Welcome

This week we've got some tube train insights - including a bonus trivia question. Plus Barnet's Warmth Map, a 3D tree scan and a slew of events to keep you busy as the Winterval season approaches.

🚇 The 3 Grade II Listed Local Tube Stations

Continuing the very popular London Underground theme from last week's Finchley Now...

​

A total of 77 (out of 272) tube stations have been granted listed status. Some of them are right on our doorstep.

​

These 3 local stations are Grade II listed buildings and you should check them out:

​

1: Hendon Central Station.

This was officially listed on July 20, 2011.

​

​Hendon Central Tube Station was designed by Stanley Heaps. The station’s façade, adorned with a grand Doric stone colonnade, leads to a shopping arcade and a lofty ticket hall.

​

There have been modern changes, such as the 1988 lorry incident that damaged its portico (meticulously restored to its original glory).

​

However, the station retains its original charm with hardwood shop fronts and tiled ticket halls that echo the roar of the 20s.

​

​

2: East Finchley Station.

Listed on July 22, 1987, East Finchley Station has stood as a testament to the sleek Art Deco/Streamline Moderne style. This is thanks to architect Charles Holden's vision in the 1930s.

​

The station is renowned for its artistic contribution to Finchley, highlighted by Eric Aumonier’s iconic statue, "The Archer".

​

This symbolises Finchley’s ancient ties to royal hunting grounds.

​

​

3: Belsize Park Station.

Like Hendon Central, Belsize Park Tube Station was listed on July 20, 2011.

​

Belsize Park serves as a living museum of Edwardian Baroque architecture, designed by Leslie Green. His distinctive use of ox-blood faience tiles and the intricate designs within the station’s interiors are hallmarks of an era.

​

The station’s design includes unique tilework.

​

Fun fact: Brent Cross, Arnos Grove, and Southgate are also Grade II listed local Underground stations.

​

For a bonus point (no Googling), do you know the only two Tube Stations in London with Grade I listed status?

​

🚇 🚇 🚇

Events

KIDS

Monday 9th December

​Santas Sleigh Ride - 4D Experience RAF Museum | Mon, Dec. 09 | through December | RAF Museum London, Grahame Park Way, NW9 5LL | From £4.50 | Fly with the elves in Santa’s Sleigh and enjoy a real 4D festive adventure! “Sleigh Ride 4D” takes you to Christmas Eve where Santa is making last minute preparations for the big night. But when disaster hits, it only leaves a stuffy reindeer and a well-meaning but clumsy elf to take the reins. Will this unlikely duo be able to save Christmas by putting their differences aside?

​

Friday 13th December

​Chalgrove Primary School Winter Fair | Fri, Dec. 13 | 3:15 pm to 5:00 pm | Chalgrove Primary School, N3 3PL | Free | Come Along To the Winter Fair and join in the winter fun. Play games, buy gifts, take a chance to win a fabulous raffle prize. Let the kids make crafts while you have a mince pie and mulled wine, non-alcoholic mulled cider and other refreshments.

​

ARTS

Monday 9th December

​Holiday Season Art And Book Fair | Mon, Dec. 09 – Dec. 20 | 10:00 am to 5:30 pm | Ben Uri Gallery and Museum 108A Boundary Road, NW8 0RH | Free | Ben Uri offers an interesting range of artworks and art books for sale supporting the museum’s Research Unit on the Jewish, Refugee and Immigrant contribution to British visual culture since 1900.

​

Monday 9th December

​Painting the Walk | Mon Dec. 9 | to Mon Dec.23 | Lauderdale House, Waterlow Park, Highgate Hill N6 5HG | Free | Felicity Swan, Janey Hagger and Shona Elrick bring you ‘Painting the Walk,’ an exhibition of plein air works from their three unique perspectives.

​

Thursday 12th December

​Defamation and the Right to Freedom of Speech: Mariette Jones' Book Launch | Thu, Dec. 12 | 5:30 pm to 7:00 pm | C219-C220 (Boardroom, 2nd Floor), Middlesex University London, The Burroughs, Hendon | Free | A discussion of Dr Mariette Jones’ new book analysing the Defamation Act 2013, its impact on English libel law, and comparative approaches to balancing free speech and reputational rights. Dr Jones is a senior lecturer in law at Middlesex University and is a visiting lecturer at the Catholic University of Lille. Please email c.rose@mdx.ac.uk if you have any event requirements.

​

Saturday 14th December

​Christmas Lanterns at Chipping Barnet library | Sat, Dec. 14 | 10:30 am to 12:00 pm | Chipping Barnet library 3 Stapylton Road Barnet EN5 4QT | Free | Ay & I Creations’ invites you to celebrate Christmas at the library! Create your very own lantern and add to the magic of Christmas. All materials included.

​

COMMUNITY

​Lego and Chit Chat for Adults | Tue, Dec. 10 | 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm | North Finchley Library Ravensdale Avenue North Finchley, N12 9HP | Free | An evening for adults to relax with Lego. Let your imagination go wild and build to your hearts' content with other Lego fans. Places are limited, first come, first served.

​

​Now That’s What I Call Bingo | Thu, Dec. 12 | 7:30 pm | 5 Nether Street, Tally Ho Corner, North Finchley, N12 0GA | from £18 | Celebrate the holidays in this award winning, all singing, all dancing, interactive musical bingo game show! Join drag host Alfie Ordinary as he takes you through a mixtape of the best and worst of festive music from across the decades.

​

WALKS

Saturday 14th December

​Winter Lights - Stephens House | Sat, Dec. 14 | to Sun, Dec. 15 | Stephens House & Gardens, N3 3QE | £6.00 | Take a Christmassy walk around the lit-up gardens at Stephens House & Gardens. under 2s go free.

​

Sunday 15th December

​Lamp Lit Walking Tour - Hampstead | Sun, Dec. 15 | 4:00 pm to 5:30 pm | 58-62 Heath Street NW3 1EN, outside Wagamamma | from £10 | Discover the history rich network of alleys and lanes in old Hampstead Village illuminated by lamps and Christmas lights.

​

THEATRE

Friday 13th December

​Community Film Club: Home Alone | Fri, Dec. 13 | 8:30 pm | Whittington Park Community Centre Yerbury Road, N19 4RS | £6.13 | What better film for Christmas than Home Alone? An eight-year-old troublemaker, mistakenly left home alone, must defend his home against a pair of burglars on Christmas Eve.

​

MUSIC

Sunday 15th December

​Seldom Sung Sondheim | Sun, Dec. 15 | to | Upstairs at The Gatehouse | 1 North Rd Highgate Village, N6 4BD | £22 | Celebrate the legendary composer’s brilliance with some of our most talented young performers singing a collection of Stephen Sondheim’s lesser-known songs alongside Olivier Award winning Jak Malone (Operation Mincemeat).

​

SPORT

Saturday 21st December

​Wingate & Finchley vs Lewes FC | Sat, Dec. 21 | 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm | Maurice Rebak Stadium, Summers Lane, N12 0PD | Adults £12, Concessions £8, 11-18yrs £5, U11s FREE | Wingate & Finchley's last home match before Christmas sees them welcome Lewes FC to the Maurice Rebak Stadium. Come down and support Finchley's local football club!

Events - Book Ahead

Tuesday 2nd January

​Fashion Design & Upcycling Workshop | Tue, Jan. 02 | 10:00 am to 12:00 pm | Canada Villa Youth Activity Centre, NW7 2BU | TBA | Start the new year with creativity! Join The barnet council sponsored Fashion Design World Book Day Upcycling Workshop for a fun parent-and-child experience. Learn to transform old clothes into stylish designs and spark your creative flair! Bookings must be made by 13 December 2024.

Thursday 30th January

​Fresh: Art Fair | Thu, Jan. 30 | to Sun, Feb. 2 | Alexandra Palace Way, N22 7AY | From £8.91 | Fresh: Art Fair is the easiest way to browse and buy the art you love. With 75 galleries hosted in one convenient place showcasing artworks from contemporary paintings, prints and sculpture, to photography, glass and ceramics. We will be joined by regular Fresh: exhibitors, alongside newcomers, bringing fresh art and artists from across the UK and abroad.

Local Lowdown

​

Trains

• Hendon Express. A proposed West London Overground route connecting Hounslow to Hendon via key locations like Acton and Old Oak Common has gained momentum. With estimated costs of £430–£610 million, the project could launch by the early 2030s, pending funding and design completion.

Property

• Period Perfection? Got £1.75m burning a hole in your pocket? This charming Grade II-listed cottage in Hampstead Village features vibrant interiors, original 18th-century details, and a self-contained garden studio. Spanning 1,031 sq ft over three floors, it offers picturesque views, modern touches, and convenient access to Hampstead Heath and local amenities.

Trees

• Branching Out. As part of National Tree Week UCL's Scatter Project maps ancient and veteran trees, the bandstand Oak in Golders Hill Park had a LiDar scan to create a 3D image. Check out the impressive 3D scan of this special tree.

Warmth

• Heat Haven. Barnet’s Warm Spaces is a community-led initiative where businesses, community, faith or social enterprise organisations provide a welcoming space for residents to stay warm and engage with others in their community. Check out the map.

Consultation

• Community Call. Barnet Council is consulting residents on leisure and community activities for Brent Cross Town, an £8 billion, 180-acre development. Plans include 6,700 homes, workspaces, schools, and community facilities. The consultation, open until January 31, 2025, aims to shape spaces and events for local engagement.

A Reader's Input...

Our lead story last week revealed 3 Secret Underground Stations. But we missed an important local one (thanks to our loyal reader LHW for letting us know).

​

Between Golders Green and Hampstead stations, there’s an unusual pause in the journey. It’s the legacy of North End station, a secret underground project that never saw the light of day.

​

Back in the early 1900s, American tycoon Charles Tyson Yerkes envisioned a Northern line extension to serve a new residential development. But there was one hitch: the land needed belonged to Eton College.

​

Enter Dame Henrietta Barnett, a wealthy local who wasn’t keen on the suburban sprawl disrupting her view.

​

In 1904, she rallied to purchase the land and created the Hampstead Heath Extension, ensuring it remained a public park for all Londoners. With no houses to serve, the station plans were shelved.

​

Though abandoned in 1906, remnants of North End station’s platform and tunnels still lie hidden beneath the Heath.

Editors' Note - From Tessa

​

This week I've been in Phoenix Arizona for a few days at a conference. It was a quick trip but I explored Downtown Phoenix.

​

Some fab street art.

​

​

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