Welcome

This week we've got a full Kings Birthday Honours lowdown, plus insights on how Finchley got its name. Plus a cool new walk, and Barnet Climate Action Month.

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Plus happy birthday this week to longtime reader Marilyn K.

🌟King Recognises 15 Local Stars

Finchley proudly celebrates its local heroes recognised in the recent King’s Birthday Honours for their outstanding contributions to community. We’ve done more research now – here’s 15 locals giving back.

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Hampstead resident, actor and playwright Tracy-Ann Oberman was awarded an MBE for her work in Holocaust education and combating antisemitism.

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​Dr Linda Greenwall, a Hampstead-based dentist, author, international lecturer, and philanthropist, has been appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), acknowledging her charitable work in community dentistry.

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Hampstead raised Claudia Winkleman has been awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the King's Birthday Honours for her services to broadcasting.

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Musical theatre star Elaine Paige, who has been made a Dame for services to music and charity. Elaine was born Elaine Bickerstaff in 1948 in Barnet.

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Sculptor Sir Antony Gormley, who grew up in Hampstead Garden Suburb, has been made a Companion of Honour for services to art. Sir Antony is famed for works such as the Angel of the North and Another Place.

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Haringey Council’s adult health and community care director Beverley Tarka championed the role of informal carers and pushed for their recognition, especially during the Covid pandemic. Beverley received an OBE for her contribution to adult social care.

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​Paul Anticoni, Chief Executive of Cricklewood-based World Jewish Relief which leads humanitarian efforts on behalf of the Jewish community has been awarded an OBE for services to vulnerable people.

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​Dave Rich, the Community Security Trust's (CST) head of policy, has been awarded an MBE for his work in tackling antisemitism.

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North West London’s Jewish Care had a hatrick of honours. Trustee Adam Dawson, inspiring Holocaust Survivors’ Centre member and Holocaust educator, Manfred Goldberg MBE, volunteer, Hilary Halter MBE and Senior Housing Manager, Horace Boston BEM.

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North-west London resident Graham Gouldman, 10cc frontman, received an MBE for services to music.

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These in addition to our first-finds, Agnes Celestine Slocombe, Community Leader, Barnet African Caribbean Association, Maria Victoria Miller, Manager, Chipping Barnet Food Bank and Cheryl Ferner-Reeves, Founder, New Horizons Theatre Company.

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Hats off to our local legends – could you be next? 🌟

Events

ARTS

Thursday 10th July

​Lila Dance: Fault Lines | Thu, Jul. 10 | 7:30 pm to | Arts Depot 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. Fault Lines explores the environmental damage we’ve inflicted but asks what happens when we stand together with hope? What will that take?

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Sunday 20th July

​The Big Bad Wolf - Open Air Theatre | Sun, Jul. 20 | 11:30 am and 2:30 pm | Stephens House & Gardens | £18 adult / £14 under-16s | A brand new rock and roll musical for the whole family following the scheming life of Fairy tale Land’s most feared baddy - The Big Bad Wolf.

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Thursday 24th July

​St Albans Comedy Garden | Thu, Jul. 24 | 6:00 pm to | St Albans Comedy Garden Verulamium Park, AL3 4HG | £27.50 | St Albans Comedy Garden returns with four nights of all-star stand-up live in the Big Top, plus craft beer, street eats and more.

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COMMUNITY

Friday 11th July

​Guided Healthy Heritage Walk | Fri, Jul. 11 | 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm | St Mary-at-Finchley, 26 Hendon Lane, N3 1TR | Free | Join us for a 5-mile circular healthy heritage walk - soak up some history, get some exercise and celebrate our wonderful green spaces. Drink and nibbles after at 4.30pm.

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Saturday 12th July

​Big Beat Playground - Summer Festival 2025 | Sat, Jul. 12 | 1:00 pm to 7:00 pm | Our Yard at Clitterhouse Farm, Clitterhouse Playing Fields, Claremont Road, NW2 1AP | Pre-walking infants - free; Child - £7.50; Adult - £14.50 | Big Beat Playground's festivals are inclusive, joyful and unforgettable, providing a space for families to relax, socialise, play, create, dance and party.

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Friday 18th July

​Summer Party | Fri, Jul. 18 | 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm | Stephens House & Gardens | £8.50 | Join us in the Gardens for an evening of live music from SH&G favourites the The Johns, Follow our Hits Trail to win Sunday Lunch for four, try your hand at some garden games or just relax in our beautiful Gardens. Cash bar and barbecue.

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Sunday 20th July

​Impacting the Community: Brunch Delight Jumble Sale & Pop-Up Stand | Sun, Jul. 20 | 12:00 pm to 3:30 pm | Open Heavens Christian Centre, 194 Broadfields Avenue, HA8 8TF | Free | The Women’s Ministry of OHCC Edgware is hosting a community event to raise funds for the Young Saints Ministry, our children's church. This special event, organised by the Women’s Ministry of OHCC Edgware, is designed to raise funds to buy infrastructure for the children in the church.

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MUSIC

Friday 18th July

​New French Song II - Launch of CD | Fri, Jul. 18 | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | St Mary-at-Finchley Parish Church, 26 Hendon Lane, N3 1TR | Free (donations to St Mary-at-Finchley Church and Churchyard Appeal) | Classical music duo Alison Smart Fisher (soprano) and Katharine Durran (piano) have been busy. Over the past 18 months they have commissioned, premiered and recorded 10 brand new songs by British composers to create a CD called New French Song II. Come and enjoy the CD launch - drinks, nibbles and live music. Please RSVP to alisonsmartfisher@gmail.com​

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SPORT

Friday 18th July

​Brent United Football Club Trials | Fri, Jul. 18 | 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm | Willesden Sports Centre, Donnington Road, NW10 3QX | Free | Brent United Football Club is looking for dedicated and talented young footballers aged U5-U12, looking to advance into the elite academy football system.

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Saturday 19th July

​West Reservoir Saturday Swim | Sat, Jul. 19 | 11:00 am to 1:00 pm | West Reservoir Water Sports Centre, Green Lanes, N4 2HA | Free | Mental Health Swims is a community that welcomes and empowers everyone – people of all body shapes, skin colours, ages, backgrounds, genders, sexualities and abilities to enjoy the healing power of cold water and community.

Events - Book Ahead

Friday 1st August

​Tales from the British Library | Fri, Aug. 01 | 1:30 pm to 2:30 pm | Chickenshed, 290 Chase Side N14 4PE | £5 | Join Chickenshed’s beloved Tales characters for a brand-new collaboration with the British Library. Sing, dance, and act through one of the world’s most incredible archives. The British Library has opened its doors to the Tales team, and we’ve uncovered wonder at every turn, on every page, in every book.

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​Scottish Fish | Fri, Aug. 01 | 8:00 pm to 10:30 pm | Heath Street Baptist Church, 84 Heath Street, NW3 1DN | £16 | Scottish Fish present a fresh take on traditional and contemporary Scottish and Cape Breton music. After growing up steeped in the Boston Celtic music scene, these five young women began touring at an early age, quickly enchanting domestic and international audiences with their youthful enthusiasm, creative arrangements, and sensitive performances.

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​Everyman On the Canal | Wed, June, 30 till Sun, Aug, 17 | 12:00 pm to 7:30 pm | Regent's Canal Towpath, N1C 4PQ | Free | London’s most idyllic outdoor cinema, Everyman on the Canal, returns to King’s Cross with a full programme of blockbusters, family favourites, cult classics and even some summer sporting events. More than 100 films will be screened, from standout blockbusters, such as Wicked and family favourites, like Coco, to much-loved cult classics, like Dirty Dancing, along with live music sessions.

Local Lowdown

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Walking

• Walking wonder. Blogger Diamond Geezer recently took on one of Barnet's seven Healthy Heritage Walks, a three-mile stroll from Hendon to Mill Hill. Created with the Ramblers, these walks come with maps and even a Spotify playlist. A great way to explore local history and get some steps in. Check out his summary.

Cleaning

• Stream cleaning champions. 13 volunteers cleaned up 220 metres of the Silk Stream. They pulled out invasive Himalayan balsam and removed 12 bags of rubbish. They even found a bike and a trolley. All part of Barnet Climate Action Month’s events, which help keep Montrose Playing Fields and the riverbanks healthy and flood-free.

Building

• Rooftop rising. Plans are in for 15 new flats on Chandos Way and Britten Close Estate in Golders Green. Developers plan to add a single-storey rooftop extension to nine blocks. However, past attempts since 2018 were rejected because they were seen as too bulky. Will this version finally get the green light?

Educating

• ​Manor School in Brent is still smashing it. After a recent Ofsted visit, the special school kept up the “outstanding” standards that made it famous. Students are running the school café, taking orders, and serving up skills for life. That’s education with a side of real-world experience.

Awarding

• Winning ways. After a few years out of the spotlight, Barnet’s oldest pub, Ye Olde Mitre Inne, has reclaimed its crown. It's been voted 2025's Pub of the Year by the local CAMRA branch, thanks to its top-notch real ale and a recent refurbishment. Cheers to that.

How Finchley Got Its Name

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Finchley is a Saxon place name, and likely means “Finch’s clearing” or “finches’ clearing,” a name first recorded in the early 1200s.

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Though absent from the Domesday Book, the area’s land belonged to the Bishop of London by the 11th century. At that time, it was dense woodland, supplying pigs and fuel to the city.

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After the Norman Conquest, cultivation expanded. By the 15th century, trees along the eastern side were cleared, forming Finchley Common - later infamous for highwaymen along the Great North Road.

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​St Mary-at-Finchley Church appears in records from the 1270s, and by 1365, East End (now East Finchley) was taking shape near the Bishop’s Park gate. In the 1700s, Finchley’s hay became highly prized. North Finchley emerged much later, only after the common was enclosed in the 1820s. Finchley’s layered story remains rooted in its clearing origins.

Editors' Note - From Sasha

Yesterday Finchley and Golders Green MP Sarah Sackman celebrated a year of being our local MP.

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She brought together people from across our very many local and activity communities for a slice of locally-made-of-course cake (between the cloudbursts).

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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