Welcome

This week we're exploring the fascinating history of our own local football club - Victorian roots, still going strong.

And diving deep into the West London Flea, launching in Wembley next Sunday.

⚽ Finchley Football: born 1874 still strong

Pa Jackson, suited in middle. Football looked a little different

Wingate and Finchley FC is one of those clubs whose story doubles as a piece of local history.

Its roots stretching back to 1874, when Finchley Football Club was formed, making it among the oldest in the country.

Finchley’s early years were shaped by Pa Jackson, a key figure in the game’s development: linked to the creation of the Corinthians, the London Football Association, and later serving as secretary of the FA.

The club moved through the London and North London Leagues before becoming founder members of the Athenian League in 1912 — finishing fourth in the very first season, ahead of names that would later loom large in non-league football.

War interrupted progress. Finchley’s Athenian League spell was curtailed by World War One, and after a brief return in 1929 the club found success back in the London League: League Cup winners in 1934–35, then champions in 1936–37, before World War Two brought another halt.

After the conflict came a second strand of the club’s identity.

In 1946, Major Harry Sadow and a group including Frank Davis, George Hyams and the Rebak family founded Wingate FC — a Jewish football club created in part as a response to anti-Semitism, grounded in the belief that the pitch could be a place to challenge prejudice. Named after General Orde Wingate, the club rose quickly, reaching the London League by 1952.

Finchley’s own post-war peak arrived in 1952–53 with a memorable FA Cup run to the Third Round Proper, beating Chelmsford City, Kidderminster Harriers and Crystal Palace before going out to Shrewsbury Town.

By the 1980s, Finchley were battling decline and relegation; Wingate faced upheaval too, losing their Hall Lane ground in 1972 to the M1 extension.

The two stories finally converged in 1991, with debts and uncertainty prompting a merger. Summers Lane was refurbished and renamed in honour of Wingate supporter Harry Abrahams — and Wingate and Finchley FC stepped out for 1991–92, a new club built from two proud, resilient traditions.

From record league finishes and a promotion treble to relentless youth trophies, community impact, and a revitalised Summers Lane, Wingate and Finchley’s modern story proves this club still knows how to win — and evolve. ⚽

Events

ARTS

Sunday 1st February

Shadow Tales - The Barnet Heritage Trail Workshop | Sun, Feb. 01 | 1:30 pm to 3:30 pm | Cultivate Colindale, Quakers Course, NW9 5YT | Free | An exciting new heritage trail is being developed across Barnet, connecting Colindale with the Finchleys via Hendon. The trail will celebrate well-known heritage sites while uncovering hidden and untold local histories.

Saturday 7th February

Tony Moore's AWAKE | Sat, Feb. 07 | 7:30 pm | The Bull Theatre, EN5 5SJ | £19 | The Bull Theatre is very excited to be on the tour list of Tony Moore's show AWAKE, along with support band The Mighty Heartache. Tony Moore is taking to the stage with his electrifying one-man show, "AWAKE." Tony's journey in the music industry has been nothing short of legendary, from being an original member of Iron Maiden to playing with Meatloaf.

Monday 9th February

Finchley Art Society Exhibition | Mon, Feb. 09 | 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm | Lauderdale House Waterlow Park, Highgate Hill, N6 5HG | Free | Explore a vibrant display of work by members of the Finchley Art Society, a local group that has been painting together for over 75 years.

COMMUNITY

Thursday 5th February

Sunday 8th February

THEATRE

Thursday 5th February

Blithe Spirit by Noel Coward | Thu, Feb. 5 | 7:30 am to 9:45 am | Theatre | £15 £13 concessions | Join for this sparkling, supernatural comedy of manners, where love, laughter, and a little ghostly chaos collide. Whether you're a Coward connoisseur or a newcomer to his wicked wit, Blithe Spirit promises an evening of stylish suspense and spectral delight.

Saturday 7th February

Sunday 8th February

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland | Sun, Feb. 8 | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm | artsdepot | Tickets from £13.75 | Award-winning theatre company Box Tale Soup invite you down the rabbit hole in this fantastical adaptation of Lewis Carroll's beloved book. Performances at 11am, 2pm and 3.30pm.

Monday 9th February

On the Beat in Kings Cross' with Chris Foster | Mon, Feb. 09 | 3:00 pm | St John the Baptist Church, Wood Street, EN5 4BW | £3 | In this event, Chris Foster will guide you around the historic Kings Cross area south of Euston Road, following the footsteps of his beat as a young bobby in the 1970s.

FOOD

Tuesday 27th January

What Do You Think Of Food In Islington | Tue, Jan. 27 | 6:30 pm to 9:30 pm | Brickworks Community Centre, 42 Crouch Hill, N4 4BY | Free | Join a People’s Assembly on food with Islington Climate Centre, Islington Food Partnership, and Octopus Community Network. Short talks, then small-group discussions where everyone can contribute.

Events - Book Ahead

Thursday 19th February

The Great Big Bug Show | Thu, Feb. 19 | 11:00 am to 11:45 am | artsdepot | Tickets from £13.75 | Join poet Simon Mole and musician Gecko for a family show full of poems, raps and songs all about your favourite bugs (and some you haven’t heard of yet). For ages 4-11.

Saturday 28th February

Age UK Barnet: Coffee Mornings | Sat, Feb. 28 | 10:30 am to 12:00 am | Ann Owens Centre, Oak Lane, East Finchley N2 8LT. | Free | Join for a cuppa and a friendly chat at one of the new coffee mornings. For more details about the next coffee morning dates, call Tamara on 0208 1297619 or email.

Saturday 7th March

A Hans Zimmer Candlelight Experience | Sat, Mar. 07 | 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm | St Michael's Church, Highgate N6 6BJ | from £20 | Lumos brings you enchanting concert experiences paying homage to world famous artists. They've partnered with spectacular locations & churches across the UK to deliver a concert experience that is nothing short of magical.

Local Lowdown

Rapping

Science gets a remix. North London’s own Matt Green, aka The Rapping Science Teacher, headed back to Alexandra Park School to launch his new Rapping Up Science book series. His TikTok raps on physics, chemistry and biology are now study guides, turning GCSE revision into pure lyrical genius.

Racing

Ready, set, roll. TeamSport is bringing electric go-karting and ten-pin bowling to Brent Cross this spring. Expect high-speed straights, sharp turns, and shiny new lanes inside Brent Cross Shopping Centre. Whether you’re racing mates or striking out on the pins, it’s game on for North West London thrill-seekers.

Story-soaring

Barnet’s about to lift off. The council’s new Light and Flight programme brings artists, residents, and stories together to celebrate the borough’s heritage - from aviation to film. Expect art, music, food, and fun, all building toward a free multi-day festival this November. Thousands of locals helped shape it -truly a community takeoff.

Tapping

TfL’s ticket tech gets a tune-up. The Spanish tech firm Indra Group has secured a seven-year contract to run and upgrade the Oyster and contactless systems. Expect smoother travel and an account-based Oyster that might soon live on your mobile. London’s daily tap just got a bit smarter.

But there is striking...

Commuter countdown. Staff on the Windrush Line are planning three 24-hour strikes after rejecting a 1.5% pay rise from contractor Cleshar CS Ltd, citing pay, overtime and annual leave issues. Walkouts are set for 26 February, 26 March and 23 April 2026, so expect disruption if you’re heading that way.

The Giant West London Flea

The Giant West London Flea is arriving at Wembley Stadium at the start of February, bringing a huge new flea market to north-west London.

Let's call it what it is. A flea market.

Taking over Europe’s largest indoor coach park, the event will feature more than 200 traders selling pre-loved goods, vintage finds, and quirky collectibles — billed as a “Premier League destination for pre-loved artefacts”.

Run by the team behind other popular London markets such as Hackney Flea Market, Peckham Salvage Yard and Walthamstow Flea Market, this will be their first event in the Wembley space. Shoppers can browse stalls, hunt for bargains, and support independent traders from across the UK and mainland Europe.

Taking place on Sunday, February 1, from 10am–4pm at Pink Parking, South Way, Wembley (near Wembley Park and Wembley Central). Entry costs £2, and under-16s go free.

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Editors' Note - From Sasha

Usually in January, these mountains are covered in snow

Just back from a week in Salt Lake City Utah, on MST (mountain standard time) for the first time.

Keynoting at a conference - but what a visit to Park City. Local ski resort, with one Western-style Main Street and amazing mountains. Inspired.

One of my new conference buddies, guess what? Her dad was born in Finchley.

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Tessa Davis

Sasha Frieze

Finchley Now

🗞️Our Famous Rapping Science Teacher