Welcome

Happy Easter Monday! 🐣 And Pesach greetings to all those who are celebrating.

If you're not working this Bank Holiday - and thank you to everyone who *is* working - then there are some great bluebell walks out there.

🪻4 Finchley-friendly Bluebell Hotspots

Bluebell season may arrive earlier this year. Thanks to the mild spring, some displays are already getting going, and the best window now looks to be late March into April, rather than waiting for mid-April to early May.

So don’t hang about. Bluebells only last a few weeks at their best, and warm weather can hurry them along.

Step into ancient woodland and you’ll find spring at its best: bluebell carpets, soft light and that unmistakable woodland scent. These historic woods offer beauty and a sense of calm, while native bluebells also provide an early food source for bees and other pollinators. They’re good for wildlife, and they look incredible.​

Here are 4 bluebell hot spots within easy reach of Finchley, where you can fully appreciate these woodland wonders:

​1: Coldfall Woods, N10

Spanning 15 hectares in Muswell Hill, blanketed in blue, Coldfall Woods is one not to miss. It offers extensive trails for bluebell seekers.

​Nearest station: East Finchley

2: Highgate Wood, N10

The bluebells at Highgate Wood are a favourite for Londoners seeking their annual bluebell fix. This ancient woodland bursts into a sea of blue around now. accessible via the Cranley Gate or Bridge Gate, enter at the north edge.

​Nearest station: Highgate

3: Hampstead Heath, NW3

​Hampstead Heath has plenty of bluebells to delight and surprise. The best displays are found on Lime Avenue Bank, which runs from East Heath Road to Millfield Lane. Other good spots are the area opposite Kenwood House, along the edge of the North Wood, and around Beech Mount, as well as the woodlands near the Pergola and Hill Gardens.

​Nearest station: Gospel Oak

4: Ashridge Estate, HP4

A bit further afield, Ashridge Estate is renowned for its breathtaking bluebell displays. There are lots of conservation efforts in place to ensure the area is protected.

​​Nearest station: Tring is 3.4 miles away, and around 40 minutes direct train from Euston

We hope this season’s bluebells enchant and inspire you. They’re not known as fairy flowers for nothing – the violet glow of a bluebell wood in an incredible wildflower spectacle.

​​

We'd love to see your bluebell pics.

Happy bluebell hunting.🪻

Events

SUSTAINABILITY

Tuesday 7th April

​Post-Bank Holiday Litter Pick | Tue, Apr. 07 | 10:00 am to 11:30 am | The Hive, Hampstead Heath, Nassington Road, NW3 2TY | Free | Join everyone for a post-Bank Holiday litter pick. All welcome and all equipment provided.

ARTS

Tuesday 7th April

​Wild Art in the Park | Tue, Apr. 07 | 2:30 pm to 4:30 pm | Claremont Park Cabin | Free | Celebrate spring with community artist Anna van der Poorten and try your hand at nature-inspired arts and crafts.

Saturday 11th April

​Introduction to Watercolour Painting Workshop | Sat, Apr. 11 | 11:00 am to 12:30 pm | Our Yard at Clitterhouse Farm, Clitterhouse Playing Fields, Claremont Road, NW2 1AP | Adult Tickets (aged 14 and above)priced at £15. Children's Tickets (up to the age of 13) at £10. | Join local artist Janine for a laid-back Saturday morning watercolour workshop. You will learn how to produce different effects with watercolour, such as layering colours and blending. This is a really practical workshop, aimed at beginners. Booking is essential.

Wednesday 15th April

​Comedy Preview: Huge Davies and Katie Norris | Wed, Apr. 15 | 7:45 pm to 9:45 pm | artsdepot, N12 0GA | Tickets from £15 | Catch comedians Huge Davies and Katie Norris as they share brand-new shows in development at artsdepot.

KIDS

Thursday 9th April

​Tales From The Woods | Thu, Apr. 09 | 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm | Golders Green Quaker Meeting House, 17 North Square, NW11 7AD | Free | Children 6+ and their families come to a fun interactive workshop with a local storyteller.

THEATRE

Friday 10th April

​Slice - A one-off theatrical experience! | Fri, Apr. 10 | 7:30 pm to 9:20 pm | The Libra Theatre Cafe, 37 Chalk Farm Road, NW1 8AJ | £12 | Our stage, your stories. 5 talented actors plus musical accompaniment. Your stories instantly transformed into spontaneous imaginative dramas and raw comedy by a talented cast of actors.

MUSIC

Saturday 11th April

​Prelude to Music by Jack's Lake | Sat, Apr. 11 | 7:00 pm | St. John the Baptist, Chipping Barnet, EN5 4BW | £5 | Ahead of the summer season 2026, come and celebrate the magic of Jack's Lake inside a beautiful St. John the Baptist Parish Church. The programme will include Vivaldi Four Seasons in a special arrangement. Renowned musicians Charles Mutter - Violin/Piano, Ilona Domnich - singer, Neil Varley - accordion will present a beautiful and varied programme.

NATURE

Saturday 11th April

​Garden Show | Sat, Apr. 11 | 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm | St John’s Church Hall, Mowbray Road, EN5 1RH | £2 | New Barnet Amateur Gardeners & Floral Arts Society are holding their Spring Show. Come along for horticultural and flower displays, tea and homemade cake, plants, bulbs and more.

Wednesday 15th April

​Sow, Grow, Eat: Simple Veg Plants That Support Pollinators | Wed, Apr. 15 | 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm | Online | Free | Have you ever dreamed of growing your own beans, squash and herbs but weren’t sure where to start? Join for a down-to-earth webinar with Wendy Alcock from Incredible Edible Barnet. Wendy will introduce several easy-to-grow food plants that are particularly good for pollinators, including different types of beans and peas, squash (e.g. courgettes, pumpkins) and annual herbs like dill, coriander and parsley.

OLDER PEOPLE

Monday 13th April

​Gussy’s Cuppa Club | Mon, Apr. 13 | 11:00 am to | The Kiosk Claremont Park Brent Cross NW2 1AJ | £5 | Join Gussy’s every Monday at 11:00 am for a family-style cream tea, welcoming the 65+ community to come together and connect.

Events - Book Ahead

Saturday 25th April

​Kombucha Workshop | Sat, Apr. 25 | 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm | Claremont Road, NW2 1AP | £54.99 | Learn how to make your own delicious kombucha at the hands-on workshop.

Sunday 21st June

​Otoboke Beaver Live At The Electric Ballroom | Sun, Jun. 21 | 7:00 pm to 11:00 pm | Electric Ballroom, 184 Camden High Street, NW1 8QP | £27.60 | Unmissable frenetic Japanese Punk band return for their only headline show whilst touring with the Foo Fighters. In the last year, the band played with Oasis, Green Day, Foo Fighters, Jack White.

Sunday 19th July

​Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles | Sun, Jul. 19 | 3:00 pm to | The Bothy at Stephens House and Gardens, N3 3QE | £18.00, under 16 yrs £14.00 | Outdoor Theatre in the Bothy Garden. Will detective duo Holmes and Watson discover the deadly secret of the Baskerville family curse before it strikes again? Or are they barking up the wrong tree? Find out in this delightfully inventive show that will have you yelping with excitement and howling with laughter.

Local Lowdown

Crumbling

• Just minutes from Hampstead and Highgate, Bishops Avenue (long dubbed "Billionaires' Row") is home to more than 60 vast mansions collectively worth hundreds of millions. Yet many stand empty and derelict, their ownership traced to offshore companies. The street's shadowy history spans Saudi royals, Iranian regime connections, celebrity tenants and even a fatal shooting.

Exhibiting

• artsdepot in North Finchley is inviting young artists aged 11–25 from Barnet and nearby boroughs to submit work for Light + Flight, a free exhibition running 24–30 May 2026 at the Apthorp Gallery. Any medium welcome - paint, sculpture, video and more. The theme explores illumination, movement and freedom. Submission deadline: 24 April.

Welcoming

• One of north London's most beloved music venues has a new accolade. Union Chapel in Islington - which has hosted the likes of Amy Winehouse, Björk and Ed Sheeran - has been awarded Church of Sanctuary status for its work supporting homeless people, asylum seekers, refugees and migrants, recognising its commitment to inclusion and welcome.

Sprinting

• Good news for local NHS patients. Whittington Health NHS Trust has cleared more than 5,500 people from waiting lists after intensive evening and weekend clinics held across February and March. Particularly striking: Islington's priority waiting list for children's neurodevelopmental assessments for conditions like autism and ADHD, has been cleared completely.

Retiring

• After 35 years in education (11 of them at the helm) Robert Lobatto is stepping down as headteacher of The King Alfred School in Hampstead this summer. The 700-pupil school, known for its no-uniform policy and first-name culture, sits between Golders Green and Hampstead Garden Suburb and counts many arts and media families among its community.

The Finchleyite: Derek Chisora

​Derek Chisora is one of Finchley’s most recognisable sporting figures. He fought his last fight at the O2 on Saturday night after travelling there with his family by tube. Insta​Watch this super-cute video of him on the tube with his kid.​

Born in Harare, Zimbabwe, in 1983, he moved to the UK as a teenager and grew up in Finchley, where he began boxing at Finchley ABC, the north London club that also helped shape Anthony Joshua.

Turning professional in 2007, Chisora built a reputation as one of Britain’s toughest heavyweights, known for his aggression, resilience and crowd-pleasing style.

Over a long career he has held British, Commonwealth and European heavyweight titles, and challenged twice for the WBC world heavyweight crown.

Nicknamed “Del Boy” and later “War”, Chisora became a major figure in British boxing through sheer durability, charisma and longevity, earning respect as one of the sport’s great survivors.

Editors' Note - From Sasha

Spring has truly sprung - lavender flowering, hydrangeas coming back to life, buds everywhere. Birdsong. And beautiful Finchley purple flowers.

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.

You can now get a guaranteed (paid) listing for local events or local lowdown/news items.

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

Tessa Davis Sasha Frieze