Welcome

Morning, Finchley!

October is here and the evenings are drawing in. This week: parking charges land at the Great North Leisure Park, and get out into some green space.

🌳 8 Green Finchley Nature Nuggets

Finchley and the surrounding area is rich in green space – from ancient woodland to community-run nature havens.

As the climate crisis sharpens the need for cooler, greener neighbourhoods, local planting, rewilding and conservation efforts are helping nature thrive in the heart of suburbia.

1: Finchley’s Mutton Brook Tiny Forest at Henley’s Corner. Three community Tiny Forest plots planted by local schools and members of the public in 2022, it does regular Citizen Science Surveys.

2: Long Lane Pasture is a volunteer-run nature reserve in Finchley, acting as a peaceful urban sanctuary for birds, insects, and wildflowers. It’s managed independently by a Trust under a lease from Barnet

3: Stephens House & Gardens covers ten acres and is designated as a Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation. Its birdlife includes woodpeckers, greenfinches, and Morning, Finchley! October is here and the evenings are drawing in. This week: parking charges land at the Great North Leisure Park, Burnt Oak goes quiet for half term, and Hendon gets a shot at a new rail line. [Add a line teasing Sasha's lead and second story.]robins, and frogs breed in the ornamental pond

4: Cherry Tree Wood is a 5.3-hectare park in East Finchley, recognised as a Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation. It contains woodland, grassland, ancient flora like wood anemone, and hosts species such as Eurasian nuthatch and great spotted woodpecker

5: Victoria Park in Finchley covers 7 hectares, includes playgrounds, tennis courts, lawns, a bowling and croquet club, and achieved the prestigious Green Flag Award, a benchmark for high-quality green spaces

6: Barnet borough (including Finchley) has one third of its area classified as green space, featuring ancient woodlands, traditional hay meadows, and watercourses which serve as important wildlife habitats

7: Dollis Brook in Finchley is legally recognised as a Site of Local Importance for Nature Conservation. It provides scenic trails for walking, jogging, cycling, and bird‑watching

8: Finchley Pollinator Project - not quite a green space, but a brilliant community-led action for bees, butterflies and urban biodiversity in the local area.

Finchley’s green spaces, old and new, reflect a community that cares deeply about nature – from protecting long-loved parks to supporting biodiversity projects, rewilding and greener neighbourhoods for the future. 🌳

Events

ARTS

Saturday 10th October

​Knitting and Crochet | Sat, Oct. 10 | 10:00 am to 12:00 pm | Costa Coffee, Temple Fortune, NW11 | Free, but do buy a drink from your host | The North London branch of the Knitting & Crochet Guild meets at Costa in Temple Fortune. All welcome, whatever your skill level.

COMMUNITY

Monday 5th October

​Finchley Central Town Team Meeting | Mon, Oct. 05 | 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm | Finchley Church End Library, 318-320 Regents Park Road, N3 2LN | Free, booking required | Residents, businesses and community groups are invited to hear about projects to improve Finchley Central town centre, meet the committee and share their views.

​An Argument for the Sake of Heaven | Mon, Oct. 05 | 7:30 pm | JW3, 341-351 Finchley Road, NW3 6ET | £10 | A rabbi and a Jewish atheist debate God: Rabbi Alex Chapper of Borehamwood Shul takes on Jewish News editor Richard Ferrer.

Wednesday 14th October

​The People's Emergency Briefing | Wed, Oct. 14 | 6:00 pm | Phoenix Cinema, 52 High Road, N2 9PJ | Free | A free community screening of a new film on climate and nature breakdown, and credible, positive responses, featuring Chris Packham, leading scientists, a former general and Jennifer Saunders. Followed by a facilitated discussion.

KIDS

Sunday 11th October

​The Mystery of...artsdepot | Sun, Oct. 11 | 12:00 pm to 1:10 pm | artsdepot, 5 Nether Street, N12 0GA | From £13.75 | Team up with super sleuth Danyah Miller to solve the mystery of artsdepot in this immersive, board-game style theatre show. Ages 7+.

SHOPPING

Friday 9th October

​Clarins Beauty Masterclass: The Glow Formula | Fri, Oct. 09 | 11:00 am to 12:00 pm and 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm | John Lewis & Partners, Brent Cross Shopping Centre, NW4 3FL | £15 | A Clarins beauty masterclass at John Lewis Brent Cross, with two sessions to choose from.

SPORTS

Monday 12th October

​Bollywood Dance Fitness with Debbie | Mon, Oct. 12 | 8:15 pm to 9:15 pm | Upper Hall, Church House, 2 Wood Street, EN5 4BW | £8, free taster class available | A fun, high-energy session open to everyone. No dance experience needed, just a love of music and movement.

THEATRE

Wednesday 7th October

​Ockham's Razor: Collaborator | Wed, Oct. 07 | 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm | artsdepot, 5 Nether Street, N12 0GA | From £19 | An intimate duet about relationships and the negotiation of making art together, from Ockham's Razor's two Artistic Directors. Winner of Best Dance, Circus & Physical Theatre Show at The List Festival Awards, EdFringe 2026.

Thursday 8th October

​Henry Naylor: Monstering the Rocketman | Thu, Oct. 08 | 7:45 pm to 9:00 pm | artsdepot, 5 Nether Street, N12 0GA | From £19 | Henry Naylor's award-winning one-man show about Britain's largest-ever libel case returns, featuring Elton John, punch-ups, bugged phone calls and Princess Diana.

Tuesday 13th October

​Romeo & Juliet | Tue, Oct. 13 | 7:30 pm to 9:30 pm | artsdepot, 5 Nether Street, N12 0GA | £19 | Dynamic staging, evocative sound and Shakespeare's verse combine in a retelling of the world's most famous star-crossed lovers.

Events - Book Ahead

Monday 2nd November

​Writers Drop In: Stage, Screen & Spoken Word | Mon, Nov. 02 | 6:30 pm | Roundhouse, Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8EH | £2 | A flexible monthly space to learn, experiment and develop your creative voice, from scriptwriting for stage and screen to poetry and spoken word.

Friday 27th November

​Showtime with the Memory Lane Singers | Fri, Nov. 27 | 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm | St Mary-at-Finchley, Hendon Lane, N3 1TR | Free, donations welcome | Finchley Central's award-winning Memory Lane Singers, winners of a Barnet Civic Award, entertain with well-known songs. Open to all, so come and join in for an hour of musical joy.

Wednesday 2nd December

​Conservatory Plant Adoption | Wed, Dec. 02 | Barbican Centre, Silk Street, EC2Y 8DS | Free, tickets not yet on sale | Before the Barbican Conservatory closes for restoration, Wayward Plants are propagating thousands of cuttings for you to adopt and grow at home. Booking essential, no walk-ins.

Local Lowdown

Paying

• Popping to the Great North Leisure Park now needs a stopwatch. Since 30 September, stays over an hour are paid by app, from £2, say new signs shared in the North Finchley Facebook group. Register at Vue, Nando's, Wagamama or Hollywood Bowl for free time, or risk £100.

Stepping

• Burnt Oak is finally going step-free, but there's a catch. Northern line trains will run straight through the station from 26 October to 8 November while TfL builds a new footbridge and lift. Extra 204 buses will link Colindale and Edgware, with automatic refunds for 204 and N5 riders.

Strengthening

• Allow extra time on the A41. Brent Cross flyover is down to one lane each way as TfL begins strengthening works that could last until 2028. Watch for overnight northbound closures on 6 and 7 October and a contraflow from 29 October. Works pause for Christmas shopping.

Orbiting

• Hendon could one day get a direct train to Hounslow. TfL is consulting until 18 November on the West London Orbital, a new Overground line from Hendon and Brent Cross West via Neasden and Harlesden, using the freight-only Dudding Hill line. Opening is pencilled in for 2035.

Rewilding

• Proof that a tired park can bloom. Tottenham's Lordship Recreation Ground was a neglected eyesore when its Friends group formed in 2001. Now, after £7m of funding and years of volunteering, it boasts meadows, an orchard and a restored stretch of buried river.

The Finchleyite: Esther Rantzen

Dame Esther Rantzen, one of North London’s best-loved broadcasters and campaigners, has died aged 86.

Born into a Jewish family in 1940, she was educated at North London Collegiate School and had deep Hampstead roots, living there for much of her life.

She became a household name on That’s Life!, the Sunday-night staple that mixed serious consumer campaigning with gloriously odd moments – including the famously talented dog that appeared to say “sausages”.

The programme also helped bring (Hampsteadite) Sir Nicholas Winton’s remarkable story to a huge audience, reuniting him on air with some of the Jewish children he had helped rescue from Czechoslovakia before the war on the Kindertransport.

Away from television, Rantzen founded Childline and The Silver Line and remained a tireless campaigner throughout her life. Listen to her Ham & High podcast here.

For generations of viewers, though, she will also be remembered simply as a warm, unmistakable presence on British television.

Editors' Note - From Tessa

For Fergal's 50th birthday, I got us tickets to see Van Morrison. He's certainly a man who knows his own mind - he walked off the stage unexpectedly. But that's Van, and he's a legend.

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.

​And email us with any projects or ideas you'd like us to write about.

Tessa Davis Sasha Frieze