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🗞️ Idris Elba spotted nearby!
Published about 4 hours ago • 7 min read
Welcome
With Mother's Day coming up - or just for a treat - why not check out our local cake makers list?
Plus Idris spotted on North London soil - and North London Book Fest incoming.
🧁5 Cake Makers Behind Finchley's Best Bakes
Oh-so-real cakes from DaisyBouqCakes
Finchley’s baking scene is on a proper sugar-high right now — from Jubilee-famous showstoppers to fresh-fruit cupcakes you can grab on a Friday morning.
Whether you’re after a bespoke birthday masterpiece or a “just because” treat, these local cake-makers are serving up serious wow in every postcode.
Shabnam Russo N3
Shabnam Russo was a finalist in Fortnum’s Nationwide Pudding Competition for the Queens Platinum Jubilee. She’s the inventor of Falooda Cake, and you can watch her on BBC1 “70 Years in the Baking.” Based near the Farm on Regents Park Road.
mmm... bake! N2
Meera is a Cake Artist making yummy and bespoke cakes. DM to order (ideally at least 2 weeks notice). Based in East Finchley.
LK Cupcakes N12
Still going strong after last year’s launch, Laura makes fabulous fresh fruit cupcakes with no artificial flavourings. Right now, you can find her beautiful creations at the Lodge Lane Market N12 on Friday mornings. Current flavours include apricot, banana, mango, orange passionfruit and strawberry. Order online via website or DM on insta. Delivery in North Finchley, or collection if you’re further afield. Insta.
Award-winning cake designer Mahasti Alidousti has been obsessed with baking cakes since she was a teenager. Made-to-order only designs. A family run business - Kim, Mahasti’s daughter handles the business side. Mahasti takes the info and turns it into magic by creating your dream cakes. Insta
Daisy’s Bouqcakes, Tring Herts
Totally worth leaving Finchley for. Daisy’s Bouqcakes are absolutely beautiful and almost lifelike cupcake bouquets and flower cupcakes. Pick up and local delivery, Hertfordsire. Insta.Email for prices and more info.
Our Finchley and surrounding areas bakers take "having your cake and eating it too" to a whole new level, crafting bespoke creations that are the talk of every tea table.
Why not indulge in a slice of Finchley life.🧁
Events
ARTS
Thursday 26th February
Lucy Porter: Let Yourself Go | Thu, Feb. 26 | 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm | artsdepot | Tickets from £23 | Festival favourite Lucy returns with a brand new show about the power of letting yourself go - in every sense.
Womens Writers Festival | Fri, Feb. 27 | 9:00 pm to 10:00 pm | 265 Camden High Street (above the Oxford Arms), NW1 7BU | £16.85 | Three teams, one hour, infinite fun. Join for a night of London's finest and funniest improv teams: Burn The Script, Scamps, and Silent Soundtrack, hosted by Sylvie Tamar. All proceeds from this show will be donated to the Immigrant Rapid Response Fund in Minnesota, USA.
Saturday 28th February
Daliso Chaponda: Topical Storm | Sat, Feb. 28 | 7:45 pm to 10:00 pm | artsdepot | Tickets from £19 | Daliso's been writing jokes about the news for over a decade - on Have I Got News For You, Radio 4's News Quiz, and many more. Now he returns with a new show about news itself.
COMMUNITY
Thursday 26th February
Finchley Society Monthly Meeting - Postman’s Park and the Watts Memorial | Thu, Feb. 26 | 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm | Avenue House, located at Stephens House and Gardens, 17 East End Road, N3 3QE | Free to members; £2.00 cash for visitors | The Watts Memorial is located in Postman’s Park, in the City of London. The Memorial contains 54 tablets commemorating individuals who lost their own life while attempting to save the life of another. It is a unique and enduring monument to the everyday heroism of otherwise ordinary people. The talk by John Price will briefly outline the history of the memorial and explore the lives and deaths of some of those who feature on it.
MUSIC
Saturday 28th February
Dr. Feelgood - Doctor's Orders Anniversary Tour | Sat, Feb. 28 | 7:30 pm to 10:00 pm | artsdepot | Tickets from £19 | Get ready for a dose of high-energy rhythm and blues as Dr. Feelgood bring their signature raw, no-nonsense sound to the stage.
Barnet Boogie | Sat, Feb. 28 | 7:00 pm | Chipping Barnet Social Club, 33 High Street, EN5 5UW | Free | Brand new soul and RnB club starting in Barnet end of the month.
Playing the best of 60s and early 70s dance tunes: northern soul, Motown, RnB, mod beats and more, strictly vinyl.
Talks: Getting to Grips with your Tech at Age UK Barnet | Mon, Mar. 02 | 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm | The Ann Owens Centre - Age UK Barnet, Oak Lane, N2 8LT | TBA | A series of useful talks as part of Age UK Barnet's free weekly digital support sessions on Mondays from 2-4pm at the Ann Owens Centre. on March 2nd learn how to change device settings. Email Howard.
NATURE
Saturday 7th February
Seed Swap | Sun, Mar. 01 | 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm | St John's United Reformed Church, New Barnet, EN5 1RH | £1 | Dream of better things to come, chat to other food growing fans and eat cake at the #IncredibleEdibleBarnet seed swap.
Sunday 1st March
Monthly River Clean up - Clitterhouse Secret River Sweepers | Sun, Mar. 01 | 11:30 am to 3:00 pm | Clitterhouse Farm Project Clitterhouse Playing Fields NW2 1AP | Free | Join the monthly Community River Clean-Up Day. Litter doesn’t belong in our river - and together, we can change that. Protect wildlife, Keep our neighbourhood beautiful, Meet amazing people, Make a real impact.
Events - Book Ahead
Monday 30th March
Easter Camp 2026 | Mon, Mar. 30 | 10:00 am to 3:00 pm | Millbrook Park Primary School, NW7 1JF | £122 | Enjoy activities like easter egg hunts, egg decorating, obstacle courses, arts and crafts, basketball, tennis, football and so much more this easter.
Thursday 16th April
Cold War Aircraft Tour with Age UK Barnet | Thu, Apr. 16 | 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm | RAF Museum, Grahame Park Way, NW9 5LL | Free but donations welcome | Join us for a thrilling journey into aviation history with our special Cold War Aircraft Tour. Highlights include some of the era's most iconic jets - including the legendary Vulcan, the sleek Vampire, the groundbreaking Meteor, and the formidable Hunter. Email or call 0738 446 6840 to book.
Saturday 9th May
Historic Homes of Hampstead Village Guided Walking Tour | Sat, May. 9 | 11:00 am to 12:30 pm | Burgh House (meet guide outside), New End Square ,NW3 1LT | £21 | Join our knowledgeable guide on this walking tour to learn more about the people and buildings that have shaped Hampstead, where you will be introduced to a selection of the area’s finest architects'.
Local Lowdown
Filming in Crouch End | Image from Amanda Carrara
Filming
Lights, camera, Luther. Crouch End’s Parkland Walk has become a moody Victorian-style station for 'Hawksmoor'. This is the codename for Netflix’s new Luther crime drama sequel featuring Idris Elba. Neighbours reported night shoots, bike chases, and drones. They also saw a dozen vintage lamps turning the old platforms into a TV noir paradise.
Greening
Cleaner, greener, fairer. Haringey is boosting its climate efforts. It’s retrofitting homes to lower bills, planting many trees, and making streets safer for walking and cycling. It’s all part of a plan to slash carbon, tackle fuel poverty, and boost air quality so everyone can breathe a little easier.
Pitching
Game on in Wembley. Five new all-weather football pitches and an events pavilion are being built on Fulton Road. Local schools and community groups can use them for free. It’s only a temporary win though - the site’s set to make way for housing in a few years, so get playing while you can.
Rewilding
Diggers are back on Hampstead Heath - but this time it’s for the birds. Work is underway to transform the Model Boating Pond island into a wildlife haven. This will include reedbeds, frogs, wildflowers, and nesting spots for mallards, swans, and even the rare woodcock. The new sanctuary is due to bloom by spring.
Wiring
Mind the cables. Phase two of electrical works at Chipping Barnet Library kicks off Monday 23 February. The first floor shuts until 22 March, so no study area or adult non-fiction for a while. Expect a bit more noise than usual until things power back to normal.
The North London Book Fest
Book Fest '24 image Sophie Harbinson
The North London Book Fest returns to the Grade II-listed East Wing of Alexandra Palace from April 23–26, 2026, with a four-day programme for all ages.
Headline guests include Alan Hollinghurst, Rachel Parris and Ben Aaronovitch, Tessa Hadley, Jeffrey Boakye, Kate Muir, Charlotte Mendelson, Natasha Brown and many more.
Opening on 23 April 2026 with a powerful event of words and music as Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason introduces her new book To Be Young, Gifted and Black, accompanied by live performances from Braimah and Konya Kanneh-Mason.
The festival features talks, readings, panels, workshops and signings, alongside live music and spoken word.
Children’s events are a major focus, culminating in the Biblio-Buzz award finale, welcoming up to 800 young readers.
Supported by Waterstones the festival continues to grow as a vibrant North London literary highlight.
And email us with any projects or ideas you'd like us to write about.
Tessa Davis
Sasha Frieze
Finchley Now
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