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🌳 3 Tree-mendous Finchley Finds

This post is inspired by the view from Sasha' window a few weeks back...

From secret arboretums to a pocket-sized forest and a digital tree-tracker, Finchley’s leafy life is thriving in surprising and delightful ways.

Tiny Forest, Mighty Impact

Tucked along Mutton Brook, Finchley boasts its very own Tiny Forest - a pocket-sized patch of biodiversity planted with over 1,800 native trees in a single day. That’s right, Finchley folk rolled up their sleeves and gave nature a helping hand, turning a strip of land into a thriving, leafy haven. It made the BBC London news - video here. It’s not just for the birds and the bees - this little forest is a big win for climate, community, and school kids learning hands-on about nature. Small but mighty, indeed.

The Secret Life of Avenue House

If you’ve ever wandered the grounds of Stephens House and Gardens and felt strangely calm, thank the trees. The Avenue House Arboretum is one of Finchley’s lesser-known gems, with rare and exotic specimens quietly growing behind the scenes. It’s not just a garden - it’s a living museum, lovingly restored and protected. A perfect place to contemplate your existence or, at the very least, enjoy an above-average sandwich in leafy surrounds.

Find Your Favourite Tree (Literally)

Did you know you can track every single tree in Finchley (and beyond) from your sofa? The London Tree Map is a gloriously nerdy tool that lets you explore over 900,000 street trees, including those right outside your door. Pop in your postcode and discover what’s growing on. Whether it’s a hornbeam, London plane, or trusty oak, this digital canopy connects us to our urban forest in an unexpectedly addictive way.

So whether you’re planting, strolling, or scrolling, Finchley’s trees are working quietly on our behalf—cooling our streets, cleaning our air, and occasionally offering the perfect branch for a squirrel’s acrobatics. Go on, give one a pat next time you pass. They’ve earned it.🌳

Events

ARTS

Sunday 31st May

Amongst the Trees and Terraces | Sun, May. 31 | 10:00 am to 4:00 pm | Burgh House, New End Square, NW3 1LT | Free | Amongst the Trees and Terraces: Donald Towner (1903-1985) is the first exhibition in decades to celebrate the life and work of Hampstead-based painter Donald Towner. Spanning the interwar and postwar years, this exhibition traces Towner's landscapes, cityscapes, and Hampstead views.

COMMUNITY

Thursday 28th May

Time to Unwind at Golders Green Library | Thu, May. 28 | 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm | Golders Green Library, 156 Golders Green Road, NW11 8HE | Free | Join the Community Room for board games, puzzles, crafts, mindful colouring and more. Get to know people in your local community and learn a new skill.

Friday 29th May

The Book Witch at Colindale Library | Fri, May. 29 | 3:15 pm to 4:15 pm | Colindale Library, Bristol Avenue, Colindale, NW9 4BR | £3.50 | Coppice Theatre, an award-winning Cornish company, bring an engaging, entertaining and educational production for young people.

Saturday 6th June

MUSIC

Friday 29th May

Thursday 4th June

40th Anniversary of Poems on the Underground | Thu, Jun. 04 | 7:00 pm | 10A Keats Grove, NW3 2RR | £12 | Celebrate 40 wonderful years with co-founder of Poems on the Underground Judith Chernaik, readings from distinguished guests Imtiaz Dharker, George Szirtes and Nick Makoha, with live music.

OLDER PEOPLE

Monday 1st June

Better Balance Taster Programme | Mon, Jun. 01 | 10:30 am to 11:30 am | Burnt Oak Library, Watling Avenue, HA8 0UB | Free | A weekly chair-based class over 6 weeks led by an OTAGO qualified instructor from Better, combining strength and balance exercises to reduce the fear and risk of falling.

SHOPPING

Saturday 6th June

THEATRE

Thursday 4th June

Still Pointless: BalletBoyz at 25 | Thu, Jun. 04 | 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm | artsdepot, N12 0GA | Tickets from £19 | Pioneering dance company BalletBoyz mark the 25th anniversary of their critically acclaimed debut, Pointless, with this exhilarating new production. 10 world-class dancers take audiences on a retrospective journey through BalletBoyz moments.

Joyfully Jewish: Getting On | Thu, Jun. 04 | 7:45 pm to 9:35 pm | artsdepot, N12 0GA | Tickets from £19 | Echoes Theatre co. and THE JEWish CABARET present a selection of new, short comedic plays and original musical theatre songs all about the joys (and oys) of being older and Jewish.

Events - Book Ahead

Sunday 28th June

Music In Muswell Hill | Sun, Jun. 28 | 4:00 pm | St Andrews Church, Alexandra Park Road, N10 2DD | Free | Andrew Zolinsky returns to St Andrews for a third recital. Andrew has performed with the BBC Orchestra and is a Professor of Piano at the Royal College of Music. The programme includes Brahms intermezzos in A minor, A major, G minor and E minor, plus a Beethoven Sonata in E major.

Friday 3rd July

The Susi Earnshaw Theatre School presents "The Shim Sham Club" | Fri, Jul. 03 | 7:00 pm | The Bull Theatre, EN5 5SJ | £21.38 | Grab a drink from the bar and immerse yourself in the 1920s jazz era. The talented pupils of North London's only full-time stage school always leave their audience wanting more.

Sunday 12th July

Unique Handmade Two Sake Cups or Bowl Making Workshop x Noriko Nagaoka at Kanpai | Sun, Jul. 12 | 1:00 pm to 2:45 pm | Kanpai London Sake Brewery & Taproom, 48 Druid Street, London, SE1 2EZ | £43 per person (1 sake or soft drink included) | Join for a fun Sunday afternoon workshop to make unique pinch-pot sake cups or bowls with many textures. Family friendly.

Local Lowdown

Karl Marx at Highgate Cemetery | Image from Getty Images

Restoring

The resting place of Karl Marx and George Michael has won £6.7m. The National Lottery Heritage Fund grant kicks off Highgate Cemetery's five-year restoration, tackling climate-driven waterlogging, restoring the Egyptian Avenue, and reopening Terrace Catacombs views toward St Paul's after 50 years.

Welcoming

Barnet has a new first citizen. Cllr Zahra Beg was sworn in as the borough's 62nd Mayor on 19 May at Hendon Town Hall, taking over from Cllr Danny Rich. The Underhill Ward councillor, since 2022 will represent the borough at civic events throughout the year.

Brunching

A new spot for north London brunch fans. Luna opens at the Belsize Park site featured in the latest Bridget Jones film, Mad About The Boy with Renee Zellweger. Worth a peek before the queue forms.

Applying

Calling artists at any career stage. North Finchley's artsdepot is taking applications for nine residency places offering rehearsal space, £1,000 seed funding and mentorship from September. Applications close Tuesday 26 May at 5:00 pm, with one slot reserved for emerging artists aged 18 to 25.

Splashing

With 30C forecast and Hampstead Heath ponds packed, where else can you cool off? The Oasis Sports Centre lido in Covent Garden hides a heated outdoor pool, a sauna and a gym five minutes from Tottenham Court Road. A bathing spot since 1728.

The Finchleyite: Red + Yellow Linesman Flags

In a week when north London football is more than in the news, a Finchley-related football story feels like the thing.

During a 1947 amateur football match in Finchley, referee Ken Aston a football first. During a foggy match there, Aston noticed that the linesmen's flags (which historically matched the home team's kit) were nearly impossible to see.

He successfully introduced the vibrant, brightly coloured red and yellow flags for linesmen (now known as assistant referees) that very year.

Fun football fact: Ken also conceived the red and yellow card system.

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Editors' Note - From Sasha

Busy week at IMEX in Frankfurt last week. Me and 11,999 other event professionals. Tons of fun but good to be back in Blighty.

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

Finchley Now

🗞️ Highgate Cemetery Gets £6.7m