Welcome

This week we've got three great local breakfast spots, book club picks for you, three local awards and the lowdown on Finchley's historic clown.

🥐 Morning Delights: 3 Of The Best Local Breakfast Spots

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Finchley and surrounding areas offer a bevy of breakfast spots that promise to get your day started.

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Here are 3 local spots where the breakfasts are worth getting out of bed for. Trust us, your taste buds will thank you.

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1: Boulangerie Bon Matin

29-31 Ballards Lane, N3 1XP

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A recent addition to Finchley, Boulangerie Bon Matin infuses a slice of Paris into our local community.

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It is owned by the culinary duo Dahmane Ladjassa and his wife. Dahmane trained in Paris and Westminster Kingsway College.

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Everything is made onsite.

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Recommendation: Don’t miss their eggs benedict with turkey bacon and a side of sausages, or treat yourself to a lemon tart if you’ve still got room. All the meat is halal.

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2: Campbell and Syme Coffee Roasters Cafe

9 Fortis Green, N2 9JR

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​Campbell and Syme are known for their profound respect for coffee. They offer exceptional brews.

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Their breakfast menu complements their outstanding coffee. There are treats like avocado toast with smoked salmon or a hearty kimchi toastie.

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Recommendation: The granola is fab, and perfectly paired with their expertly crafted coffee.

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3: Holybella

860 High Road, N12 9RH

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Fresh from a stylish refurbishment, Holybella is the artisan heart of North Finchley.

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Drawing inspiration from Mediterranean cuisine, this family-run coffee house and tea room serves everything from brunch to beautiful breakfasts.

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All their dishes are prepared with locally sourced, seasonal ingredients.

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Recommendation: The Holybella Pancakes are a must-try, known for their fluffy texture and fresh taste.

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Next time you're out and about, you know where to head for that first important meal of the day. Enjoy your breakfast adventure.

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Events

KIDS

Wednesday 9th October

​Sensory Play Classes | Wed, Oct. 09 | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | St Mary's Hall, 30 Hendon Lane, N3 1TR | £10 per child, £7 for siblings | 1 hour class - 45 mins of sensory exploration and then for the last 15 mins there will be a sing along with a couple of songs and read a story to end. For 6 month to 5 year olds.

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OLDER PEOPLE

Wednesday 9th October

Flower Arranging Class | Wed, Oct. 09 | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | 76 Montrose Avenue, Edgware, HA8 0DT | £48 for the full course | If you would love to know how to arrange flowers like a professional, why not come along to the new Age UK flower arranging class starting on Wednesday 9th October. | To book a place call Louise on 07384 466 840 email louise.palmer@ageukbarnet.org.uk

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ARTS

Monday 7th October

​Hidden Voices | Mon, Oct. 07 | 11:30 am to 5:00 pm | Camden Black British History Community Hub, 18 Malden Road, NW5 3HN | Free | A project created to uncover Camden's Black History ensuring the borough's history reflects the diversity of its communities and is celebrated and remembered for generations to come. You can drop in archive material (photos, letters, flyers, particularly from people of the Windrush era), which are handed over to Camden Local Studies and Archives Centre and recorded as part of history.

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Thursday 17th October

​Spies And British PMs | Thu, Oct. 17 | 8:00 pm | Fellowship House, 136a Willifield Way, NW11 6YD | £5 | Fellowship House will be hosting Professor Richard J Aldrich, who is a professor of Politics and International Studies at University of Warwick. He will be speaking on Spies and British PMs, just turn up no need to book in advance.

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MUSIC

Wednesday 9th October

​In Conversation with… Kabaka Pyramid | Wed, Oct. 09 | 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm | Camden Town Hall (Claudia Jones Room) 5 Judd Street WC1H 9JE | free with donation | Join Grammy Award-winning artist Kabaka Pyramid for a frank and honest conversation on the current state of the cultural scene in Jamaica, Rastafari in 2024, the system and the global music industry.

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Sunday 13th October

​The Men Who Knew Too Much | Sun, Oct. 13 | 7:30 pm | The Camden Club, NW1 8AN | £15 | The Men Who Knew Too Much…… is Finchley resident Erran Baron Cohen and Jules Brookes. Erran (vocals, keys, trumpet, melodica) is best known as the award-winning film composer of Borat, Bruno & Da Ali G Show. An ever evolving selection of classic tunes with fresh twist; funk, reggae/ska, jazz, Latin, soul, rock and more. As usual, the boys will be joined onstage by special guests and some of London’s finest musicians.

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COMMUNITY

Monday 7th October

​Feeding Barnet - A Food Security Summit | Mon, Oct. 07 | 10:00 am to 4:00 pm | Ark Pioneer Academy. Westcombe Drive, EN5 2BE | Free | Chipping Barnet Foodbank event with Barnet Food Partnership. Food insecurity is a growing issue in our community. Last year alone, over 153,000 food parcels were distributed in Barnet, and this year the numbers are only increasing. Attend the summit to explore how we can tackle these issues.

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Sunday 13th October

​Sunday Funday - Bohemia's 10th Birthday | Sun, Oct. 13 | The Bohemia, 762-764 High Rd, N12 9QH | TBA | The Bohemia continues its 10th birthday celebrations with a live acoustic session in the afternoon, followed by live jazz in the basement bar from the B12 Lounge. Sunday roasts, with a free pint of London Brewing Co Beer Street Best Bitter (or a glass of fizz) offered with all bookings confirmed by Friday 11th October.

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Sunday 20th October

​Market Place Playground Grand Opening | Sun, Oct. 20 | 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm | Market Place Playground, N2 8DQ | Free | Come and join barnet council Deputy Mayor Cllr Danny Rich as he officially opens Market Place Playground.

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SPORT

Wednesday 16th October

​Stretching Through Trauma Finchley | Wed, Oct. 16 | 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm | Holy Trinity Church Finchley - Holy Trinity Church, 77 Church Ln, London N2 0TH | Free | With support from Grange Big Local "Stretching Through Trauma" classes are running in East Finchley in October and November. These free sessions, designed to support the community through social prescribing, will provide a safe space for healing and connection.

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THEATRE

Wednesday 30th October

​A Halloween Horror Double Bill - Bothy And The Monkeys Paw | Wed, Oct. 30 – Nov 2 | Hornsey Moravian Church, Priory Rd, London N8 7HR | £13 | Enjoy two plays with the crouch end players this Halloween. Bothy is a chilling tale that will ensure that you will never go hiking alone, a creepy psychological drama and The Monkeys Paw is a classic tale of when your wishes do come true but with terrible consequences.

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NATURE

Tuesday 15th October

​Bulb lasagne plant-and-take-home workshop | Tue, Oct. 15 | 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm | Whetstone Stray Allotments, N12 7DX | FREE | Come and plant a pot full with pollinator-friendly bulbs, and then take it home! Add a little "pollinator buzz stop" and beautify your place with flowers.

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Tuesday 15th October

​Webinar: Learn how trees & shrubs support biodiversity in our gardens | Tue, Oct. 15 | 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm | Online | FREE | Join the Finchley Pollinator Project to explore the best species to plant to benefit pollinators and biodiversity, including flowering dogwoods, willows, and hawthorn, that offer nectar, pollen, and habitat. |

Events - Book Ahead

Sunday 3 November

​Camden Town WFC vs Luton Town Reserves | Sun, Nov. 3 | 1:00 pm to 4:30 pm | The Maurice Rebak Stadium | Free event | Greater London Women’s Football League – Match day; 2pm kick off, bar and food stalls open from 1pm. Party after the game in the bar to meet the players and coaches. Can't wait to see you for another exciting game!

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Sunday 3 November

​Hadley Wood Association - Fireworks Display | Sun, Nov. 03 | 4:30 pm | HWA Centre, 1-7 Crescent East, Hadley Wood, EN4 0EL | £9 | The Hadley Wood association welcomes you to their fireworks display, this display will be accompanied by a funfair, gourmet street food and a licenced bar.

Local Lowdown

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Parks

• Cherry Cheers. Cherry Tree Wood in East Finchley has received the prestigious Green Flag Award, recognising it as one of the country's best parks. A flag-raising ceremony celebrated the achievement, attended by council staff, volunteers, and Councillor Alan Schneiderman, highlighting the park's importance for wellbeing and community.

Parking

• Zone Tweaks. Barnet residents have until 13th October to provide feedback on proposed changes to the Golders Green Controlled Parking Zone (CPZ). The consultation allows residents to suggest adjustments to operational days and times. Feedback could lead to new CPZ areas or changes to existing ones.

Community

• Barnet Triumphs. Barnet Council won two awards at the London Construction Awards for Brent Cross West. The first for Excellence in Community Engagement and the second for Project Team of the Year. “The judges felt that they were able to show how the community is at the very core of the Brent Cross Cricklewood programme.”

Biodiversity

• Nature Nurtured. Great Northern is enhancing biodiversity at Enfield and Barnet stations by installing homes for insects and birds. Partnering with the Bee Friendly Trust, they’ve created over 20 "homes for nature" to support wildlife. This initiative aims to protect endangered species and promote nature recovery.

Pensions

• Pension Progress. Barnet's pension fund has been nominated for two awards after transitioning from fossil fuel investments to a net-zero portfolio. Recognised as a leader in climate-related investing, the fund is up for the Investment Innovation Award and Local Government Pension Scheme Fund of the Year.

Finchleyite: Joseph Grimaldi

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Joseph Grimaldi was a famous clown who lived at Fallow Cottage, on what’s now 5-8 Graywood Court, N12.

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Known for transforming the role of Clown, Grimaldi wore whiteface makeup and coined catchphrases like “Here we are again!”. Both of these are still used today.

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He rented Fallow Cottage from 1806 to around 1812, fondly calling it Tippity Cottage.

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Every night, he'd drive out from London after performances to his Finchley retreat.

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Though the original cottage was demolished, a blue plaque at the site remembers him.

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The original plaque, unveiled by Spike Milligan in 1984, got lost with the old Memorial Hospital. A new one was put up in 2016 by Griff Rhys-Jones.

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So next time you pass Graywood Court, think of Grimaldi - our very own king of clowns.

Editors' Note - From Sasha

For a long time, I was all about the purple. I still am, in some ways.

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But green is my new colour.

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And then there's that moment when the vintage tube tiles match your manicure.

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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