Welcome

It's a celebratory week at Finchley Now Towers - on Thursday we welcomed our 3,000th subscriber!

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Hello Antoaneta - and all our of our readers. We write this newsletter because we love community and we love Finchley.

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This week we've got wild swimming and a the UK's first (Finchleyite) female train driver.

🏊‍♀ Dip In: 4 Wild Swim Gems

It’s crazy hot. Fancy a cold plunge? Maybe time to consider wild swimming (if you haven’t already).

​Whether you're into lazy backstrokes or brisk early plunges, Finchley’s in prime position – and we've added some slightly wilder waters to whet your appetite. Wet your appetite. See what we did there.

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1: Hampstead Heath Ponds, NW3

Hampstead Heath is home to some of the best outdoor swimming spots in London including three natural bathing ponds. You can choose between Hampstead Mixed pond, Kenwood's Ladies’ pond and Highgate Men's pond , each with something different to offer. Revel in swimming in nature – all 790 acres of it.

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Hampstead Heath, London NW3 1BP

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2: Parliament Hill Lido, NW5

​Parliament Hill Lido is the most grandiose of the 13 open-air pools that were built across London just before World War II. Located in Hampstead Heath, next to Gospel Oak railway station, it's a 60-metre-long public unheated open-air swimming pool, open for 12 months a year.

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Parliament Hill Fields, Gordon House Rd, London NW5 1LT

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3: West Reservoir Centre, N4

A little further afield and set on 23 acres of water, the vast West Reservoir is a Hackney hidden gem. Situated between Finsbury Park and Stoke Newington, with a cityscape backdrop, there are two open water courses - a 300m loop and a 100m warm-up lane. Book ahead in peak times. Limited changing spaces. And you need to wear a bright red, orange or pink swimming hat.

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Green Lanes, Woodberry Down, London N4 2HA

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4: The Serpentine Lido, Hyde Park, W2

Arguably London’s most iconic wild swimming spot, the Serpentine Lido was the first to be described as a 'lido' in the UK. Adjacent Lido Café Bar. Home to the oldest swimming club in Britain. Open daily between June and mid-September. Closed last week as a result of blue green algae contamination - check before you go. Worth leaving Finchley for?

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Hyde Park, London W2 2UH

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Finchley’s just a splash away from some of North London’s best swimming spots – and we’ve dived a little deeper to include a few refreshing gems further out. Go on, take the plunge. 🏊‍♀

Events

THEATRE

Tuesday 1st July

​Julius Caesar | Tue, Jul. 1 | 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm | Incognito Theatre, 106A Holly Park Road, N11 3HB | £11 | Shakespeare's iconic tragedy is abridged into a punchy two hours. Power, populism and an infamous political assassination take centre stage - but at what cost to the people of Rome?

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Wednesday 2nd July

​Upswing Presents Showdown | Wed, Jul. 2 | 7:30 pm to 8:35 pm | artsdepot, 5 Nether Street, N12 0GA | £19 | Showdown playfully unpacks our obsession with winning, asking: What’s worth sacrificing to come out on top? With each round, we dive deeper into the contestants’ drive to succeed, while chaos and surprises keep everyone on their toes.

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Saturday 5th July

​Vanity Fair | Sat, Jul. 05 | 7:00 pm | Keats Community Library, 10A Keats Grove, NW3 2RR | from £21.84 | Welcome to Vanity Fair – a giddy carousel of social climbers, buffoons and preening dandies.Thackeray’s famous tale of greed, ambition, love and betrayal follows the fortunes of scheming Becky Sharp and lovelorn Amelia Sedley, transporting audiences from Regency salons and ballrooms to the battlefield of Waterloo.

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COMMUNITY

Tuesday 1st July

​Report Back: Finchley Lakeside Co-design Event | Tue, Jul. 1 | 6:45 pm to 8:30 pm | Former Pentland HQ, Squires Lane | Free | Following the Co-design Event, the JTP-led team will analyse the outcomes and draw up an illustrated Vision for Finchley Lakeside to be reported back to the local community on Tuesday 1 July, 6.45pm to 8.30pm and Wednesday 2 July, 2pm to 7.30pm.

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Sunday 6th July

Windermere Play Street | Sun 6 Jul | 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm | Windermere Avenue, N3 | Local community play street; no cars, street games, paperback book swap, chat to neighbours – bring a cake to share if you would like. Between Amberden and Beechwood Avenue.

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Thursday 10th July

​Barnet Multi Faith Forum AGM 2025 | Thu, Jul. 10 | 6:00 pm to 8:30 pm | Hendon Town Hall, The Burroughs, NW4 4AX | Free | The AGM is a great chance to meet other local faith groups, charities, and the diverse people who comprise our dynamic local communities. Following the AGM there will be a panel discussion - 'Strength through Collaboration'. How can we empower our communities and increase understanding?

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MUSIC

Thursday 3rd July

​​Live Music Night with Jiminy Rockit | Thu, Jul. 03 | 10:30 pm | The Claddagh Ring, 10 Church Road, NW4 4EA | From £5 | Join everyone at the claddah ring for Jiminy Rockit: Fundraising for Citizens Advice Barnet, a lively evening of pop and rock music performed by the talented Jiminy Rockit Band. This special event is all about bringing the community together for great music, good vibes, and supporting a vital local cause.

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Sunday 6th July

​Summer Concert​ | Sun, Jul. 6 | 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm | NWRS, Alyth Gardens, NW11 7EN | £20 (students and under 18s free) | Alyth Choral Society is thrilled to be performing two new works, one of which is the world premiere: Psalm 118: Give thanks to the eternal by Julian Dawes, and A Season to Sing - a choral re-imagining of Vivaldi's Four Seasons by Joanna Forbes L'Estrange.

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Wednesday 9th July

Joy of Singing Summer Concert | Wed, Jul. 9 | 7:45 pm to 9:45 pm | Hampstead Garden Suburb Free Church, Central Square, NW11 7AG | Ticket £10 at the door | In aid of the North London Hospice. Broad mix of songs, Folk, Broadway, Classical and Early Music in an Informal and friendly atmosphere.

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ARTS

Thursday 10th July

​Lila Dance: Fault Lines | Thu, Jul. 10 | 7:30 pm | artsdepot, 5 Nether Street ,N12 0GA | £18 | Fault Lines pulls at the tension in our relationship with nature. Our constant pursuit of progress increasing the speed of life has left us out of sync with the natural world.A scorched earth, from the rubble and the ruin the survivors emerge. A new world, a second chance.

Events - Book Ahead

Saturday 28th June

​Sip N Paint | Thu, Jul. 24 | 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm | Arnos Arms Pub, 338 Bowes Rd, Arnos Grove, 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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Saturday 30th August

​Queens Park Book Festival - Zadie Smith & Nick Laird: Wierdo | Sat, Aug. 30 | 11:30 am | Queen's Park, Kingswood Avenue, NW6 6SG | £5 | Join Zadie Smith and Nick Laird as they reveal their new book Weirdo Goes Wild!.

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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. Join us for another fantastic day on the course while helping to support local children and young people across Barnet.​

Local Lowdown

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Lounging

• Lounging in style. Noah’s Ark Children’s Hospice has unveiled “The Lounge". It is a cool, purpose-built hangout for teens 13+ on Byng Road. Expect snacks, gaming, crafts, and a safe, chilled vibe away from the main building. Huge thanks to the Patels, who funded it in memory of their daughter Kinnari.

Being together

• Shiny and new in Highgate Newton. The long-awaited community centre has finally opened its doors, boasting a sports hall, cookery school, hairdresser, and laundrette. Camden Council’s also rolling out speech and language support, mental health help, and courses for parents and carers. All under one roof - at last.

Flowering

• Tube stations went wild. Last Monday there were free wildflower seed packets being given out at Finchley Central for London Climate Action Week from the Mayor of London. Did you get a pack? Plant your seeds, and brighten up your patch.

Recognising

• Saluting fairness. Barnet’s got veterans’ backs - military compensation is fully ignored when assessing means-tested benefits. That means ex-service personnel and their families keep every penny they’re due, from council tax support to housing help. The Royal British Legion’s new map puts Barnet among the best for treating our veterans right.

Selling

• Pub plot twist. The Midland Hotel in Hendon is closed for refurb. Locals are buzzing after its £2.3m sale went through, even though it is protected as an Asset of Community Value. Barnet Council has confirmed that no planning rules have been broken.

The Finchleyite: Karen Harrison

​Karen Harrison, born in 1960 and raised in Finchley, North London, made history as the first female train driver in Britain.

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After attending Finchley’s St Michael’s Convent Grammar School she defied the odds in a male-dominated industry. She joined British Rail at 16 and qualified as a driver in 1979, enduring years of sexism and resistance. A proud trade unionist, she rose to national officer of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA), championing workers' rights and equal opportunities.

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Harrison later studied law at Oxford, later becoming a barrister. Her determination and North London roots shaped a trailblazing career marked by resilience and advocacy.

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Remembered for breaking barriers and fighting injustice, she remains an inspiring figure in both the labour movement and transport history. Harrison died in 2011, but her legacy continues to empower women in traditionally male roles.

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There’s a Euston mural celebrating her contributions by Manchester street artist Akse.

Editors' Note - From Tessa

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This week I hosted 40 x 18-year-olds in my house for an 18th birthday party.

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We all survived in tact.

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No photos can be shared...

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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