Officially recognised by British Canoeing, the RYA, and Sport England, Phoenix Canoe Club is serious about adventure - safely, of course.

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It’s licensed, accredited, and insured with £5m of public liability cover (because, well, water).

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So if you're looking for a weekend activity that doesn’t involve a shop queue, maybe it’s time to grab a paddle.

Editors' Note - From Sasha

A little less going out, a little more staying in - I'm writing a book.

Professionally, I’m an event strategist, and events are basically about community; whether you’re convening radiologists, politicians or AI specialists, each sector has its own community, and that’s what I love.

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In fact, community is my ikigai – my driving force. It’s why I do the work that I do, and why I write this lovely newsletter.

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The Chief Event Officer’s Playbook is out at the end of the year. I’m busy.

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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